The man who helped save AFL’s first disastrous foray to the Gold Coast says the region’s new club must trade high draft picks for “stronger bodies” to survive and thrive in a tough market.

Former Brisbane Bears chief Andrew Ireland, who guided the club from near-extinction in 1990 to eventual success and acceptance as the Brisbane Lions, said Gold Coast had to be immediately competitive in its 2011 debut.

Ireland, now football operations manager at Sydney, was part of the AFL committee which developed the draft concession package for the Gold Coast team.

It includes nine first round selections in the 2010 national draft, including picks one, two and three.

But Ireland said Gold Coast must use some of its high draft picks wisely as bargaining chips, saying it was “irresponsible” to suggest young players could make the club an instant on-field hit.

“We need stronger bodies in the initial list and there is financial respite to the clubs and competition to allow the team to be competitive and become reasonable,” Ireland said.

He said the AFL had heeded the lessons learned by the Bears’ start to life, including nine years of on-field failure and near-ruin after former owner Christopher Skase fled the country in 1989 following his firm Qintex’s financial collapse.

“People might forget, at the end of three years the Brisbane Bears had debts of $27 million,” Ireland said.

“Two years later Reuben Pelerman (who bailed out the club post-Skase) had lost another $10 million.

“It’s still a tough market up there though I’m sure things have improved.

“But you have to make sure the team you have up there is at least competitive and there’s a structure the young players can learn from.”

Sydney coach Paul Roos led a chorus of cautious support for the draft concession package from the existing 16 clubs.

“If you are going to bring a new team in you try to make them as competitive as possible,” Roos said.

“You probably don’t want to finish on the bottom of the ladder or second-bottom, third-bottom in that particular draft, and then perhaps with west Sydney coming in.

“So it is a balancing act in terms of bringing a new team in.”

Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said the Cats were supportive, both of Gold Coast’s entry and the draft concessions.

“We understand that Gold Coast needs to be given the opportunity to build its list and that in doing so there will be concessions made for them in the draft that will impact upon us and other clubs.

“We are supportive of the entry of the Gold Coast team and in the circumstances accept the AFL’s determination on the matter.”

Essendon chief executive Peter Jackson said the AFL had achieved the right balance in its package.

© AAP 2012

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