The Gold Coast SUNS’ first-to-three year players have completed their annual Elite Development Program camp on South Stradbroke Island on the northern end of the Gold Coast.

Transported to the island by boat on Tuesday morning, 16 players were split into four teams to complete a series of activities over 24 hours in order to strengthen the relationships amongst the group.

Building leadership is another key focus, with third-year players Touk Miller, Peter Wright and Adam Saad each taking charge of a team as well as second-year player Callum Ah Chee.



“We run a program called the Elite Development Program (EDP) and this is their pre-season camp,” Development Coach Aaron Rogers told SUNS TV.

“We’ll be here for one night and it’s really about building relationships, giving them some complex decisions, building leadership and integrating those first-year players as well.”

Another outcome of the camp is to help bring the club’s recent draftees out of their shells to be more comfortable around their new teammates.

Everybody, rock your body.... #backstreetsback

A photo posted by Gold Coast SUNS (@gcsuns) on Dec 6, 2016 at 5:51pm PST



Stepping straight from TAC Cup football to training alongside the likes of Gary Ablett and Tom Lynch would be a daunting task for anyone, let alone a group of 18-year-olds who grew up idolising some of their now peers.

“Last year was a good example. They (the EDP group) came back to the main group much more confident and united,” Rogers said.

“If we can get them contributing more to the main group tomorrow and onwards then our job’s done here.

“We see this group as being an integral part of the future of the SUNS so getting this group really tight so that the future’s really strong.”