LAST year, the AFL had one plan in its bid to establish a team on the Gold Coast and that plan was simple. Relocate the Kangaroos. The plan failed.

This year, there is a new plan and now it is more complicated because it involves building a team from scratch. But the selling point again is simple. Appoint Michael Voss as coach.

At least it sounded simple enough. There is no doubt that all of the AFL's planning involves the three-time Brisbane Lions premiership captain, a heroic football figure in Queensland, a Brownlow medallist and the man the Gold Coast bid committee of three, including former Lions chairman Graeme Downie, is after.

But suddenly the situation seems more complicated. Muddying Voss' waters in terms of some leading figures in the game — namely some player managers and club officials — is the fact that he remains the director of a company that manages footballers.

No official complaint has been directed to the AFL or the AFL Players Association but the point has been made that a national under-18s coach who probably has his eye on up-and-coming talent for a fledgling team he will soon be coaching might just have a conflict whether he oversees any player contracts or not.

But Voss has already stated he will step down from Velocity — the player management group that recently added Brendan Fevola to its books and handles key Lions including Simon Black and boasts Voss and Alastair Lynch as its frontmen — if and when he signs with the Gold Coast.

It is true the champion former footballer appears to be everywhere at the moment. A relished and often provocative columnist for The Age, a commentator on Channel Ten and a mentor to junior footballers several times a year for the AFL, which has been thrilled with his input.

And we've all seen plenty of player managers spread their talents. Ricky Olarenshaw saves an affectionate snuggle post-match for his clients when he interviews them on Channel Seven and Liam Pickering doubles as a special commentator on TV and radio. Glenn Archer, a director like Voss of a management company, Stride, is a panellist on Channel Nine's Footy Classified.

But it is not the conflict that presents the real complication for Voss. It is the fact that he has still not committed to the Gold Coast and appears unwilling to until the rules and regulations are laid out and completed for the establishment of the new team.

Having stated last year he did not intend to work as an assistant coach before taking on a senior role and then deciding late in the day that he was not quite ready to step up, Voss still appears unwilling to work as an assistant coach before moving into a senior role with the Gold Coast.

All parties involved appear happy with that.

He is also believed to have made it clear he does not want to coach the introductory team in the TAC competition or the VFL or wherever it makes its debut next season, which is probably a wise choice.

Voss needs to retain the intangible magic of his image for as long as he can and things could get ugly for a junior group of battlers in the under-18 competition.

But the Gold Coast group, with the heavy backing of the AFL, would love him to accept a five-year contract within the next month or two, regardless of the list creation benefits coming the team's way. That way, Voss could continue to promote the team and oversee the coaching side of things, if not necessarily running the show on match day, until the team's AFL debut.

The working party met again on Friday to discuss the length and depth and longevity of draft benefits for the Gold Coast team and the new rules appear some distance off.

It is true that while some clubs will gripe, it is not going to be a picnic for the new team starting from scratch.

In fairness to Voss, he appears to be working in some sort of voluntary consultancy role with GC17.

But all teams need a leader and it is time for Michael Voss to take the lead. Forget the rules and benefits and all the rest of the trimmings that will come with time.

Voss is surely a big part of the jigsaw and he needs to back himself, just as this still small but passionate nucleus of a team has backed him.