Who will it be now?
SOME of the delisted Suns players could be set to continue their careers on the Gold Coast.
The Southport Sharks NEAFL side, who finished on top of the ladder and are in the hunt for their first premiership in a decade, are circling the Suns who have begun a clean-out of their list.
AFL veteran Michael Barlow and rookies Josh Jaska, Max Spencer and Mackenzie Willis were all told this week that their contracts wouldn’t be extended beyond 2018.
All will be scoping out potential interest from rival AFL clubs to find out if there are any other opportunities to continue their careers at the top level. But Sharks NEAFL coach Stephen Daniel confirmed he had already made contact with a couple of the players already delisted by the Suns to discuss a potential move to Southport in 2019.
Barlow, 30, holds the highest profile of the group after playing 141 AFL games over nine seasons between Fremantle and Gold Coast.
The midfielder was among the Suns’ best endurance runners during his two seasons at the club and finished seventh in the NEAFL MVP voting, one point ahead of former North Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow.
When contacted for comment, Barlow said he would let the dust settle before opening up about any potential football opportunities.
Spencer, 20, spent just two seasons on the Suns list where the 190cm defender played nine games.
The Palm Beach Currumbin product could find a home at the Sharks if he isn’t given an AFL lifeline and wants to continue playing and living on the coast.
Jaska, a Geelong product taken with pick two of the 2017 rookie draft, will leave having not played an AFL game while Tasmanian-born Willis, who suffered a seasonending knee injury in Round 6 of the 2018 NEAFL season, played five AFL games across two seasons at Gold Coast.