GOLD Coast are trialling former Townsville basketball star Tom Howard in the hope of uncovering the next Josh Jenkins or Dean Brogan.

Brogan won an NBL championship with the Adelaide 36ers before switching sports and playing a key role in Port Adelaide’s maiden AFL premiership victory when they beat Brisbane in the 2004 Grand Final.

Jenkins was on a development squad at the Townsville Crocodiles but is now a star for the Adelaide Crows.

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The Suns also plan to submit a proposal to the AFL for funding assistance for category B rookies to lessen the financial risks to clubs who want to take a chance on talented athletes from other sports.

AFL clubs can sign athletes from other sports or former players who have not been involved at any level for four years as Category B rookies, which means their wage does not count towards the salary cap.

It is the mechanism the Suns used to sign Karmichael Hunt and how Brisbane would have shoehorned Cowboys NRL star Kalyn Ponga on to their list had he agreed to switch codes.

media_camera Tom Howard at Townsville Crocs pre-season training. Picture: Shae Beplate media_camera Tom Howard training with the Gold Coast Suns. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

It is still a financial gamble given the difficulties players from non-Aussie rules backgrounds face adapting to the game and the Suns want the AFL to absorb some of the cost.

Howard played three games for the Crocodiles in the NBL before they pulled out of the new-look national competition for this season due to financial troubles.

Suns football manager Marcus Ashcroft said the AFLQ talent programs had spotted an opportunity with Howard when the Crocodiles folded and invited him to trial.

“We found him through the AFLQ talent pathway,’’ he said. “We’ve got guys up there attached to our academy who work closely with the AFLQ and they test a lot of these types of athletes from other sports.

“It’s how we found Charlie Dixon and Zac Smith, who both came from other sports.

“He’s big, he’s a good athlete and he’s got good co-ordination and he is a competitor. The tools are there, so we’ve invited him down for a few weeks to see how he goes.’’

media_camera Dean Brogan in action for Port Adelaide. media_camera Josh Jenkins in action for Adelaide. Picture: Tom Huntley

Originally published as Suns hoping Howard next big thing