Suns chairman Tony Cochrane says exit of Gold Coast captains Tom Lynch and Steven May a line in the sand moment for club

SUNS chairman Tony Cochrane explains what club will do next after departure of captains Tom Lynch and Steven May.

SUNS chairman Tony Cochrane says the exit of captains Tom Lynch and Steven May is a line in the sand moment for a club who he believes is embarking on a major rebuild.

May followed Lynch out the door of Gold Coast on the final day of the trade period in a double blow to a club who continues to lose its best talent to rivals.

The key defender wasn’t out of contract until the end of 2019 but when May couldn’t guarantee he would commit long-term, the Suns decided to act.

“It was a line in the sand moment,” Cochrane said.

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“Under the new structure with the new coach and all the changes we have made in the football department we were keen to have a complete group who are fully committed to the future of the club.

“When Steven couldn’t guarantee us he was prepared to sign on for a longer period of time we used this opportunity to bring in all those changes and completely refresh our list and to get underway with what is going to clearly be a major rebuild.”

Steven May of the Suns looks on during the Round 19 AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Carlton Blues at Metricon Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

Only six of the original group of 47 Suns players remain on the Suns list including no. 1 draft pick David Swallow, Sam Day, Tom Nicholls, Rory Thompson, Jarrod Harbrow and Michael Rischitelli.

Swallow and Day are the only two of the seven players Gold Coast took in top 11 of the 2010 draft left.

Two years ago Gold Coast’s leadership group consisted of Gary Ablett (Geelong), Lynch (Richmond), May (Melbourne), Dion Prestia (Richmond), retired duo Nick Malceski and Matt Rosa and current Suns Michael Rischitelli and Jarrod Harbrow.

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They were the group who were meant to take the club into the future.

Cochrane said the club was disappointed to lose its captains, but believed it was the best result as the club tries to set up a new future eight years after building its initial list.

“I’m like every other board member and every member of our club and we are enormously disappointed to lose both Tom and Steven,” Cochrane said.

Gold Coast Suns chairman Tony Cochrane says the club has drawn a line in the sand following the departure of captains Tom Lynch and Steven May. Picture: Jerad Williams

“But we have to be focused on the group who is there and not those who are leaving.

“We are in a good space now to clear the decks and really build a solid young group around Stuart Dew.

“We are all backing Stuey 110 per cent in this. We believe we have set the club up for a very bright future.”