THE AFL will seek an official undertaking from Brisbane Lions legend Michael Voss early next month to sign on to the new Gold Coast team until the end of 2010 after a historic commission meeting tomorrow that will change the league rules to clear the way for the new side.

Neither Voss nor the Gold Coast franchise is prepared to commit to the senior coaching position once the 17th AFL team makes its scheduled debut in 2011 and the three-time premiership captain is weighing up his immediate coaching future.

The Age understands Voss has been sounded out by two AFL clubs regarding an assistant coaching role next season and must now decide which path to take towards his ambition to oversee an AFL team — preferably the Gold Coast — in 2011.

D-day is looming for the Gold Coast coaching position as a result of tomorrow's commission talks in which the AFL board is expected to approve a rule change allowing the new club to secure the best 20 under-18 footballers in Queensland to contest the TAC competition next season.

While the Gold Coast franchise had pushed for 30 teenagers the AFL is expected to approve 20 with the remainder of the squad coming from AFL Queensland-registered footballers.

A further 20 under-18 players will be made available to the team at the end of next year.

The push for Voss has intensified because the Gold Coast bid committee believes it will prove difficult to secure young players and ask them to stand out of this year's national draft without the promise of a coach.

While Voss has been pushing on an honorary basis for the Gold Coast group to ask for greater draft concessions in the formation of the 2011 list he would do so following an official agreement as part of his new coaching and development position.

Having been earmarked as the fledgling team's No. 1 coaching priority, Voss' initial commitment would see his current AFL contract — he has a coaching role with the AIS Academy — varied and increased until the end of 2008. Once the GC 17 bid committee obtains, as expected, the 17th AFL licence Voss would coach the teenaged team on a two-year deal worth an estimated $700,000.

Voss was not available for comment yesterday but it is understood he would take on the senior coaching role in the TAC competition next year, with the help of at least two assistants who have not yet been officially approached.

The move to secure him has become all the more crucial given the inability of the AFL to provide an adequate stadium for the new team or a permanent training facility which could be at Carrara or Runaway Bay or even Southport.

By coincidence both Voss and his short-term employer, Andrew Demetriou, will be at the North Melbourne-St Kilda clash at Carrara on Saturday night. Voss will be calling the game in his special commentary role for Channel Ten, while Demetriou will address the pre-match function.

The clash — which will face tough competition from the Gold Coast Titans game nearby — will be the Kangaroos' second-last home game at Carrara following that club's decision not to relocate.

Opponent St Kilda has put forward a proposal to the AFL to fill the void left by the Kangaroos next season.

With so many question marks hanging over the AFL's bold strategy, Voss could provide at least one definite answer.

His response will come within a month and the final draft concessions are expected to be approved at the commission meeting scheduled for August.