NOT only can they play football, but soon these Gold Coast Football Club young guns will also be patrolling the beaches.

The players of the GCFC have embarked on an eight-week course to obtain their individual Surf Life Saving bronze medallion.

The course is an essential component of the club's community program, as well as ensuring the playing squad - who have come together from all over the nation - embrace the Gold Coast culture of sun, surf and sand.

The bronze medallion is the minimum requirement for an active surf lifesaver and forms an important part of the young Gold
Coast team's development.

It was training of a different kind as they received a helping hand from ironwoman Hayley Bateup, Ky Hurst and Kurrawa SLSC Summer Surf Girl April Zekulich yesterday.

GCFC recruit David Swallow, who hails from Perth. said he looked forward to earning his stripes.

"I love it over here as it is a bit like WA in the summer," he said.

"I think this program will be good for the boys - a couple of the players will be able to gets their rigs out so I think they love it."

The course will include theory about the aquatic environment and rescue techniques, caring for basic injuries, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, aquatic survival and rescue skills, basic management of spinal injuries and performing a rescue.

GCFC football manager Marcus Ashcroft said the bronze medallion course was an important part of the development program.

"Taking the environment and culture of the Gold Coast into account, it is essential for the players to obtain the skills of a surf lifesaver and long term they will be able to put back into the community by potentially doing patrols on the beaches," he said.

"The bronze medallion course incorporates a lot of the club's conditioning and recovery training and also gives the players and also gives the players an involvement outside of football."

Courtesy of Nick Smart, Gold Coast Bulletin