Collingwood and Carlton champion Dale Thomas has declared in-demand Gold Coast midfielder Matt Rowell will turn his back on rival offers to re-sign with the Suns.

Rowell is one of the AFL’s most high-profile players out of contract at the end of 2025, and already met with at least one other club, Geelong, before the season started.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Matt Rowell closing in on deal with Gold Coast.

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The 2019 No.1 draft pick has been crucial to the Suns’ rise up the ladder this season, and they will be desperate to hang on to him as they try to become a finals contender for the first time in the club’s history.

Speaking to The Agenda Setters on Tuesday night, 7NEWS Melbourne’s Mitch Cleary said the Suns remain uneasy about their prospects of keeping him.

“The nervousness is growing,” Cleary said.

“I think six weeks ago, they were very confident that he would stay on a two-year deal, which would take him to free agency.

“The Suns play Fremantle this week and then Geelong after that, then they’ve got the bye.

“If he’s not signed a week or two after the bye, I think it is alarm bells at Gold Coast around Matt Rowell, with a number of Victorian clubs circling.”

Thomas said he had no doubt Rowell would remain at Gold Coast.

“He’ll sign a couple of weeks after the bye. Very confident,” Thomas said.

Rowell was drafted alongside high school best mate Noah Anderson, who was taken with the next pick after Rowell at No.2.

Anderson last year signed a contract that ties him to the club until the end of 2027, at which point he will reach free agency, and is the captain of the club.

Speaking after the Suns’ win over St Kilda on Sunday, Anderson said he was doing his best to make sure his mate stays.

“As a little pair, we’re helping the team win,” he said.

“I’m doing my best (to convince Rowell to stay). Hopefully the wins can help out a little bit, but he’s in a good spot.”

Suns CEO Mark Evans told SEN they have looked at the model of other clubs like Sydney to work on player retention.

“I think Sydney have had the model that might work well; they seem to put their salary cap into the players that are the most important, and sometimes that means someone a bit further down gets squeezed,” he said.

“I think we’re going to face some of those issues.”