Struggling AFL expansion club Gold Coast have received a major boost, with co-captain Steven May signing a two-year deal.
The new contract secures one of the league's best key defenders until the end of the 2019 season and comes after strong speculation that May could leave.
The longer May held off signing, the stronger the talk that Melbourne clubs were circling with multi-million dollar offers.
But May said he always re-signed halfway through the season.
"People are always going to have an opinion ... that doesn't bother me," he said.
"I've matured now and I understand how that works."
The Suns will now sweat on Gary Ablett's decision about his career at the end of the season, while co-captain Tom Lynch comes out of contract in late 2018.
May said family was a crucial consideration.
"I had to discuss a few things with my family and my fiancee Tess - in regards to what she wanted to do with work," he said.
While the Suns sit two games outside the top eight, May is excited about their future and what he can contribute.
"I really relish the pressure of being a captain and someone the boys look up to," he said.
"Week in and week out you get that pressure to perform and I think that's going to help my footy.
"The young core of players coming through between 18 and 23 are really exciting and they're very talented. They've got a huge work-rate.
"Now that I've got the next couple of years locked away, I can knuckle down and focus on my job, not only as a key back, but as captain of the club."
May and Lynch chaired Ablett from the field on Saturday night after they marked the former captain's 300th match with a big win over North Melbourne.
It was also May's 100-game milestone after he made his AFL debut in the Suns' inaugural 2011 season.
He joins Jack Martin, Touk Miller, Ben Ainsworth, Jack Scrimshaw, Will Brodie, Jack Bowes and Brad Scheer in extending their contracts this year.
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