The Gold Coast's big secret is out. No, not the news that Warwick Capper is actually a member of Mensa. And no, Gary Ablett Jr hasn't decided to sign on the dotted line.

I'm talking about the other big secret, the nickname of the new AFL club. It looks as if GC 17 is on the way out and "Suns" is (are?) on the way in.

That information comes courtesy of that old staple of sport reporting called "the leaked memo," but my sources (sorry, had to say that) tell me that Suns it is.

We find out on Thursday, and if it is the case, let me be among the first to say that I like it.

First of all, it's got an "s" on the end of it, unlike that other Gold Coast team, the NBL's Blaze.

Suns is inoffensive, descriptive and easy-to-market. It eliminates corny names like Lifeguards and Ironmen, and gets rid of unwieldy monikers like Marlins or Stingrays.

It's certainly not original, since the NBA's Phoenix Suns have been around since 1968. And in fact, Townsville's NBL club tried to use the name in the late 90's but was rebuffed by the American basketball league's lawyers.

One thing is for certain. Whether you like Suns or not, it continues the trend of non-traditional nicknames for new AFL clubs. The last two to join, Fremantle (1994) and Port Adelaide (1997), went with unique names whose effectiveness is still being debated to this day.

Freo, as a tribute to its waterfront heritage, called itself the Dockers. Not necessarily a bad name per se, but outside of Australia, most people know Dockers as a brand of khaki Levis. That pretty much rules out Fremantle moving any merchandise overseas, but on the other hand, how many people in Paris or Chicago are crying out for green, purple and red jumpers?

Port Adelaide, on the other hand, went all focus-groupy and politically correct, selecting Power. Port Adelaide Power. It still sounds like the guys who come around in a big yellow truck when lightning knocks out your electricity.

And that brings us back to Suns. It may not be a strong, traditional name like Tigers or Hawks, and it isn't a quirky, Australian nickname like Magpies or Kangaroos.

But I think it works, especially with the red and gold colour scheme. And let's be honest, it's a headline writer's dream. "Here come the Suns" indeed.

Greater Western Sydney, you're on the clock.

AFL Nicknames And Their Worldwide Namesakes

Blues: Chelsea are without a doubt the world's most popular Blues, although Americans would know the National Hockey League's St Louis Blues.

Bombers: Probably the closest is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. (Bonus trivia: Richland High School in the state of Washington is located near the Hanford Nuclear plant. The school's nickname is the Bombers and they have a mushroom cloud logo on the side of their helmets.)

Bulldogs: One of the most popular nicknames in American sport, but not at the professional level. Plenty of college teams (Mississippi State, Fresno State, Yale) and high schools use the Bulldog nickname.

Cats: There is not shortage of feline mascots - Panthers, Cougars, Jaguars and Wildcats - but few, if any Cats. In fact, the South African Super rugby team that once had the same name is now called the Lions.

Crows: Not exactly a popular bird to name yourself after.

Demons: The best I could do is Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Dockers: Hmm, anyone?

Eagles: Very common in US sport, with the best known the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

Hawks: Atlanta's NBA team is probably the best-known Hawks.

Kangaroos: Outside of Australia, I did discover that Kangaroos is used by the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Lions: Detroit Lions (NFL), British & Irish Lions (Rugby Union).

Magpies: Newcastle of the English Premier League is the best-known.

Power: Surely no one else would use this name.

Saints: The reigning Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints and Southampton's soccer team in the English League One are well-known worldwide.

Swans: Swansea City of the English Championship are known as the Swans.

Tigers: Baseball's Detroit Tigers have been around since 1901.