With Christmas looming and the first half of the pre-season nearly complete, new recruit Mitch Hallahan is edging closer to a return to full training following post-season ankle surgery.

The 22-year-old hard-nosed midfielder was lured north during October’s trade period and is viewed as the potential missing link in a midfield that is brimming with outside class. The SUNS list management team identified a need to recruit an inside midfielder and that’s exactly what they have snared in the former Hawk.

After battling to break into Hawthorn’s star-studded midfield, the Dandenong Stingrays product landed at Metricon Stadium in November on a three-year deal in pursuit of greener pastures.

Despite not being able to immerse himself in full training at his new club, a calculated Hallahan revealed although frustrated by his restricted program, the knowledge his rehabilitation is progressing strongly is keeping him focused.

“You can’t get too frustrated, you’ve still got to go in there and do you’re work. (With the completion of) each session you know you are one session closer to joining the main group,” Hallahan told goldcoastfc.com.au.

“I had surgery immediately after the season concluded for myself. I had an ankle reconstruction two years ago and that was just starting to grumble along a little bit so we made the decision to go in there, clean it out, tidy up the ligament and just replace a pin that they’d put in there during the reconstruction two years ago.

“I’ll get a week of straight line basic skills in before Christmas, and then post-Christmas, once we get back from our break, I will drip feed back into the main group.”

In a rather unique situation, Hallahan decided to elope to the SUNS despite the club not having a senior coach at the time. Coaching advisor, Malcolm Blight, and GM of Football Operations, Marcus Ashcroft, outlined a vision for Hallahan which saw him complementing the club’s crop of polished midfield ball users.

The addition of the stoppage specialist is precisely what new coach Rodney Eade desired when coming on board last month and Hallahan is happy to fulfill that role at the SUNS.

“It was unique joining a new club without a coach but Rocket’s been massive. He’s come in and said the same thing, he identified that the club lacked an inside player in seasons gone by,” Hallahan said.

“He’s pretty happy that I’ve come across and being the inside player that I am that I can add a bit of a hard edge to the midfield.”

Whilst the carrot of playing senior football on a regular basis was an obvious lure for the former JJ Liston Trophy winner, the opportunity to be a part of one of the most exciting playing lists in the competition was also a major factor in Hallahan’s defection.

“The reason for me was not only the opportunity (to play on more senior football), but also the exciting list that we’ve got here, that was a massive draw card,” Hallahan said.

“The culture that the club has built over the last four years, the direction that we’re heading now. (To) recruit Malceski in the off-season as well, and the draftees and the rookies that we’ve brought in as well are exceptional people with a lot of talent.

“I think for me it was more so where the club’s heading in the future, not just right now.”