Christmas came early for passionate Gold Coast SUNS member Cassandra Stephens when GC SUNS players Michael Rischitelli and Michael Coad surprised her at work with the personal delivery of a GC SUNS merchandise pack.

On hand were Stephens’ three children, Chloe, 8, Georgia, 6, and Matthew, 1.

The visit formed part of the club’s 12 Days of Christmas promotion, one that sees the club reward twelve lucky 2011 members with a money-can't-buy gift in the days leading up to Christmas as a celebration of nearing the pre-Christmas target of 10,000 members.

The promotion remains open until this Thursday so there’s still time for new members to sign on for the chance to win something special including an official 2011 Gold Coast SUNS Guernsey signed by the whole team, the chance to sit front and centre with the Gold Coast SUNS in a personalised 2011 Team Photo, or for junior members, the opportunity to run out as the GC SUNS Junior Mascot at a 2011 game.

In a week where the club surpassed the 8,000 member mark, today’s event was a fitting celebration of the kind of grassroots support the club will rely upon as it enters it’s debut AFL season.

Stephens said she was thrilled to be an integral part of the Gold Coast SUNS family.

“It was fantastic thrill to have the players surprise me at work,” she said.

“We’re massive AFL fans, and huge supporters of the game here on the Gold Coast. My little fellas loyalties will be tested, he still likes the Tigers, but he’ll jump on board soon enough. We bought a family membership and we’re just all really excited about the club staring out next year in the AFL.”

Michael Coad said it was fantastic to see the Gold Coast community embracing the AFL competition’s newest club.

“Yeah, definitely. We’re really looking forward to seeing as many people as possible coming down to support us next year.”

The super fit backman who joined the club as a mature aged rookie from South Australia last year had his 2010 VFL season ruined by a horrible rib injury mid-year. Now fully recovered after a long rehabilitation he said he was enjoying putting in a quality pre-season.

“Yeah, I’m definitely enjoying being back on the track, even in this heat,” he said.

“The boys are all looking really fit and training really well. It’s been fantastic to have the more experienced guys like Riska [Michael Rischitelli] and Gary [Ablett] on board. They definitely raise the standard at training and our intensity’s really lifted.”

He said he was now counting down the days to the club’s debut in April next year.
“Yeah, the time’s flying by. It’ll be great to start playing and I can’t wait to get out onto Carrara for our first home game. It’ll be amazing.”