After another off-season of upheaval, GC Suns boss Mark Evans discusses the road ahead
AFTER another off-season of upheaval at the Gold Coast Suns, chief executive Mark Evans discusses the path to success for the battling AFL club.
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AFTER another off-season of upheaval at the Gold Coast Suns, chief executive Mark Evans chats with Brent O’Neill to discuss the journey ahead.
It’s been the same old story the last few years with big-name players leaving amid disappointing on-field results. What has the club done to change that?
“We knew we had to do some things quite deliberately to break the cycle and that meant getting some new talent. It was through two strategies – getting top-end talent in the draft, which we’ve done with Izak Rankine, Jack Lukosius, Ben King, Jez McLennan and local boy Caleb Graham - and to support them with some mature players that are looking for an opportunity in the AFL, are hungry to go, and they’ve come from other clubs or state league programs. All in all we’ll have 14 new players and 14 new staff inside the football department so that is a very deliberate and transformation of the Gold Coast Suns.
Is it almost a case of starting from scratch?
“I don’t think you ever have to go right back to ground zero but it’s fair to say there’s a different strategy if Tom Lynch, in particular, decides to stay at the club. With Tom and Steven May threatening to exercise free agency next year, we decided we had to do something to break the cycle and it’s just not people, it’s about our programs as well and you’ll see some massive transformation at the Suns.
So part of ending that cycle is the work the club does off the field?
“We intend to have the best club bar none in the AFL at what we do for players off the field and how we make them become fantastic people. We have already expanded that department, which we’re calling Player Excellence, into four and we’ve got three more appointments so we’ll eventually have seven people there looking after welfare and supporting these players to become the best players and the best people they can be.
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So how do you stop the interstate clubs from poaching your best talent?
“The thing that I’ve realised is that everyone bar one of our players have come from interstate, so it doesn’t matter whether they’ve come from Victoria, from Perth, South Australia, Tasmania or Northern Territory. Our job is the same – get them settled into here, start their football journey, wrap all of the support that we can around them, get them to go to university, get them to build contacts in the business world on the Gold Coast and really establish themselves here. There are many people who move to the Gold Coast thinking it’s a two or three-year venture for themselves or their business (but) there are plenty who stay and I’m one of them.
Has watching so many interstate players leave the club put more of a focus on developing your own talent?
“Long-term, that has to happen in terms of expansion of the code but it has to happen in terms of balancing out that (go-home) factor. I’m pleased to say the AFL have supported that and we will rapidly expand our academy programs here and in north Queensland and they’ve supported that with some funding. We have pitched to them about expanding this area of player excellence, player welfare, player development and those are the things we think are critical, not just for the short and medium term but for that long-term play.
Would having more on-field success help retain players?
“Winning plays a part in that but when a player is really invested in his coach and he’s really happy with how his football’s going, people don’t often move. If we can get to that position inside the next 24 months then we will have done a good job.
A number of former players – headlined by Matthew Lloyd – have been critical of the club’s recruitment. What would you say to them?
“Everything in life is a challenge. Whether you’ve come to the Gold Coast for the first time eight years ago to play in the AFL, or you decide that the previous system isn’t going to work then you need to be bold. I’d want Matthew Lloyd and other people to know we’ve been very bold with the reset and what we’re doing. I think you’ll see some of these young boys make big names for themselves in this competition. It might take them a little bit of time but it will happen and we look forward to proving critics wrong.
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And what about a message for the fans?
“My message to the fans is simple: (with) the 14 new players that they will see on the Suns list, there’s a real blend of excitement and great prospects for future with some of the young players, but they’re going to see half-a-dozen or eight players who are established who are ready to go, great characters and will give good leadership to these young players. I think you’ll see that pretty quickly. I’m not sure what (people) predicted out of us last year but all I can say is we will be unpredictable and good luck to anybody who wants to come to Metricon Stadium and take us on.
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