Miller staying put, shoots for captain
While Suns teammates have left the AFL club in recent years, Touk Miller has been steadfast in his stance he is at Gold Coast for a long haul. The 22-year-old now has a new deal to prove it, as Tom Boswell writes.
TOUK Miller has signed a three-year contract extension with Gold Coast and says he would love nothing more than to captain the Suns.
So emphatic was Miller’s commitment that he approached the AFL club about a new deal midway through last year despite the unknown surrounding Tom Lynch and what was to come from other co-captain Steven May.
“I wanted to commit to the club and make sure they were comfortable that I really wanted to be here and that I had no intentions of going elsewhere,” Miller said after penning a deal that will keep him at the club until the end of 2022.
“It’s super exciting and I couldn’t be happier.
“I didn’t explore my options, I wasn’t really interested in that. The club has given me the chance to play AFL footy and live my dream. I was more than happy to stay.”
KEEPING FAITH
Miller is the third leader of the club to re-sign following Jarrod Witts and David Swallow’s recent commitment and is one of the frontrunners to become the club’s next captain, something he feels ready to do at the age of 22 – either in his own capacity or beside another.
“I would relish the opportunity if it came my way. I’d love nothing more than to lead the club,” Miller said.
“If that’s not now and it’s in the future then so be it.
“At the moment the opportunity is there.”
STAR ON THE RISE
Miller has been touted as a future leader since his arrival in 2014. He captained Victoria Metro at under-age level, did the same for Gold Coast’s AFLX team in 2018.
May labelled Miller a potential captain upon his promotion to the leadership group in 2017 and coach Stuart Dew endorsed him as a candidate last month.
FUTURE GOALS
Miller will become a free agent at the end of his new deal, something he said wasn’t a factor when deciding the length of the contract.
But he is clear about what he wants to see from the team and is committed to being part of long-term solutions.
“We want to see massive growth in both the Gold Coast’s commitment to the club … and as a club we want to see more success and that starts with more wins,” he said. “To get off that bottom six and start moving towards that middle six to top six.
“Stranger things have happened. We have seen a lot of clubs and teams who have gone from mediocre into premiership teams. That’s what we are trying to build.”