The 2010 AFL draft consisted of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2010/11 Australian Football League off-season. These were the trade week; held between (5 October and 12 October), the national draft; held on the (18 November), the pre-season draft (7 December) and the rookie draft (also held on 7 December).

The Gold Coast Football Club was to join the AFL in 2011, and was provided with several draft concessions, including additional draft selections, early access to recruit 17-year-old players, and access to uncontracted and previously listed players in this offseason. These concessions were similar to those provided to the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the following season.

Gold Coast was permitted to recruit the following players directly, without the need for any draft:

Then, in the drafts, Gold Coast had the following selections:

Gold Coast began with an expanded list size of up to forty-eight senior players and nine rookies, to be gradually reduced to a standard list size of thirty-eight senior players and nine rookies by 2015.

Throughout the 2010 AFL season, much interest surrounded which out-of-contract players would sign with the new Gold Coast Football Club. Nathan Bock was the first to be announced, followed by Nathan Krakouer and Michael Rischitelli. Campbell Brown and Jarrod Harbrow were the next two to be announced, ending many months of speculation about their move.

On 29 September, after a year of constant speculation and rumour, Geelong star Gary Ablett, Jr. announced that he had signed a five-year deal with the Suns, which will make him the highest paid player in the league.

Then on 7 October, the Gold Coast also signed Collingwood's Josh Fraser and Brisbane's Jared Brennan. Brennan is the second player from the Brisbane Lions to be signed by the Gold Coast. As the Gold Coast were only able to sign one non-contracted player from each club, the Lions had to agree with the deal and work out a fair compensation.