GOLD Coast is preparing to play hardball for captain Steven May, with the Suns doubtful a rival club can convince them to do a deal a year before the key defender's contract ends.

May hasn't yet requested a trade but has met with four Victorian clubs – understood to be Melbourne, Collingwood, Hawthorn and Essendon.

The Demons are keen to bolster their backline before a premiership bid next season, and appear to be frontrunners after meeting with May twice.

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However, with Gold Coast almost certain to receive an early first-round compensation pick next year if May departs via free agency, Suns list and strategy boss Craig Cameron is ready to dig in.

A deal seemingly hinges on Melbourne trading boom forward Jesse Hogan, most likely to Fremantle, to clear salary cap space and satisfy the Suns' pick demands.

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"I don't know that they're (Melbourne) the frontrunner, but I was aware that they were interested in Steven, yes," Cameron told NAB AFL Trade Radio.

"But also, sitting back where we are looking at the clubs that Alex McDonald, Steven's manager, has told us they’ve spoken to, I look at that and try to work out how they think they could possibly get us to come to the table.

"I know there's a lot of things going on with Melbourne that I'm not privy to, but right at the moment I don't see how anyone can come and recompense us enough to let go of Steven one year early."

May's meetings with opposition clubs have not sat well with the Suns.

But they remain "comfortable" for the 123-game full-back to play out his contract next year.

"He's gone through that process but, at the moment, he hasn't come to us and asked for a trade," Cameron said.

"I've got to say, no club has approached us with an offer.

"We approached him towards the end of last year to ask him to consider what his long-term future was.

"We were keen to sign him up to a long-term deal if we could. He wanted to actually then find out, if he was going to do that, what other options he might have."

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Gold Coast wants an answer from the 26-year-old by early next week at the latest, once the Trade Period officially opens.

"After that it just becomes too difficult for anything to happen, other than he stays," Cameron said.

There has also been speculation talented 23-year-old utility Jack Martin could leave the Suns, but Cameron hosed down that talk.

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"Our position on Jack Martin is we won't be trading Jack," he said.



"Essendon has definitely shown an interest in him, and I understand that they're keen to grab hold of him because he's a good player, but we're not in a position where we'd be looking to trade Jack.

"A bit like Steven, I just can't see how Essendon could possibly recompense us for a player of Jack Martin's ilk when he's got a year to go on his contract.

"We all get surprised from time to time, but I just can't see how it can happen."