Gold Coast are eyeing Geelong free agent George Horlin-Smith as an option to bolster their midfield stocks.
While he is far from a certainly to join the Suns, its understood Gold Coast have substantial interest in Horlin-Smith, 25, who has played just four senior games this year, the most recent in round nine.
George Horlin-Smith has struggled for opportunities this year.
Photo: AAP
The South Australian, who could walk to Gold Coast as an unrestricted free agent, has been limited to just 51 games in almost eight years since being drafted by the Cats at pick 37 in the 2010 draft.
He played 21 matches in 2014, but that remains the only year in which he has reached double figures. He has again struggled for opportunities this year, unsurprisingly given the loaded nature of the Geelong midfield, which includes Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Ablett, Joel Selwood, Mitch Duncan, Tim Kelly and Scott Selwood.
While the Suns tall department will take a hit with the departure of Tom Lynch, their midfield is particularly short on quality players over the age of 22, having been depleted by the loss of Ablett, Jaeger OMeara and Dion Prestia to rival clubs.
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Aaron Hall, strongly linked to North Melbourne, is out-of-contract and looks a good chance to leave as well.
The Suns have tried to renew the depth of the midfield in recent years. They gave up pick two in last years draft to land Lachie Weller from Fremantle, and have also acquired Harrison Wigg and Jarryd Lyons from Adelaide in recent seasons, as well as bringing in cheap reinforcements like Nick Holman and Michael Barlow.
Horlin-Smith has been on the Suns radar before, having been thrown up as a possible part of the trade that ultimately got Ablett back to Geelong at the end of last year.
Inside midfielder Horlin-Smith signed a three-year extension with the Cats in 2015, and is renowned as an exceptionally good character, who would help the young Suns list. A talented junior cricketer, he led the Australian under-16 team on a tour of the West Indies in 2008.
Daniel Menzel is Geelong's other free agent, also falling into the unrestricted category, and has been linked with St Kilda.
