Gold Coast Sun utility Jack Lukosius is a 'watch this space' as he is yet to cement his spot in the senior side under new coach Damien Hardwick.
Lukosius has been deployed across the halfback, with previous line-ups utilising his elite kicking skills but was moved due to his lack of defensive output.
Switched up forward, the 23-year-old produced arguably a career-best season in 2023, slotting 39 goals and looked to blossom into one of the game's elite.
However, the former Pick 2 from the 2018 AFL National Draft has been unsettled and with a host of Academy players being unearthed and a new system, journalist Sam Edmund believes he could be on the outer.
"Just a watch on Jack Lukosius. There's a long way to go until the trade period and he's contracted until the end of 2026, a four-year commitment he signed in the middle of 2022,โ Edmund told SEN.
โSince then, he's been moved from defence to the forward line, stints on the wing and this season a return to the backline.
โIt's obviously a new coach with a new philosophy at the helm.
โSo, a few clubs I've spoken to over the last few days didn't hesitate in saying he was gettable and said there might be an opportunity if the planets align.
โDamien Hardwick is not going to die wondering. There's a long way to go.
โI'm not sure Jack is happy with playing in the backline because he sees himself as a forward alongside Ben King and Jed Walter, but Ethan Read has come in as well and Damien Hardwick sees him as a defender.โ
The make-up of the Suns forward line looks set for the next decade, barring any big injuries or departures from King, Walter and Read.
With Hardwick filling the remaining roles with small, pressure forwards, Lukosius' desire to play in the front half is slim.
However, early last year, the utility put it on record that he wants to play forward, a position he was drafted in.
"It is where I want to play," Lukosius said.
"If that's in the front half of the ground, whether that's higher or deeper, to help us score, I think that'll help the team the most."
The South Australian will no doubt receive interest from rival clubs if there's a squeeze at the Suns, with Port Adelaide and the Crows likely to enquire about his availability.
