Gold Coast co-captain Steven May says he and his teammates finally feel like professional AFL players with the opening of a new base next to Metricon Stadium.

For the past six years though, that hasn’t been the case.

Left to train out of a hot tin shed as his fellow draft picks worked their magic in state-of-the-art facilities, May admits he was often jealous of what they were able to work with.

“When I was drafted in and a lot of players I played with in juniors went to the big facilities and I never got to experience that,” May said

“The gym was very hot, so it was hard for our younger players to put on weight because they were losing weight in the gym.”

That will be the case no more though.

Gold Coast players moved into the $22 million facility this week, equipped with an indoor pool, a new gym, a heat room, a specialised kitchen and a games room after a fact-finding mission across Australia.

“This makes you feel professional and like an AFL player.”

Suns chairman Tony Cochrane on Wednesday conceded his players had felt like second-rate citizens while training for the past six years – often with no light at the end of the tunnel.

“They were promised a new facility in 2-4 years and that didn’t eventuate,” Cochrane said.

“They do start to feel they’re at the bottom of the pecking order.”

And he wasn’t shy in announcing what he thought the lifted spirits could do for the team.

“You try and work towards getting yourself towards the last game in September, and I think this club is shaped to achieve that in the next two or three years.”

May joins Tom Lynch as new co-captains after replacing Gary Ablett, while recruits Michael Barlow, Pearce Hanley and Jarryd Lyons give the club a fresh midfield.

“There are no more excuses for our team now,” May said.

“We’ve always blamed something, whether it’s medical staff, injuries or facilities. We’ve addressed those now and we’re ready to earn some respect.”