Paul Scurrah set to stand down from Gold Coast Suns board at the end of 2023 AFL season

The departure of one of the club’s figureheads has signalled the continuation of the biggest board changes in the history of the Gold Coast Suns. Here is what it means for the club

SUNS director and football subcommittee chairman Paul Scurrah is set to step down from his role at season’s end as Gold Coast undergo the biggest board changes of its short history.

Board members were advised on Friday night that Scurrah would be leaving his role, weeks after Leschen Smaller, Sam Riley and Rob Charter made immediate exits.

It makes five departures in total this year after former chairman Tony Cochrane officially left his post after Round 1 of the 2023 AFL season.

Pacific National CEO and outgoing Suns board member Paul Scurrah. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen.

It is the biggest regeneration the Suns board has ever undergone in such a short period and comes in a year the club hopes to play finals for the first time.

No decision has been made on who will head the football subcommittee once Scurrah leaves.

It is understood Scurrah, the managing director and CEO of Pacific National, has found it increasingly difficult to travel to the Gold Coast from his Sydney home and believes the time is right to hand over to someone new.

Paul Scurrah (fourth from the right) pictured with the then Gold Coast Suns board in 2016. It included (from left) the late Dr Alan Mackenzie, Sam Riley, Bob East, Scurrah, Tony Cohrane, Simon Bennett, Leschen Smaller, Brooke Hanson and Martin Rowland. Picture: Regi Varghese

New chairman Bob East, Simon Bennett and Martin Rowland will be the only board members whose tenure extends beyond this year, with the latter two expected to remain.

Former AFL player Kurt Tippett, Star Entertainment Group Gold Coast COO Jess Mellor and CBRE Gold Coast managing director Mark Witheriff recently joined the board.