Suns recruit: Why I left the Tigers

THE Suns’ newest recruit has revealed the real reason he made the move to the Gold Coast.

NEW Suns midfielder Anthony Miles says he was left frustrated sitting in the outer circles of Richmond during the club’s premiership success and believes the opportunity to play more senior football at Gold Coast was too good to pass up.

Miles, 26, and Tigers teammate Corey Ellis, 22, were traded to Gold Coast this week as the Suns try to add more mature bodies to its young list.

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Both were at the Tigers when they won the 2017 AFL premiership, their first flag in 37 years.

It was a bittersweet experience for Miles who had played 55 games straight since arriving from GWS at the end of 2013 before featuring in just six in the past two seasons.

“I would be lying if I didn’t say it was as tough as it was enjoyable,” Miles said.

“We had 100,000 members and were having some great success.

“Personally I would have loved to have been playing. I had that taste of playing senior footy before and to be on the outer was a little frustrating.

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“It was fantastic Richmond were going really well and winning games of footy but it was a hard side to break into.

Anthony Miles (left) of the Tigers.

“I was caught on the outer a little bit and I think I have learnt a lot from those years at Richmond and playing in the VFL.”

That’s why when Tigers coach Damien Hardwick, who had been the midfielder’s biggest backer in previous seasons, approached Miles about his future, he listened.

“Dimma (Harwick) was a huge backer of mine, particularly in the early days,” Miles said.

“He said ‘I believe you’re too good to be playing VFL footy but I can’t assure you there is a spot for you here at the moment’.

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“I wasn’t ahead of Brownlow medallists Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin.

“They were happy for me to look elsewhere for more senior opportunities and helped me get to the Suns.”

Miles said he had no hesitations about going to the struggling Suns and didn’t need to be sold on the idea when approached by Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew and footy manager Jon Haines.

“The direction I believe they have the club going is really exciting,” Miles said.

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“The new facilities and everything else they have got has got me pumped to get up there.

“You look at the Gold Coast list and probably the win-loss ratio isn’t reflective of the list they have got in my opinion.

“They have got some great young talent coming through and I think the future at the club is really exciting.”