Apollo's mission to get into the Gold Coast Premier League history books
Surfers Paradise Apollo stand on the cusp of recording a Gold Coast Premier League feat that hasn’t been done in almost three decades. Surfers Paradise will aim to become the city's version of the invincibles and with coach Alex Morrison part of the club's last grand final win over Palm Beach, Surfers Paradise feel well placed to do it again.
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SURFERS Paradise Apollo stand on the cusp of recording a Gold Coast Premier League feat that hasn’t been done in almost three decades.
Apollo could become Gold Coast’s version of “the invincibles’ with a win over Palm Beach Sharks in the grand final on Saturday at Lex Bell Oval.
Not since Merrimac’s unblemished record in 1982 has a side gone through season without losing a game before doing the same in the finals to claim the double.
Some have faltered in a semi-final on the way to becoming premiers and grand final champions but Apollo could mirror Merrimac’s efforts on Saturday night.
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One man who knows exactly what it will take to win is Apollo coach Alex Morrison who was part of the Surfers Paradise team who beat Palm Beach in the grand final 18 years ago.
He was also named Gold Coast’s best player that year.
“We had a good team back then,” the former centre midfielder said.
“We had a really experienced side and played some good football. I don’t think football has changed that much since then to be honest.
“The team I have now are a bit more athletic and has a bit more pace all over the park.
“I would have liked to see both Surfers Paradise teams play each other.
“It really comes down to the players. Grand finals are always tough. Sometimes it simply comes down to the team who can concentrate more, does the little things right and has that focus for the full 90 minutes.”
It’s been a long road to the grand final for Surfers Paradise who started pre-season training for the 2020 season in November last year.
Now, 12 months on they finally have a shot in the biggest game of the year.
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Outside of a loss to the Brisbane Strikers in a pre-season game, Surfers Paradise have been unbeatable.
It’s an incredible feat given the commitments the players already have with work and family life, including Apollo captain Bruno Rodriguez who is a father of two and works in construction.
Rodriguez revealed the secret to the team’s ability to stay motivated was a fitness challenge set throughout the year.
“We have a group chat on Facebook and one of the boys set a challenge for all of us to go out and do 3km and 5km runs and post our times up,’ Rodriguez said.
“It became a bit of a challenge for everyone to keep each other motivated.
“We were doing a couple of runs each week on our own.”
Rodriguez set the standard as captain, recording the fastest 3km run, finishing in just over 10 minutes.
“Fitness has always been one of my strengths,” he said.
“I strive to set the benchmark.”
Rodriguez won the grand final in 2016 with Surfers Paradise but conceded he was still stinging from the club’s grand final loss to Burleigh in 2019, something he believed would spur the side on in this year’s decider.
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