Nothing short of a premiership will drag star forward Nick Riewoldt away from St Kilda to play for a proposed Gold Coast AFL team.

The Saints co-captain faced a barrage of questions on the Gold Coast today about whether he'd be willing to play for a 17th franchise likely to be up and running in 2011 in the booming city.

As the best current player in the AFL to emerge from the Gold Coast, Riewoldt would be under enormous pressure to join the proposed club as its marquee signing.

"It's certainly not pressure that I'm feeling at the moment," he told reporters at the launch of the AFL's 2008 program on the Gold Coast.

"All my energy and focus is on winning a premiership with St Kilda.

"That's what I signed up to do seven years ago and I was there when the club was at the bottom.

"Down the track if something was to happen with a side up here and pressure ensued, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

But would Riewoldt return to the Gold Coast if the Saints won a flag before his current contract expired at the end of 2010?

"If I was able to taste the ultimate success in the next few years then I suppose there would be that possibility (of playing on the Gold Coast).

"My family's up here. There are lots of things that could make moving up here very exciting and attractive but that premiership, playing for St Kilda, that's what I really want more than anything.

"I'm not going to rest until St Kilda wins a premiership and supporters don't have anything to worry about as far as that goes."

Riewoldt was born in Tasmania and at age nine moved to the Gold Coast where he played for Broadbeach juniors and then Southport Sharks.

He was the No.1 pick in the 2000 AFL draft and made his premiership debut the following year.

Gold Coast-bred AFL players Daniel Merrett (Brisbane Lions), David Hale (Kangaroos) and Riewoldt helped launch the AFL's Gold Coast season today.

The issue of a 17th franchise was the hot topic, with the AFL determined to have a Gold Coast team playing in the premiership by 2011.

"It's important that the AFL keeps expanding," Riewoldt said.

"I suppose you reach a saturation point and I think the AFL has possibly done that in Melbourne, South Australia and Western Australia.

"Rugby league and union have a strong foothold in Queensland and it'd be silly of the AFL not to try and encroach on their ground."

AAP