The Suns will add three more players to their inaugural list next week, with 24-year-old Nathan Ablett among the hopefuls training with Gold Coast in the hope of earning a permanent place on Guy McKenna's squad.
Ablett showed only moderate form in the VFL in 2010 but has been given the start of pre-season to impress the Suns, and football manager Marcus Ashcroft says the former Geelong forward will come into calculations when officials make their final selections at next week's 2011 NAB Pre-Season and Rookie Drafts.
"He has shown a bit," Ashcroft told afl.com.au. "It helps with his brother joining him as well. I think as far as what Nathan's shown to this point we've noticed a change and a shift in the way he's gone about it with his intensity.
"It's been positive for him to this point, so we've got another week to see how he goes over the next seven days and hopefully for him he earns a spot on our list."
Ashcroft said the Suns saw glimpses of Ablett's talent this year, but knew he was able to produce that level on a more consistent basis.
The Suns have one selection in Tuesday's pre-season draft and are likely to use just two of a possible six selections in the rookie draft.
Ablett's fate will be determined not only by his on-field form in 2010, but also the way he has attacked his pre-season in recent weeks.
"We obviously know he's a premiership player and premiership players don't grow on trees," Ashcroft said.
"We know he can play at the highest level, and we've seen glimpses of that through the VFL this year. We just wanted to see that more often.
"So that's the challenge we've presented to him and he's come back and I think he's done pretty well but again we need to make an educated decision over the next week.
"If he continues on in the way we think he's gone [then] he's going to be in the frame."
Under the AFL's list concession rules, Gold Coast is allowed 48 players on its senior list in 2011 and up to nine rookies.
Jack Stanley, Alik Magin and Roland Ah Chee are already on the club's rookie list but Ashcroft said his club, wary of getting the best from both its playing and coaching group, would limit its numbers.
That means fewer spots for Ablett and fellow contenders such as Cameron Pederson, Joel Tippett and Jake Crawford, who are also training with the Suns in the hope of landing a spot under McKenna.
"You'd probably think that from that four most, if not all, of those spots will be filled from those guys," Ashcroft said.
"We're still looking at other options outside of those four but these guys have been given a chance to train with us over the pre-season, so they're front of mind and I guess have got as good a chance as anyone."
