Matthew Lloyd believes the Gold Coast Suns have a major list-management decision looming, declaring the club should make re-signing Mac Andrew its top priority ahead of retaining Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
The Essendon great says Andrew has developed into the Suns’ most important long-term asset, with the exciting key defender emerging as one of the competition’s brightest young stars.
Speaking on Nine’s Footy Classified, Lloyd praised both players but said Gold Coast’s focus should be firmly on locking away Andrew, whose combination of athleticism and versatility makes him one of the AFL’s most valuable young key-position players.
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“If I had to choose one, I’d be choosing Mac Andrew.”
Lloyd said Andrew’s ceiling was so high that he would be doing everything possible to ensure the 21-year-old remained at Carrara for the long term.
The comments come as the Suns continue to build one of the AFL’s most talented young lists.
Andrew is already contracted until the end of the 2030 season after signing a long-term extension with the club, while Ugle-Hagan joined Gold Coast ahead of the 2026 season after leaving the Western Bulldogs in search of a fresh start. AFL.com.au has previously reported that coach Damien Hardwick views Ugle-Hagan as a long-term player despite his interrupted start at the club.
Lloyd’s opinion isn’t a criticism of Ugle-Hagan’s talent.
The former No.1 draft pick remains one of the AFL’s most gifted key forwards, but Lloyd believes elite intercept defenders with Andrew’s athletic profile are significantly harder to find.
Andrew has become one of the faces of Gold Coast’s rise, capable of shutting down dangerous forwards while also creating attacking opportunities with his elite ball use and ability to play multiple roles. His performances have also attracted widespread praise from Champion Data analysts and AFL commentators throughout the past two seasons.
The discussion comes at an interesting time for Gold Coast.
The club has publicly backed both Andrew and Ugle-Hagan this week after investigating a viral video involving the pair at the State of Origin decider, concluding there was no evidence of wrongdoing after both players denied any misconduct.
For the Suns, the ideal outcome is keeping both stars.
However, Lloyd believes if circumstances ever forced the club to choose, the answer is clear.
Mac Andrew is the player Gold Coast simply cannot afford to lose.
