It didn’t take long for ex-Hawthorn Premiership player Campbell Brown’s first-day-of-school like nerves, to turn to excitement when he hit the track with his new team.

Brown, 27, has been training with his Gold Coast SUNS’ team-mates for just over a week and is thrilled with what he has seen.“It’s a fantastic group,” he said. “They are so young, but they are already so professional.

“The first thing I noticed when I got here was how hard they trained. They certainly train really hard, harder than I did as a 17 or 18 year old.”

Since making the move to the Gold Coast life has been hectic for the 159 game veteran, having not only to adjust to a new club, but relocating to a new city and State, something he said has been made easier thanks to his team-mates.

“The boys have been really welcoming and friendly, so I already feel part of the group which is fantastic,” he said.

The former All-Australian backman said it was his defensive attributes, and leadership qualities that senior coach Guy McKenna hoped he would bring to the GC SUNS.

“I don’t mind going forward every now and then… but I see my role in this side as a backman playing on those small-to-mid type sized forwards.

“It’s a pretty young group. Certainly out there on the field they’ll need a little bit of experience around them, and also on the track. I’ll do my best to teach them how to train and how to prepare and things like that; what to eat; how to recover well.”

Brown now knows from first hand experience, that the young GC SUNS’ players are physically up to the challenge of AFL football.

“The size of those blokes as 17, 18-year-olds is enormous,” he said. “I just matched up on Mav Weller in a bit of one on one work, and he’s certainly a tough bloke who’s ready to step straight in.”

“I’m not too sure what the other AFL sides are thinking, but I certainly wouldn’t be underestimating us.”