The Gold Coast SUNS Academy has completed its annual North Queensland testing days over the past two weekends, visiting all four of its NQ testing hubs.
Starting in Rockhampton, the Academy testing team covered in total over 1,000 kilometres on their way to Mackay, Townsville and Cairns.
Approximately 400 male and female athletes were tested over these days, ranging in age from 12 to 17 years.
The days consisted of athletic testing based around the NAB AFL & AFLW Draft Combines, with staff collecting data from a 20m sprint, agility test, vertical jump and yoyo test.
SUNS Academy Manager Jason Torney said it was fantastic to see such a good turnout from the club’s northern AFL markets.
“Each year we go up to Rockhampton, Townsville, Mackay and Cairns to give our Academy players up north exposure to elite testing,” Torney told SUNS Media.
“We had a really good uptake in attendance this year and had some great results from our players.
“A young player from Capricornia, Ben O’Brien had the highest score in the yoyo testing at 19.1.
“Jackson Hamman from Mackay ran a 2.91-second 20-metre sprint, which would have placed him third in the national draft combine testing this year ahead of new SUNS player Malcolm Rosas Jnr from the NT.
“Then we also had Indiana Brough from Mackay complete the agility test in 8.69 seconds which would have seen her finish fifth in the AFLW national draft combine.
“Overall, we were really pleased with the results from the two weeks.”
The four-hour testing blocks were finished off with an Academy masterclass run by former SUNS players and male Academy coaches Andrew Raines and Sam Iles.
With the NQ testing completed, the Academy will now shift its focus to the Gold Coast testing which will take place this coming weekend.
