The Gold Coast Suns are the second newest team in the AFL after the GWS Giants having only joined the league in 2011. The club has been playing in the AFL since the 2011 season, having been founded as the league's 17th active club by a consortium formerly known as "GC17" and being granted a licence to join the AFL on 1 April 2009.

The team is based in the Gold Coast suburb of Carrara and play matches at Carrara Stadium, known for commercial purposes as Heritage Bank Stadium, and train at the adjacent Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre. The club is one of two AFL clubs based in Queensland, the other being its main rival, the Brisbane Lions.

The Suns have worked hard to promote AFL growth in Queensland, having succeeded in raising participation levels in Junior football, AFLW, and Auskick programs by 82%.