Former Port Adelaide player Jacob Surjan appointed North Adelaide coach
North Adelaide has stuck with a Port Adelaide theme in appointing the replacement coach for Josh Carr for the next three years.
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Former Port Adelaide defender Jacob Surjan is confident his education under a raft of high-profile coaches has him well versed to take on the challenge as Josh Carr’s replacement at North Adelaide.
Carr’s right hand man for the past two years at the Roosters and the 2018 reserves premiership coach, Surjan has been appointed to the job for the next three seasons.
Surjan said he had had a great apprenticeship working with the likes of Mark Williams, Adam Kingsley, Garry Hocking, Matthew Nicks, Nathan Bassett and for the past two years Carr.
Carr resigned from the position after three years to become an assistant with Fremantle.
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“I’ve worked with some unbelievable coaches, while Garry Hocking has been a massive mentor and good friend,” Surjan said.
“I talk footy all the time with Garry, he is someone I look up to and I value his opinion, as I do Nathan, who has been a multiple premiership coach at this (SANFL) level.
“The evolution, background and education I have had from a lot of people will hopefully put me in good stead to do this job. I can’t thank Josh enough for the past two years I’ve had at the Roosters, and he taught me about the balance of life away from the club with a young family.”
Surjan played 121 games for the Power after being picked up from Perth in the 2004 pre-season draft.
After retiring in 2012, he had development coaching roles at Alberton Oval, before joining the Roosters in 2018.
“When you stop playing, you put plans in place where you want your career to go and it is probably around this time you want to take over as senior coach,” Surjan said.
“This is something I’m really excited about, to take over at such a proud and strong club and follow on from what Josh has started. To be able to put my own spin on it is exciting.
“The number one thing in football these days is strong relationships with the players. I saw this with Josh and other coaches I worked with such as Matt (Nicks) and Ken Hinkley.
“That is the basis of any good football club, a strong culture and good relationships.”
Roosters president Lee Virgin said the recruitment process, while relatively short due to the timing, had been thorough with a list of strong candidates considered.
He said the club had witnessed Surjan’s impressive growth and development as a coach in his role as head of football development and as a key assistant to Carr in building the game style, structures and culture on and off the field.
“Jacob’s role in our historic premiership double in 2018 was enormous, and he comes into the main job with absolute enthusiasm and respect of the whole playing group,” Virgin said. “He was considered the benchmark through the process.”