Gold Coast's first big name signing from another AFL club, Adelaide defender Nathan Bock, says the Suns' offer was too good to refuse.

Bock, 27, on Tuesday announced he would join the cashed-up Suns in a move Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg said "stings".

Adelaide, out of finals contention, decided Bock will not train or play for the Crows again despite two matches remaining of their season.

"It was a significant offer and something that I found was too hard to refuse," Bock told reporters in Adelaide.

Under AFL rules, Bock can't sign a three-year contract with the Suns, reportedly worth $600,000 a year, until the end of the season.

Bock's departure disappointed Trigg and Crows coach Neil Craig, who don't know what compensation they will receive for the 2008 All Australian and club champion.

Trigg believed it could be a draft pick numbered between 26 and 30.

"When it happens to you as a club and you get a 26 to 30 ... it stings," Trigg said.

Adelaide's offer to Bock was not on the same page as the money offered by the Suns, he said.

"In this case, we weren't even in the same library," Trigg said.

Craig disliked the culture being created by the arrival of the rich new AFL entities.

"Welcome to a new world of AFL footy, that is the culture that the AFL are about to create ... they need to take responsibility for that," Craig said.

Bock, who played 113 games for the Crows, said his decision was painful.

"It is saddening, it's the hardest decision I have ever had to make," he said.

Suns chief executive officer Travis Auld said negotiations with Bock will resume in a fortnight.

"We are delighted he has indicated his interest in joining our club and believe he would be a very good fit for our young team and list build," Auld said in a statement.

Gold Coast are allowed to recruit one out of contract player from each of the existing 16 clubs, although they are likely to limit the number to eight.

The Suns have been linked to other out of contract stars including Geelong's Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett, Western Bulldogs defender Jarrod Harbrow, Port Adelaide half-back Nathan Krakouer and Hawthorn's Campbell Brown.

Bock's manager Ricky Olarenshaw said the Suns made Bock a target when his Queensland-born team-mate Kurt Tippett spurned their advances and signed a new contract with the Crows at the end of last year.

"There were some other Victorian-based clubs interested in Nathan as well so I put (their offers) to him too," Olarenshaw told Melbourne radio station SEN.

"But I guess that with the Gold Coast he can walk, he doesn't have to worry about going through the stress of trade week.

"And he is a surfer, so he's looking forward to getting some waves up there as well."

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