The Gold Coast SUNS have today announced contract extensions for Ben Long and Sam Clohesy as they continue to safeguard their playing list against southern rivals.

Long has signed for a further three years, locking him in until the end of 2029, and Clohesy has added two years through to 2028.

It’s a reward for Long’s best season in the AFL in 2025, and Clohesy’s outstanding off-season.

Long, 28 and in his fourth season at the club after six years at St Kilda, kicked a career-best 45 goals in 2025 to win a spot in the All-Australian squad and finish equal sixth in the club best & fairest.

Clohesy, a StreetSmarts SUNS Academy graduate, is in his third AFL season at 23 and looking to reclaim the  regular senior spot he lost late last year.

Gold Coast SUNS General Manager of Football Craig Cameron said it was a “no brainer” to extend Long after his career-best 2025 campaign, when, having originally been recruited as a half back flanker, he became a key part of the SUNS forward setup.

“Ben has two really important attributes – he’s hard and unrelenting in his attack on the ball and the player with the ball, and he puts it through the big sticks,” Cameron said.

“His teammates just love playing with him.”

Cameron recognised the outstanding summer work of Clohesy, who had been one of the SUNS’ best performers over the off-season after an injury-disrupted end to his 2025 campaign.

Having played 24 games in a row from debut in Round 4 2024, he was left out of the AFL side in Rounds 6-7-8 last year and, after 11 games back, missed the last eight including the finals with an ankle problem.

“Sam had an outstanding pre-season … he showed he learned from his first real pre-season with the club (2024-25) that you really need to put the work in. And he has,” Cameron added.

“He understands the system very well, and is selfless. He doesn’t go chasing stats but continues to wok on his areas of improvement with a really strong team-first ethos.”