Most of us know how hard it can be to put your all into a long hard-hitting season of football, it requires more than just skill on the field. It takes a strong mindset and resilience.

Under the guidance of Coach Tate Kaelser, the Gold Coast SUNS’ VFL team has embraced a culture of positivity, consistency and development.

 Kaesler believes the SUNS have got it right, and this has not only maintained a high team morale, but also accelerated their continuous growth as players.

 “We reward the good stuff, and we show vision around that and show that to the whole group, not just the VFL team,” Kaesler said.

“We do a little mini-review. For us it’s about keeping up the positivity, keep reinforcing the positive things that we do, that’s probably 90% of it.

“Then there is the 10% growth and areas we want to keep getting better at.”

The SUNS VFL team is not just a collection of players, it’s a family that loves playing together which has been vital to the team’s performance regardless of the outcome.

“We feel like we've got a really good group in the VFL that loves playing together when they get that opportunity, and we celebrate a lot of those moments,” Kaesler said.

“A lot of them want to be playing at AFL level and they understand that can't always be the way.

“But they embrace the VFL system and the VFL team and put their best foot forward every week to make sure we play the best football possible.”

In the end, the goal for the club’s developing players is to make sure they are on the same page as both VFL and AFL players. This creates a smooth transition for players as they progress from VFL to AFL level.

With a dedication to developing the StreetSmarts SUNS Academy players in the VFL, the SUNS are not just here to win games; they are here to create a successful future for the club and a pipeline of talent.

As finals approach, the team continues to produce and develop future AFL-standard players who follow the values of positivity, growth and consistency.

“We’ve got a pretty good system, and what we tend to do is use our Academy players in the VFL, more than signing up mature-age players,” Kaesler said.

“This year we have used nearly eight to ten, 17 or 18-year-olds in our side, and they’ve played a pivotal part throughout the team.

“We feel like the best system for the club is to keep exposing these young kids to footy and VFL footy as much as we can.”