The 2017 draft and trade period saw Gold Coast welcome a number of new faces.

Some were new to the city, while others were more familiar to the club after spending time in the Talent Academy.

The common denominator among them all is that they have been welcomed into the SUNS family with open arms.

Last weekend, family members of first year players gathered on the Gold Coast to acquaint themselves with SUNS headquarters, the city, and coaches and staff.

They gained valuable insights about the club from Senior Coach Stuart Dew, Elite Performance Manager Justin Cordy and GM – Football Operations Jon Haines.

“It’s been fairly informal in a lot of ways, it’s an opportunity for the families to get to know not only some of the key personnel in the club, but also just to get a feel of the culture and the underpinning values to the organisation,” Haines told SUNS TV.

“Then a presentation in the players’ lecture theatre around a bit of history of the club and what the club’s striving to achieve, but also again for the families to get an insight into our role in actually supporting their son’s development.”

Family was a common theme throughout the weekend and is something that has permeated throughout the club during the pre-season.

Just like the bond they share with their families, players will ride the highs and lows, and go through plenty of experiences together.

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“I think that notion of family is really important to us, like you would have seen it this morning, just that it looked like a real family orientated football club…there was a lot of laughter, a lot of people sharing stories, connecting over a cup of coffee over a meal, just stuff that families normally do,”

“We’re looking to replicate that in a football club setting but on a slightly larger scale as well and… if you’ve got a connection to the player, you’ve got a connection to the club and you are a part of the family.”

With Gold Coast’s first JLT Community Series game at Riverway Stadium in Townsville, the families of players may not have to wait too much longer before they see their sons run out in the red and gold for the first time.