Lock looks to draft

Inaugural Gold Coast Suns captain Marc Lock

MARC Lock had his "annus horribilis" this year and is as keen to rebuild his footballing career starting with today's AFL Player Draft.

The inaugural Gold Coast Suns captain started the 2011 season as part of the club's leadership group but only played one senior match - the opening round encounter with Carlton.

At the end of the season, Lock was delisted by the Suns and placed on the open market.

The 192cm, 83kg midfielder, who hails from Terranora and played his junior football at the Coolangatta Blues, has been negotiating with Victorian Football League club Box Hill Hawks but prior to signing with the Hawks decided to give himself another chance of making it in the AFL by putting his name up for bids in the annual draft.

Box Hill Hawks head coach Damian Carroll confirmed Lock had given him a verbal agreement that he wanted to join the club and the coach was keen to have the 19-year-old there should he be unsuccessful in the draft.

"We're hopeful of securing Marc if he is not successful in the upcoming AFL draft because we believe he is a great asset to a football club," Carroll said.

"He has fantastic leadership qualities and he is a strong-bodied player who can help our competitive young side.

"Hopefully for him he gets drafted but if not, hopefully for us we can draft him."

Boxhill has an affiliation with AFL club Hawthorn so it seems that would be the most likely team to give Lock another chance to prove his skills at the top level.

"Recruiters look at every club in the competition and certainly, he will be under Hawthorn's watchful eye because the club is close by and the coaches go to every game in the competition now," Carroll said.

Lock served as Suns captain in the TAC Cup under-18s competition in 2009, when he was the club's best and fairest, and again in 2010 when the club played in the VFL.