Michael Voss's appointment as assistant coach of West Coast is a setback for the AFL's Gold Coast franchise and the game's profile in Queensland, according to Brisbane Lions co-captain Jonathan Brown.

Voss agreed to join the Eagles for two seasons from 2009 after the GC17 franchise refused to offer him a long-term contract.

The new group offered Voss a three-year deal, which effectively meant he would develop the playing list in 2009-10 but only coach the club in the AFL in 2011, when the 17th club is admitted to the league.

Voss wanted a five-year deal to give him three seasons at elite level.

Brown, who played in the Lions' 2001-03 premierships under Voss's captaincy, said his former skipper would make a "fantastic" coach, but understood why he sought to begin his mentoring career elsewhere.

Brown acknowledged the former Brownlow medallist was untried as a senior coach, but said Voss had made the right decision in rejecting the Gold Coast job.

"I would have thought he wanted a lot more job security to go straight to the Gold Coast job, so he's made the right decision in that sense," he said.

"I don't think it would work with someone else coming in and taking over and taking all the glory.

"I probably know him a bit better than most ... but we'll never know how Michael Voss has gone as a coach until 10, 15 years down the track."

Brown said Voss would further his own coaching career by spending a stint away from his home state.

But his departure was a loss for GC17 and football in Queensland given the former Lions skipper's standing in the sunshine state.

"It does hurt a bit losing his profile," Brown said.

"Vossy might end up still being the inaugural coach of the Gold Coast, but for the time being certainly the promotional factor might be hurt a little bit unless you get someone of an equivalent profile.

"But Queenslanders are drawn to their own, that's why (St Kilda captain) Nick Riewoldt's got a huge profile up in Queensland.

"It is a bit of a blow."

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