There's more to football at the Goulburn Valley Suns

“The talent at the club is definitely there — take the Kuol brothers moving into the A-League as an example,” technical director Billy Marshall said.

“For us, it is about making sure we have the tools available to get players to that level.

“Looking at other clubs that have been around for a lot longer than us, we want to improvise off what they’ve done successfully and make ours a more successful model.”

While the male presence is evident, the lack of women’s team could be misconstrued as a roadblock for the club.

However, Marshall said introducing a female elite pathway was a gradual process which was already under way.

“We have five or six girls now in our junior teams, and they are 100 per cent holding their own,” he said.

“My ideal situation is to have women’s teams, but in saying that we don’t want to smash the local sides by taking a stupid number of players away from them.

“We are definitely planning things — at the moment we have a committee on board looking at really driving women’s football forward in the region first, then looking at providing that elite pathway.”

If the prestige of representing the region wasn’t enough, McEwen Reserve’s emerald green playing surfaces are a massive drawcard.

“We are very lucky to have these facilities, and council does a fantastic job of keeping the fields preserved and ready to go,” Marshall said.

“As a kid I grew up playing with jumpers for goals — and don’t get me wrong, I loved it — but the difference is chalk and cheese.”

Away from football, the Suns’ culture is carefully manicured to teach its players values and life skills to assist them off the field.

“Our motto is about when someone departs the club, they leave a better player and also a better person.”

● The Suns are looking for expressions of interest for players during its midseason intake, with signings welcome throughout April and May.