Gold Coast's list management team will have their hands full during the off-season as the AFL's 2019 assistance package is expected to come to a close.
At the conclusion of the 2019 season, the Suns were presented with a series of allowances from the league, which helped land Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson.
Gold Coast received the provision of draft picks that included Pick 1 and the first pick of the second round in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft; mid-first round pick (currently pick #11) in the 2020 NAB AFL Draft; first pick of the second round (currently pick #19) in the 2021 NAB AFL Draft.
The AFL also granted an increased rookie list of up to 10 players on top of their maximum 38 primary list spots.
Set for review at the end of the year, the club can expect its Category A spots to be dialled back by the five that were granted to them in 2019, according to the Herald Sun.
The likely revised changes will make it difficult for the Suns who are hoping to secure Dan Rioli and John Noble through the trade period, whilst also welcoming Academy prospect Leo Lombard to its headquarters.
Bodhi Uwland and Sam Clohesy are rookie-listed but are likely to be elevated to the primary list.
However, the departure of veteran defender Brandon Ellis (retirement) and Sam Day (not offered a contract) has eased the pressures momentarily, adding two vacancies to the primary contingent.
Jack Lukosius, Alex Davies and Malcolm Rosa Jnr (rookie) have been linked to rival clubs, with the latter encouraged to explore his options.
List spots could also open up in the form of Alex Sexton, Darcy Macpherson, Hewago Oea, Jack Mahony, James Tsitas, Levi Casboult, Oskar Faulkhead, Sandy Brock and Will Rowlands, who are all without contracts for 2025.
Nick Holman and Sean Lemmens are left without deals beyond this year but are more than likely to remain at the club.
This pivotal list management phase comes at a critical juncture of Gold Coast's finals prospects, after missing out on September action once more.
Damien Hardwick has now been in the hot seat for the better part of 12 months and declared that 80 per cent of its next premiership list already occupied the lockers.
So this next phase the Suns must get right, or fear continuing to walk the path of irrelevancy.