Two-time premiership coach Denis Pagan will return to the Kangaroos as a board member at the defiant club in the wake of their rejection of the AFL's Gold Coast proposal.

Pagan led the `Roos to the 1996 and `99 flags before joining Carlton as coach in 2003.

The Blues sacked him from the post earlier this year and James Brayshaw enticed him back to Arden St a day after becoming the new club chairman.

"He said `let me have a think about it' and then once the stay in Melbourne bid (succeeded), I rang him again today and said `look Denis, you're a big part of my plans, what do you think?'," Brayshaw told Channel Nine.

"He said `I'd love to be a part of it', so that's great."

There has been speculation that Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting and club legend Glenn Archer might also join the board.

Brayshaw's recruitment of Pagan followed the decision for the Kangaroos to reject the AFL's Gold Coast relocation package.

The board then unanimously voted Brayshaw as chairman.

While Brayshaw was putting together his board at Arden St, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou also continued to talk up the league's expansion plans.

The AFL will press ahead with plans to set up a 17th licence on the Gold Coast and Demetriou also repeated the desire to have a second team in Sydney.

He said the league was serious about a possible 18th licence for western Sydney, flagged when the AFL went public last year with long-term strategies.

Asked if the formation of a 17th licence could pave the way for another new team, Demetriou said: "absolutely, our view is that western Sydney provides us with fantastic opportunities as well and we've shared that vision with the clubs recently.

"We're not afraid of having an 18-team competition."

But the league might have trouble convincing some clubs of the expansion idea.

"If anything, there should be fewer teams," Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett told Channel Ten.

Demetriou again congratulated Brayshaw on becoming club chairman and promised the Kangaroos would continue to receive league support.

But he pointed out the league will review its annual special distributions to clubs such as the Kangaroos at the end of 2009.

"As I've said (on Thursday), I will say it again - they'll get nothing but support from the AFL," he said.

Demetriou also rejected the Kangaroos' concerns that relocation could not go ahead without a confirmed AFL stadium deal for the Gold Coast.

"That's something that has been brought up as part of a reason to say no - the fact is, we're comfortable with the stadium deal and we're also assured the Kangaroos are in the (multi) million dollar package, all of those revenue streams, as if there was a redeveloped stadium underwritten," Demetriou said.

"So I understand the position that James put forward on that but I think at the end of the day that the Kangaroos didn't want to leave Melbourne, which we fully respect."

Also, Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke describing as a "cop-out" the club's decision to reject relocation due to the AFL's failure to secure a stadium deal.

"The AFL are a very good business organisation. If they say they'll get a ground for you, they'll get a ground for you," said Clarke.

"That was a straight cop-out. The AFL guaranteed (a ground) and the AFL have got the resources to make sure that happens."

While clearly disappointed that the club spurned the booming city, Clarke has asked Gold Coast AFL fans to keep the welcome mat out for the Kangaroos, who are contracted to play four premiership games at Carrara next year.

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