NOAH Anderson’s appointment as Gold Coast captain at the age of 23 signifies a huge shift in mindset from the Suns.

Entering his sixth season, Anderson will become the seventh player to lead the club, and the youngest to do so, edging Steven May by a few months.

It’s not the first time the Suns have turned to youth, but it’s the most significant.

In what would turn out to be Rodney Eade’s final year in charge in 2017, May and Tom Lynch took over from Gary Ablett jnr, only to leave the Suns 12 months into Stuart Dew’s tenure at the end of 2018.

Undergoing a “reset” as they called it at the time, Gold Coast went for the calm, experienced heads of David Swallow and Jarrod Witts to guide them through a difficult period.

In 2022, Swallow stepped aside to elevate Miller, entering his prime as a player and a man that had shown great leadership since the day he walked through the Carrara doors.

Now it’s Anderson’s time, the first solo choice since Ablett jnr and a clear direction that players and staff are ready for a new look.

While Sam Collins and Miller will provide great support as vice-captains, the elevation of Matt Rowell, Ben King and Wil Powell to the six-man leadership group strengthens the winds of change.

None of that trio have previously held leadership position, and Powell is the oldest at just 25

“In the back of my mind it was always something I wanted to do,” Anderson told AFL.com.au of the captaincy. “It’s a little bit of a dream.”

The prolific midfielder has been a leader since the start of his third season, describing a “passion” few others previously had at a similar stage of their Suns journey.

He credits Swallow, Witts, Miller, Nick Holman and Sean Lemmens as role models that showed “genuine care” in his early days.

"When someone puts time into you and shows you they care, and that you’re important, you feel a responsibility to give back," he said.

“That’s how I feel now taking the captaincy, I’ve got a responsibility to move this club as fast as possible.

“These older guys that mentored me coming in, I want to play in finals with them and win finals with them.

“I feel I’ve got the responsibility to have the same effect on the younger guys as well because I knew how Dave Swallow was as a leader and how that made me feel and that’s now my responsibility with Will Graham and Bailey Humphrey and guys like that.”

It’s not the first time Damien Hardwick has overseen such a shift, with Trent Cotchin ushered into the top job at Richmond as a 22-year-old in 2013, taking over from veteran Chris Newman.

Like Cotchin, Anderson is unquestionably one of his team’s best players and ready for the responsibility.

Rowell, King and Powell are all different personalities, highly popular and will offer a different lens on most things for their more experienced teammates.

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“I’m in a rush, so I’ll be having honest conversations and trying to move us forward with no apologies,” Anderson said.

“I’m extremely passionate and will give all to the role and the group.”

What it all means, time will tell, but Anderson has an incredible opportunity ahead and a work ethic and desire to match it.