OUTSIDE of hosting the Grand Final in 2020, Damien Hardwick's appointment as Gold Coast's coach might be the most exciting thing to happen in Queensland footy since Brisbane's hat-trick of premierships in the early 2000s.

Hardwick comes with an authority that only premiership coaches can carry, and a belief that he already has the bulk of his flag-chasing cast in place.

At his introductory press conference on Monday, the former Richmond mentor said he had 80 per cent of the list he would need to guide his new club to a premiership.

It was a bold statement and one that will fill the players with confidence.

Without getting into the nitty-gritty and head-counting, where do the Suns need to get the other 20 per cent from? And how will they get it?

Hardwick doesn't have to look far for the first few faces that could play a role in the rise he hopes they'll achieve.

Jed Walter. Ethan Read. Jake Rogers.

Lock those three names into your 2024 list when they inevitably get taken in the upcoming 2023 AFL Draft after graduating from Gold Coast's Academy program.

Walter is a 195cm key forward that is just as happy chasing and hunting defensively as he is crashing packs and taking marks. AFL.com.au's draft guru Cal Twomey has Walter rated as the second-best player in this year's crop in his latest Phantom Form Guide.

Read is a mobile ruckman with good skills, while Rogers is a dynamic midfielder that loves to get in-and-under congestion to win the contested ball.

All three were named in the under-18 All-Australian team this year and could make an impact as early as next season.

There is no doubt the Suns' list is not the finished product. Chris Fagan's Brisbane team that went from cellar-dwellers to top-four within three seasons of his arrival required a drip-feed of Charlie Cameron, Lincoln McCarthy, Lachie Neale, Jarryd Lyons and Joe Daniher over a few years to top up its list.

The same concept is required at the Suns.

They need another proven midfielder to complement Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson, Touk Miller and Sam Flanders, while a small forward to pair with Malcolm Rosas jnr and Nick Holman would also be helpful.

In Ben King, Jack Lukosius, Charlie Ballard and Mac Andrew they already have key pillars at either end to take them well into the future (not to discount the value 29-year-old full-back Sam Collins still offers).

Hardwick has to find out what he REALLY has at his disposal, and that might take 12 months.

Some players might benefit with a new voice.

Flanders, still out of contract, has flourished in the past six weeks. Elijah Hollands, taken at No.7 in the 2020 AFL Draft, has played just 14 games and been in and out of the team.

It's easy to envisage him tearing down a wing in an up-tempo gameplan.

Then there's Alex Davies, the 192cm midfielder that, like Hollands, hasn't nailed down a permanent spot despite the club's high hopes.

Does Connor Budarick command a spot every week now that he's overcome a second knee reconstruction?

They're all questions that need answering by young players with high-end talent.

That takes us to how Gold Coast tops up its list externally.

Should Hardwick's plans involve Dustin Martin, the man who helped deliver those premierships with three Norm Smith Medal-winning performances?

Martin has another year to run on his contract with the Tigers and unless they were willing to pay most of his hefty salary, the Suns simply couldn't afford him.

If the champion's body and mind are still willing, perhaps it's a conversation worth revisiting in 12 months once the new coach has a good grasp on what's at his disposal.

Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt are interesting cases. Both retired, but there's always a chance Hardwick could talk them into another year like Fagan did so successfully with Luke Hodge in 2018.

Another voice or two to help embed the 'Richmond way' could only be a good thing, although those men play in areas of the ground where the Suns don't need their kind of assistance.

Perhaps their voices could be used as assistant or development coaches?

Although the Suns want results and want them quickly, there's no rush to chase trades (which they'd struggle to do, needing draft points to acquire Walter, Read and Rogers this year) or free agents.

There are holes in the list, both in the best 22 and the Suns' depth, but Dimma's elusive 20 per cent doesn't have to come all in one go.