DAMIEN Hardwick says there's a match-winner on Gold Coast's list that can emulate Dustin Martin, Jordan De Goey and Toby Greene.
Whether Bailey Humphrey rises to that level or not is up to him, the Suns coach says.
Humphrey was a standout in his debut 2023 campaign – despite missing most of the pre-season due to injury - playing 19 games and kicking 11 goals as a half-forward/midfielder.
And after watching him excel through his first couple of months on the Gold Coast, Hardwick says the 19-year-old has the tools to join the game's elite.
"It's probably up to Bailey ... but we'll provide the framework for him that will use his strengths," Hardwick told AFL.com.au.
"He's an unstructured player. He just plays the game and that's what we want to implement.
"I liken him to a match winner. The De Goeys, the Toby Greenes, the Dustin Martin type of player. He's that sort of guy.
"What he has to understand and believe in is this coaching staff and this playing group have got incredible belief in his ability."
Unlike 12 months ago, Humphrey has had an excellent pre-season and is noticeably fitter and stronger.
The young Victorian will play a similar role to that which Martin mastered in 14 seasons under Hardwick at Richmond.
However, the Gold Coast coach said Noah Anderson, Sam Flanders and Ben Ainsworth were also capable of having a free rein in the front half of the ground like the 2017 Brownlow medallist and three-time Norm Smith medallist did.
"This kid has played one year in the system, how good is he going to be? That's what excites you as a coach," Hardwick said.
"What we have to realise is he's a second-year player, so he's going to have some confidence issues about how good he can be and what he can do.
"There's a lot of guys that are potential high-quality AFL players. But the reality is we're happy to have high quality, but you know what we really want to do? We want to win."
