Jared Brennan has taken the first big step to breathing life into his AFL career, with an outstanding showing at Gold Coast SUNS two-week altitude training camp in Arizona.

Brennan was voted by coach Guy McKenna, the SUNS strength and conditioning staff and, ultimately, his peers, as the best performed player at the club's pre-season camp.

The 28-year-old had a difficult 2012 season, being dropped twice by McKenna in amongst playing 17 games.

He had the ignominy of being axed ahead of the round 22 upset win against Carlton despite Gold Coast SUNS missing 19 players through injury.

The day after his teammates had notched one of the finest wins of the young club's history, Brennan was playing for the SUNS reserves in an NEAFL match in front of a handful of spectators.

To make matters worse, he suffered an ankle injury and missed the final round.

Brennan's career was – and still is – at the crossroads.

But the off-season gave one of the most naturally gifted athletes in the competition time to go away and re-assess.

And while Brennan has never been known as one of the greatest trainers in either his time at the Brisbane Lions or the Gold Coast, his output in Arizona was first class.

Gold Coast SUNS football manager Marcus Ashcroft could not have been more impressed.

"It's pleasing. It's not surprising Jared can perform to that level, we've seen it before, it's just pleasing he's come back with a fantastic attitude, Ashcroft told AFL.com.au this week."

"For him to perform the way he did - and for his peers to acknowledge him - shows he's ready to have a bigger pre-season and hopefully a big season when it starts.

"He's given himself a chance to play some good footy."

Ashcroft said it was now his challenge to replicate that output when the SUNS resumed training on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

"He had a high level of output in everything he did," Ashcroft said.

"He also showed off some of the leadership skills he has that not only allowed himself to perform at a high level, but also drag his teammates along with him and encourage and support and challenge when necessary, and I think that's what his teammates saw."

Aside from Brennan, it was super-fit midfielder Kyal Horsley, running defender Jarrod Harbrow and young key position player Steven May that rounded out the top four best performers.

May, like Brennan, has not been known for his work-rate and endurance in his first couple of season at the club, but turned plenty of heads in Arizona.

Injuries curtailed the first half of last season, but May shot to prominence in round 21 against Hawthorn when he had 22 disposals, 12 marks and three goals after being swung forward.

The camp also marked the start of Stephen Schwerdt's reign as the club's conditioning boss after moving over from Adelaide.

Ashcroft said this year's camp – the Suns' second trip to Arizona – was focused more on conditioning with less skill work.

"He (Schwert) and his team wanted to make a good impression so they put in a lot of time and energy into making sure it was well organised an structured and the players knew exactly what they were doing and why, and the players really bought into it," Ashcroft said.

"The camp had a lot more facets to it and we were really well organised. The guys prepared a high level camp that was well organised and well run and the players went into the camp with the same attitude.

"The way they applied themselves, we couldn't have asked any more."

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL