There was strong opposition from the majority of the QAFL clubs and supporters, and the AFL felt that the popular Sharks brand, and its reliance on gaming and hospitality revenue, could divide rather than unite the Gold Coast community.

The AFL made the Gold Coast a primary target for a proposed relocation of the North Melbourne Football Club which had sold some of its home games there.

On 24 December 2007, the AFL obtained Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) registration for the name "Gold Coast Football Club Ltd".

[3][4] In March 2008 the AFL won the support of the league's 16 club presidents to establish sides on the Gold Coast and in Western Sydney.

[8] The club's identity was put to a public nomination and voting process with the Marlins and Stingrays being the most popular of the available options among community stakeholders.

In response to the poll, however the AFL announced that it would not adopt any of the community suggested names and the team would initially remain unnamed and that the nickname would evolve.

[11] Marquee AFL players such as Nick Riewoldt,[12] Lance Franklin[13] and Kurt Tippett[14] were speculated as potential signings for Gold Coast, though all three men ended up re-signing with their existing clubs.

[16] Essendon administrator Travis Auld was selected as head of the GC17 board, and would go on to lead the club in an off-field capacity for several years.

[20] The club's newly assembled junior squad competed in the 2009 TAC Cup under 18 competition and won most of their games, eventually finishing in 5th place.

[21][22] In November 2009 the team signed twelve 17-year-olds around the country to compete in the Victorian Football League (VFL) year through the under age access rules.

These players included Luke Russell (Burnie), Maverick Weller (Burnie), Taylor Hine (Calder), Josh Toy (Calder), Matt Shaw (Dandenong), Piers Flanagan (Geelong), Hayden Jolly (Glenelg), Alex Keath (Murray), Jack Hutchins (Sandringham), Tom Nicholls (Sandringham), Brandon Matera (South Fremantle), Trent McKenzie (Western Jets).

Gold Coast endured a poor pre-season in 2012 which included a 13-point loss to fellow AFL newcomers Greater Western Sydney.

In November 2012 the club announced their "20-ONE-3" plan that targeted signing twenty thousand members and winning a premiership within three years - by the conclusion of the 2015 AFL season.

Despite losing veterans Jared Brennan and Campbell Brown ahead of the 2014 season, some experts predicted Gold Coast to "give the top 8 (finals) a nudge",[41] though the general consensus was that the Suns would likely finish around 13th.

After captain Gary Ablett was injured in a win over Collingwood in round 16, the club went on to lose the next two matches, including one in the QClash against Brisbane.

Inaugural coach Guy McKenna was sacked at season's end, leaving the club after 88 games in charge and winning just over 25% of them.

[44] In his first season, Eade made the decision to rush back Gary Ablett Jr into the side, which led to the on-field targeting of the star midfielder, while key position players Charlie Dixon and Harley Bennell were traded to other clubs as the Suns lost their opening four games and never recovered, finishing the 2015 season in 16th place with only four wins.

[44] The club started the 2016 season with three consecutive wins and defeated minor premiers Fremantle, giving the impression it was on the verge of achieving sustained on-field success.

[44] The Suns hit the mid-to-late stage of the following season in reasonable form with a 6–8 win–loss record, though disastrously lost their last eight matches and finished in 15th place.

On 11 July 2023, Suns officials announced that Stuart Dew would no longer be the coach after two consecutive losses to Collingwood and Port Adelaide that eliminated them from finals contention.

The ground opened in 1987 and was used by the Brisbane Bears for the first six years of existence and was later used by the North Melbourne Kangaroos and several professional Rugby league teams.

[54][55] The AFL eventually brokered a deal with the Gold Coast City Council and the Queensland Government to redevelop Carrara Stadium.

Construction for the redevelopment of Carrara Stadium began in December 2009 and the Gold Coast was required to find a new home ground for the 2010 VFL season.

[74] A three-man committee of former Brisbane Lions chairman Graham Downie, Southport Sharks director Alan Mackenzie and lawyer and community leader John Witheriff established the club's administration.

[3] As part of the AFL bid criteria, the GC17 consortium required a commitment from 20,000 locals to become football club members, a $5 million net asset base and 111 sponsors (at least one major, 10 secondary level and 100 tertiary) by mid-October 2008.

[77] Other significant signings to the junior team that played in the VFL included Stanis Susuve (a member of Papua New Guinea's International Cup winning team) and Brandon Matera (whose father Wally Matera and uncles Peter and Phil all played senior AFL football with the West Coast Eagles).

Following the dissolving of the NEAFL at the end of the 2019 season, the Suns reserves team entered the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 2021[84] and claimed its first premiership in 2023 with a 19-point win against Werribee in the grand final.

Some of the Academy's most notable male players include the Gold Coast senior AFL players Jed Walter, Ethan Read, Jake Rogers, Will Graham, Leo Lombard, Connor Budarick, Lachie Weller, Jacob Dawson, Caleb Graham, Jack Bowes, Alex Davies, Jesse Joyce, Brad Scheer, Brayden Crossley, Jacob Heron, Max Spencer, Malcolm Rosas Jr and Joel Jeffrey.

[96] Notable female academy players include Gold Coast senior AFLW players Lauren Bella, Dee Heslop, Taylor Smith, Tori Groves-Little, Daisy D'Arcy, Kalinda Howarth, Ellie Hampson, Serene Watson, Ashanti Bush, Jasmyn Smith, Wallis Randell, Annise Bradfield and Charlotte Hammans.

Players signed from the club's Darwin (Northern Territory) Academy include Malcolm Rosas Jr, Lloyd Johnston, Joel Jeffrey and Annabel Kievit.