Gold Coast Suns begin major staffing cull, with three-time AFL premiership player among those to exit
The Suns have started a major cull at the club on the back of COVID-19. We reveal the high profile figures who have exited Gold Coast as the reduced soft cap begins to take effect. Plus, David Swallow delves into his career like never before ahead of his 150th game. READ IT ALL HERE
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THE Suns staffing cull has begun with a three-time premiership player among a host to be made redundant.
Former Brisbane Lion Shaun Hart and Matt Kennedy, who were part of Gold Coast’s welfare department, have been let go by the club along with NEAFL coach Nick Malceski and assistant coach Ash Prescott.
Malceski still had two years to run on his contract.
Backroom staff including property steward Simon Littlechild, who volunteered at the club during it’s time in the VFL in 2010 and 2011 before joining full-time in 2012, and football I.T analysts Harrison Peucker and Travis Bell.
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The group were told of their exit over the course of the past seven days.
The cuts come on the back of the significant reduction in the soft cap, for football operations spending.
It has decreased from $9.7 million to $6.132 million.
Suns football manager Jon Haines said due to the economic impact of COVID-19, every AFL football department is currently considering plans to support its playing group with a significant reduction in the football soft cap.
“This is a challenging time for everyone in the AFL and a range of difficult choices have been contemplated,” Haines said.
“Like all clubs in the competition, we have been considering how we create a football program that can deliver against our football strategy with a different set of resources.
“As part of this process, we have been unable to offer a number of Suns football department staff a contract renewal for 2021 and beyond.
“This is an incredibly tough period as we have had to say goodbye to good people who have made a significant contribution to the Gold Coast Suns. We will always be thankful to those affected for their hard work and dedication.”
EARLIER:
DAVID Swallow owns the tag of one of the hardest men in the AFL but his strength of mind now matches the physical body carrying it.
Ahead of his 150th AFL game, the Gold Coast Suns co-captain has spoken publicly for the first time about the mental hurdles he has overcome and how it has helped provide a new perspective on life.
The 27-year-old’s career largely mirrors the history of the Suns.
The no. 1 draft pick played a crucial role in the Suns formative years that promised so much and was the Suns’ club champion in 2014 when they made a charge towards finals.
The wheels of the club fell off in 2015, the same time Swallow started the battle with the knee injuries that threatened his career.
His resurgence in recent years has aligned with the club reset that looks to be bearing fruit on field.
A raw Swallow said he was ready to open up about the pressures he felt from the moment he entered the AFL system, the emotional toll the club’s battles took and what sparked his shift in mindset.
“There has been a lot of mental hurdles,” Swallow said.
“Even the pressures of being the no. 1 pick. You have these expectations of yourself and other people’s expectations.
“It’s every kids dream to be drafted but sometimes I might not have reached my own expectations and I had to deal with those pressures.
“It was the perfectionist in me, wanting to get that perfect performance and never being satisfied, along with the injuries I got.
“Even with the club the way the club developed over the last 10 years and the journey it has been on. It’s the emotional toll it takes as well.
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“I probably internalised it for a few years. It’s not something you talk about to too many people. This is probably the first time I have spoken, definitely publicly, about it.
“I don’t see it as anything new that other people aren’t going through. I don’t feel like there is anything to be ashamed of.
“It’s just how I dealt with things at the time. As I have matured I have learnt to be more vulnerable and I see it as a strength now, not a weakness.”
It was during his toughest time between 2015 and 2016 when he was out of action with his career hanging in the balance when his focus on building his strength of mind began.
A visit from Hugh van Cuylenburg, who runs the Resilience Project – an organisation that works on pushing gratitude, empty and mindfulness – to the club during that period sparked his interest in the area.
“Because I wasn’t playing footy it was a time to reflect on what was important for me and what was important in life,” Swallow said.
“It gave me time to really think. I did a lot of reading and I continue to do that. I listen to different people’s stories and different philosophies on how to live life. It’s something that interests me a lot.
“I read a lot on Buddhism and different religions. A lot of them come back to being grateful, being kind to people. It comes back to how I want to live and how I want to be seen and treat other people, the kind of father I want to be and the kind of partner I want to be.”
“Hugh came and showed the importance of being vulnerable.
“We are all human and I think that can get lost at different stages, especially at the high performance level.
“Over the last few years the challenges have given me perspective and it’s about being grateful for the opportunity.
“That is where im at the moment in my career. I want success with the club but I want that for everyone else around me and for everyone involved. I want that for other people as much as I want it for me.”
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