The proposed Gold Coast AFL club has gained their first batch of draft concessions, with priority access granted to 20 Queensland teenagers over the next three years.

The youngsters would opt out of the draft between 2009 and 2011, in return for two or three-year contracts with the expansion club worth up to $75,000 per year.

"In the initial development of this club we thought it was vital they had access to homegrown Queensland talent and the potential to build that talent into a playing list via an extended playing and development program," AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said.

The new club will play in the TAC Cup under-18 competition next year, then the VFL in 2010 before entering the AFL in 2011.

Demetriou said further concessions, to apply in the 2009 national draft, would be finalised in July or August.

The existing 16 clubs will be entitled to draft two extra rookie list players per year for each of 2009 and 2010 to help compensate for losing out because of concessions to the new club over that period.

Demetriou said a coaching announcement was expected in the coming weeks, but he would not confirm that former Brisbane Lions triple-premiership captain Michael Voss was poised to be handed the job.

"He's been spoken to amongst others but if you ask me if he has been offered the job formally, the answer is no," he said.

"Michael is one of the most outstanding players that have played the game, certainly one of the most outstanding people I've met in the game ... I've got no doubt he can coach - but there are others I can tell you who are interested in coaching that team."

He said the coach who guided the club through the next two years would be in the "driver's seat" to keep the job when they entered the AFL.

Meanwhile, Demetriou said it was encouraging that former West Coast star Ben Cousins had signed with VFL club Port Melbourne, as a possible first step towards rejoining the AFL next year.

With the AFL having suspended the confessed drug addict for 12 months last November for bringing the game into disrepute, he needs their approval to make an AFL comeback.

Demetriou said it was pointless speculating about what Cousins needed to do to satisfy the league he was ready to return, when he had yet to decide whether he would even take the field with Port Melbourne, let alone make an AFL comeback.

"I'm pleased that he's thinking of training with a club, as it turns out Port Melbourne, and we`ll see what comes of it," Demetriou said.

"I think he's got to decide whether he wants to play football - that's the first thing, the rest isn't relevant at the moment.

"I think in his own mind he must decide and be convinced within his own heart he can play the game again."

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