Delisted Cat Charlie Constable gained his AFL lifeline through Thursday night's National Draft, joining the Gold Coast Suns for the 2022 season.
Constable was swooped by the Suns with the 63rd overall selection of the 2021 AFL Draft, joining Dandenong Stingrays star tall Mac Andrew - who went fifth overall - in being the only names to make the move to Metricon Stadium.
Constable was not offered a new deal by Geelong for 2022 after 12 games in four seasons, with his exposure at AFL level limited due to the Cats' star-studded midfield ensemble.
The 22-year-old will now join an engine room that boasts an extensive list of rising stars, where he will look to quickly look to move up the pecking order.
The mould of a tall onballer does need to be filled, with Hugh Greenwood shockingly departing for Arden Street after being delisted, with the Suns having plans to re-list the athletic midfielder through Friday's Rookie Draft.
With Greenwood's exit opening up a list spot, the Suns used the pick they had planned to re-select the former Crow with on Constable, a player that has shown the capabilities to fill the void.
An unmatched stat sheet in the VFL this season wasn't enough for Costable to secure his place in Chris Scott's lineup for more than three appearances this year, two of which came as the medical sub.
The Sandringham Dragons product had proven his value in the years prior to 2021 however, highlighted by a 31-disposal outing against Melbourne in 2019.
The young Cat averaged over 21 disposals that year, along with 3.7 tackles and 4.4 marks per game.
Geelong's 'win now' window perhaps hindered his chances of sustaining a place in midfield, however his departure is sure to be a great gain for the Suns.
“We have continued to track Charlie’s progress since being drafted to Geelong in 2017,” Suns recruitment manager Kall Burns said on the signing.
“He has shown his consistency at VFL level and with limited opportunity at AFL level in a strong midfield group at Geelong, he has demonstrated his ability to play at the top level when given the chance.
“Charlie is a strong ball-winner with great physicality and at 191cm he will complement our existing mix of midfielders well.
“Charlie has been in a successful system for a number of years so we’re really excited about what he can bring to the group and expect he will be able to hit the ground running.”
Joining the likes of Matt Rowell, Touk Miller and Noah Anderson, Constable won't have much more ease in breaking into the senior side, but the right-footed midfielder might enjoy a fresh start on the Sunshine coast.