Building Great People & Great Athletes
A structured AFL development pathway for ages 10–18.
The True Performance AFL Academy is built to sit alongside the elite academy system — not compete with it. The GC Suns Academy is one of the best pathways in the country, but spots are limited. This is a second elite environment that keeps Gold Coast talent developing close to home, year-round.
A Second Elite Pathway
Too many good kids miss out on the development they need to unlock their potential — not because they lack talent, but because spots are limited and club footy alone can’t fill the gap. It starts with someone believing in them. The Academy is that environment: structured, high-standard, and built to run alongside your club — never against it.
- Local club players
- Representative pathway athletes
- Suns Academy athletes in off-season periods
- Athletes preparing for trials
How It Works
From hungry athlete to a clear weekly plan — four simple steps.
You start here
A young athlete chasing more — missed a Suns spot, or just hungry to develop.
Join the Academy
Sign up and pick your tier — Tier 1 (4x/week) or Tier 2 (2x/week).
Choose your sessions
Mix field and gym sessions across the week to hit your session count.
Develop & go
Train, track your progress, and chase the pathway — season after season.
Three Things, Developed Together
Every athlete is built across three fronts at once — through a structured Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model.
AFL Skill Development
Game-specific skill and craft, coached on the track. Building the footballer.
Athletic Development
Speed, power, strength and movement quality at The Hub. Building the athlete.
Character Development
Discipline, resilience and standards. Building the person first.
A Structured, Term-Based Pathway
The Academy runs term-by-term, aligned with school terms — kicking off with our official Term 3 launch on Monday 13 July 2026. Over the school holidays, our high-performance holiday clinics run in its place, so development never stops.
AFL Field Sessions
Skill, craft and game-sense work — currently Monday & Friday at Labrador, with Tuesday coming soon.
Athletic Development & Gym
Speed, power, strength and movement quality. Every member gets gym access 6 days a week and picks their sessions around the schedule.
Each age group trains to a model aligned with Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) principles — so athletes are always training right for their stage of growth.
Weekly Timetable
Academy-exclusive field sessions (Monday & Friday, with Tuesday coming soon) plus gym sessions across six days. Athletes mix field and gym to hit their weekly session count.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
How the tiers work with the timetable: Tier 1 athletes pick 4 sessions a week, Tier 2 pick 2 — any mix of field and gym. Field sessions currently run Monday & Friday at Labrador, with a Tuesday session coming soon.
Age-Specific Streams
Athletes enrol into their stream and follow a progressive program built around their stage, needs and goals.
Junior Academy
Movement literacy, speed & agility, and foundational AFL skills — built in a structured but enjoyable environment.
Development Academy
Advanced movement literacy, speed and agility progression, and sharper skill and game-plan work.
High Performance Academy
AFL-specific S&C, advanced skill and tactical sessions, aligned with GC Suns Academy demands.
Two Tiers. One Standard.
Both tiers include AFL field sessions and athletic development at The Hub. Pick the load that fits.
4 Sessions / Week
- AFL field sessions
- Athletic development @ The Hub
- Gym access 6 days/week
- All holiday clinics free
2 Sessions / Week
- AFL field session
- Athletic development @ The Hub
- Gym access 6 days/week
- Set holiday clinics free + discounted extras
At checkout you’ll choose your athlete’s age group — 10–12, 13–15 or 16–18 — so they’re placed in the right stream from day one.
| Upfront Commitment | Tier 1 — 4x/week | Tier 2 — 2x/week |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly standard rate | $65.00/wk | $45.00/wk |
| 12 weeks save 5% | $61.75/wk $741 total | $42.75/wk $513 total |
| 24 weeks save 10% | $58.50/wk $1,404 total | $40.50/wk $972 total |
| 36 weeks save 15% | $55.25/wk $1,989 total | $38.25/wk $1,377 total |
Billing runs in 12-week blocks. Payments continue through school holidays — and in exchange, members get holiday clinic access: Tier 1 members get every clinic free, Tier 2 members get a set number free plus discounted extras.
What You Get
A serious development environment with the standards, structure and people to back it up.
- Qualified coaches & support staff — experienced in youth sport, LTAD and AFL
- Safe, structured environment — small groups, age-appropriate progressions
- Progress tracking — skill, athletic metrics and character, fed back regularly
- Pathway to elite competition — aligned toward the Suns Academy and beyond
- Gym access — six days a week, every member
Train In The Colours
Every athlete gets kitted out in True Performance Academy gear — a reversible singlet that flips from black to blue, plus matching training shorts. Members get it at a discount.
Hover to pause · front & back view
From The Athletes
Explore The Program
What Parents Ask Us
Who is the Academy for?
Aspiring AFL athletes aged 10–18 who want more than club footy alone can give them — local club players, rep pathway athletes, Suns Academy athletes in their off-season, and kids preparing for trials. If they’re hungry to develop, there’s a place for them here.
Does it replace club football?
No — and it never will. The Academy is built to run alongside club commitments, not against them. Sessions are structured so athletes turn up to club training and game day better, not burnt out.
What does a normal week look like?
AFL field sessions currently run Monday & Friday at Labrador (with a Tuesday session coming soon), athletic development runs at The Hub in Ashmore, and every member gets gym access six days a week — they pick the sessions that fit around school, club and life.
My child missed a Suns Academy spot. Is this a backup?
It’s not a backup — it’s a second elite pathway. The Suns Academy is one of the best programs in the country, but it’s capped on numbers. Missing a spot at 13 says nothing about where an athlete can be at 17. Our job is to keep the door open: keep them developing at a high standard so they’re ready when the next opportunity comes.
What if my child isn’t “elite” yet?
That’s exactly who we’re built for. Nobody starts elite. Every athlete is trained to their stage through a Long-Term Athlete Development model — Junior (10–12), Development (13–15) and High Performance (16–18) — so they’re always working on the right things at the right time.
What does it cost?
Tier 1 (4 sessions/week) is $65/week. Tier 2 (2 sessions/week) is $45/week. Both include field sessions, athletic development at The Hub and 6-day gym access. Pay upfront and save — 5% for 12 weeks, 10% for 24, 15% for 36.
What happens during school holidays?
Development doesn’t stop. Over the two-week school holiday periods, field sessions pause but the gym keeps running — athletes keep training at The Hub right through. Billing runs in 12-week blocks and continues through holidays, and in exchange Tier 1 members get every holiday clinic free and Tier 2 members get a set number free plus discounted extras.
How is progress actually tracked?
Every athlete builds a profile across skill, athletic metrics and character — backed by elite testing technology including force plates and timing gates. Parents and athletes see the numbers move, block by block. Check out the Athlete Profile and Performance Testing pages to see exactly how it works.
How do we secure a spot?
Intake numbers are capped to protect quality, and Term 3 launches Monday 13 July. Join the waitlist and you’ll be first in line when enrolment opens — waitlist families also get first access to clinics and academy kit.
Their Opportunity Starts Here
Term 3 launches Monday 13 July 2026. Intake numbers are capped to protect quality — sign up today and give your athlete the environment, the belief and the pathway to go after it.
Join the Academy