WHILE the Suns’ significant on and off-field battles have some experts calling for AFL intervention to keep them afloat, one of the club’s stated aims — stocking the list with Queenslanders — is coming to fruition.

The Suns’ theme this week is to celebrate Gold Coast footy, and if there is one bloke who deserves a shout-out it is Neil Mackay.

Mackay runs the football excellence program at Palm Beach-Currumbin High School that counts Lion Dayne Beams and St Kilda’s 200 gamer Sam Gilbert as its highest profile alumni.

CRISIS TIME: SUNS SLUMP IN HORROR GWS LOSS

BAROMETER: EVERY CLUB’S INJURY LIST

The school is in a golden period, producing six Suns players in the past three years and with a handful of others with legitimate claims to being drafted in the coming seasons, making it the state’s best AFL nursery and one of the best in the country.

AFLQ CEO Dean Warren described Mackay as an “amazing servant for Queensland football”.

“He has been phenomenal for our game,’’ he said.

Suns defender Jesse Joyce, at 20-years-of-age and with 37 games under his belt, is the most experienced of the PBCHS class at the club.

media_camera Gold Coast Suns' AFL Palm Beach Currumbin High School graduates Jesse Joyce, Max Spencer and Brad Scheer. Picture Glenn Hampson

It is a list that also includes Jacob Heron, Brad Scheer, Max Spencer, Brayden Crossley — who have all played senior footy — and Jacob Dawson, who was drafted last year and has yet to get his chance.

Joyce pays credit to the program for helping him get into the Suns’ academy and eventually onto their senior list.

But he says it was just as critical that Mackay enforced the need to keep up with his studies, which has allowed him to earn entry into university where he is studying to be a teacher with a long-term goal to follow in his old mentor’s footsteps.

“He did a lot for me in my footy,’’ Joyce said.

“And he was always reinforcing if you weren’t up to standard, you wouldn’t train or play, he didn’t put up with any BS as a teacher which I thought was awesome.’’

media_camera Star Lion Dayne Beams is a former Palm Beach-Currumbin High School boy. Pic: Getty Images media_camera St Kilda's Sam Gilbert has played more than 200 games at the top level. Pic: Michael Klein

Joyce’s younger brother Corey, who is in year 12 at the school and is already a part of the Suns academy, has just made the Queensland State team and could find himself the school’s next AFL draftee this year.

Mackay described himself as a small part of the cog that also included academy and club coaches and says while the success the school was achieving at the AFL draft was rewarding, he took greatest pride in helping prepare students for their adult life.

“It is fantastic when we see them succeed, but what we are really proud of is that they not only got on an AFL list but they got into uni as well,’’ he said.

“We just try and change mindset, we want them always to try to become better — a better footballer, a better brother, and better student and a better person.

“The draft is the icing on the cake.’’

LIVE stream every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on FOX SPORTS. Get your free 2-week trial & start watching in minutes. SIGN UP NOW >

Originally published as Suns go back to school to rebuild