Former Geelong premiership player Jimmy Bartel feels sorry for ex-teammate Gary Ablett but doubts the Gold Coast will allow the veteran star to return home.
The Suns have started the AFL season with consecutive losses, including a 102-point drubbing by Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.
And two-time Brownlow medallist Ablett has looked a long way off his best, finishing with just 16 disposals against the Giants.
Ablett's listless form has begged the question of whether he is unhappy after being denied a trade to return to Geelong at the end of last season.
The 32-year-old has two years left on his multi-million dollar contract and the Suns are publicly adamant that he must ses them out.
Ablett has been described as homesick but his trade request followed a period of list turmoil at the Suns, with the likes of Dion Prestia, Josh Caddy and Harley Bennell all finding new homes.
Retired Geelong champion Bartel, who played alongside Ablett during their 2007 and 2009 premierships, said he expected Gold Coast would be open to offers for the gun midfielder.
But he doubted they would be willing to emulate Hawthorn, who parted with veterans Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis, for late draft picks, over the off-season.
"I feel a bit sorry for Gary," Bartel told the Seven Network's AFL Game Day program on Sunday.
"I think when he went to the Gold Coast they would have sold him on the plan of playing with O'Meara, Prestia, Caddy, all of these guys... and none of them are there.
"He's going through that all again with a new bunch.
"If the price is right or the trade value is right for Gold Coast, I think they'd seriously think about it.
"But it's what the other team has to give up. I don't think Gold Coast are going to give him away for what we saw with Mitchell and Lewis."
Ablett struggled with injuries last season but there were hopes he would return to form this year after handing over the Suns' captaincy to Tom Lynch and Steven May.
Coach Rodney Eade on Saturday insisted Ablett was fit and said it was unfair to single him out for criticism.
"He didn't have a great game but he wasn't an orphan in that situation, there was a few other players as well," Eade said after the huge loss to GWS.
"I suppose Gary is a victim of his own elite standard and he's judged by that and whenever that drops away obviously he's going to be critiqued."
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