Ben King doesn't want to simply "bridge the gap" in his AFL comeback, declaring Gold Coast are capable of anything and he won't be tempering his own expectations despite a year on the sidelines.
A knee reconstruction meant the off-contract key forward didn't play for the Suns in 2022.
But King still resisted Melbourne-based interest to commit to the club that fell just two wins shy of a maiden finals tilt.
With King flying again, there is optimism at Metricon Stadium, and the 22-year-old isn't shying away from it.
"I don't want to temper my expectations at all," King, who is contracted until at least the end of next season, told AAP.
"I've done the work and am confident I can play my best football and improve on the last season I played.
"I don't want that year of bridging the gap - I'm ready to go, and I've got high expectations."
King kicked 47 goals in 22 games during the 2021 season, the Suns surviving without him in 2022 thanks to the successful recruitment of Carlton's Levi Casboult and Richmond's Mabior Chol.
Joel Jeffrey, Malcolm Rosas Jnr, Alex Sexton and Jack Lukosius are among a crowded list giving coach Stuart Dew plenty of options.
"We're capable of anything, to be honest," King said of the Suns' forward line.
"We're very flexible ... it's going to be a tough forward line to pick, but that's what we want, that selection pressure."
Midfield gun Touk Miller admitted there were some nervous moments watching King fly into a pack during Friday's intra-club trial.
"You hold your breath a tiny bit, but he comes out of it OK and you get a lot of confidence out of it," Miller said.
"It was a really exciting moment for the club to see him fully fit.
"It's been so long since we've had him, and you get a taste for it when you watch his twin brother (Max) play for St Kilda.
"He's a high-profile player, so there's going to be scrutiny, and he's going to play some good games, some bad games.
"But it's not what he does in the first five games, it's what he does over the next 10 years."
King isn't concerned by the external commentary, his stint on the sidelines just reinforcing his career choice.
"I've sort of realised how much I love the game itself, because I'd never had a spell my whole career," he said of what he had missed most.
"There's nothing quite like playing actual football."
