In a similar manner to 12 months earlier, the Gold Coast SUNS cashed in their first draft pick to acquire Jack Martin via a mini draft selection as part of Greater Western Sydney's entry concessions.

In the space of a year, the SUNS obtained underage sensations Martin and Jaeger O’Meara in a non-conventional manner. And just like O’Meara, Martin was forced to spend 12 months in the NEAFL before he was eligible to play at AFL level.

Martin’s first two years of senior football have been marred by injury, with the prodigious talent suffering a serious shoulder injury early in his debut game, which forced him to miss a large chunk of his first year.

Then in 2015, a series of ankle, hamstring and shoulder issues restricted him to just 12 games, bringing him to a total of 23. Despite enduring a frustrating start to his career, Martin has demonstrated at different times his deep bag of mesmerizing gifts.

After trading pick No. 2 to the Giants to secure the rights to Martin, Gold Coast entered the draft at pick No. 13, selecting Tasmanian midfielder Jesse Lonergan.

The big-bodied inside midfielder was plagued by injury in his first two years, but under Rodney Eade last season he built some continuity in his game, playing the final 18 games of the year to bring his career tally to 31 over three years.

Eade used Lonergan in a variety of roles in 2015, expanding his football IQ by playing him as a shutdown defender, across half forward, as a tagger and as a genuine midfielder.

The 21-year-old blossomed in the back half of the year as he entrenched himself in Gold Coast’s midfield department, after being handed run-with roles on a handful of established stars, including Scott Thompson, Matthew Priddis, Tom Rockliff and Trent Cotchin.

The SUNS used their final pick in the 2012 national draft to select Queensland defender Clay Cameron. Whilst the Mount Gravatt product is yet to cement a spot in Gold Coast’s back six, Cameron has managed 15 appearances across his first three years at Metricon Stadium, showing signs he can perform at AFL level.

2012 Mini Draft: Jack Martin

2012 National Draft

13. Jesse Lonergan
55. Tim Sumner (Retired in 2015)
58. Clay Cameron

2013 Rookie Draft

2. Leigh Osborne - Delisted at the end of 2014
55. Andrew Boston (Retired at the end of 2015)