Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew has explained the reasons why the club is pursuing Jacob Townsend.
Reports emerged last week that the Suns were set to sign the recently delisted Essendon forward who is a premiership player with Richmond in 2017.
Dew admits there is interest in the 27-year-old journeyman and outlined why the Suns may add a player who has tallied 60 games over nine season with GWS, the Tigers and the bombers.
“There definitely is (interest), but we’re working through that currently,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“Obviously a player like Jacob has been around the block.
“We had a couple of guys in George Horlin-Smith and Anthony Miles. Externally, people might sit there and say they didn’t play a lot of footy, but what they added to the club on a day-to-day basis is immense for our culture.
“We’ve now got two fantastic characters as past players that the players love and we’ve got really good connection with them.
“Jacob’s obviously a premiership player as well. I think that having those players in your locker room can be really beneficial.”
When will the club have to make a call on Townsend?
“We’re just doing a bit of work on the final list with Craig Cameron who has done a fantastic job,” Dew added.
“With not only turning the list and managing the list, but then navigating through this period where (there is) a lot of uncertainty in waiting for the regulations
“So that will be in the next period.”
If Townsend were to arrive at the Gold Coast, it would make it a handful of experienced players added over the past two trade periods with Dew citing a need for mature bodies to help their glut of talented youngsters.
“We certainly feel like we’ve now got our group and obviously then you’re just adding pieces of the puzzle you think you need,” he said.
“For reasons why we went and got Brandon Ellis, Hugh Greenwood, Rory Atkins and even Oleg (Markov), as a player who has been in the system.
“We’ve got a lot of young players and we wanted a little bit more maturity.”
The Suns can take Townsend as a delisted free agent today or tomorrow or wait until the National, Rookie or Pre-Season Drafts on December 9 and 10.