Gold Coast are already talking to top AFL draft picks Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson about making longer-term commitments at the Suns.

As expected, Rowell went to Gold Coast with the No.1 draft pick on Wednesday night and his long-time friend Anderson joined him with the Suns’ No.2 selections.

Rowell later said the Suns visited him last Thursday night and confirmed he would be their top choice.

Suns list manager Craig Cameron also said that they started to speak with Rowell and Anderson about future contracts.

One of the biggest problems for the struggling expansion club has been the loss of key players.

The exodus has featured Suns captains Gary Ablett, Tom Lynch and Steven May.

But the Suns are confident they now have a better club culture.

Last year’s top draft picks Jack Lukosius, Ben King and Izak Rankine have all re-signed.

Apart from Rowell and Anderson, the Suns also traded picks with Carlton and that enabled them to recruit Sam Flanders.

“We have had some preliminary discussions, but only preliminary,” Cameron said of Rowell and Anderson.

“We wanted them to get through and enjoy tonight, more than anything else.

“They’ve known for a little while obviously where they were headed, so it gives them a chance to work through that.”

Cameron also said they were never interested in trading away their top two picks.

“There were clubs that were really keen, but there was nothing,” he said.

“We (want) to bring through a cohort of players around the same age and start to really take ownership of the footy club.”

Flanders was an unexpected bonus as a result of the live trading of pick swaps with the Blues.

“We weren’t planning to pick him up tonight,” Cameron said.