A new home and the opportunity for more senior football proved a critical factor for Gold Coast's latest recruit, Mitch Hallahan.

"It has been quite an emotional couple of weeks for myself, family and everyone involved," the former Hawk told NAB Trade Radio.

"To Hawthorn, I couldn't thank them enough for the opportunity to play AFL football and play out a dream.

"(But) an opportunity presented with the SUNS I'm excited about and looking forward to."

A hard-nosed inside midfielder that thrives in heavy traffic, Hallahan was taken in the same 2010 draft class as the likes of favourite SUNS David Swallow, Dion Prestia and Harley Bennell.

listen to ‘Mitch Hallahan on NAB Trade Radio - Thursday 16 October’ on audioBoom

Interestingly, he also graduated high school alongside vice-captain Tom Lynch, playing his junior football alongside the key forward at the Dandenong Stingrays with Matt Shaw also in the midfield mix.

While many of his fellow draftees, including all of the above, have surpassed the all-important 50 game mark, Hallahan became victim to Hawthorn's vast midfield depth, managing just six games behind the likes of dual Norm Smith medallist Luke Hodge, 2008 premiership captain Sam Mitchell and All-Australian Jordan Lewis.

But a fresh start presents new horizons for the club's latest SUN.

"They (SUNS list managers) made it quite clear to me they needed my type of player, inside player and the experience for myself alongside young exciting talent in Swallow, O'Meara, Prestia and arguably the greatest midfielder in the game in Ablett.

"So it's going to be good for football in the coming years."