Nerang sign former Broadbeach United coach Lee Vernon as 2020 Gold Coast Premier League mentor

NERANG have made the biggest move of the Gold Coast Premier League off-season so far, securing one of the city’s biggest names to steer their 2020 campaign.

NERANG have made the biggest move of the Gold Coast Premier League off-season so far, securing hugely-successful Broadbeach United coach Lee Vernon to steer their 2020 campaign.

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Having parted ways with Dave Benigno after just one season, the Eagles have swooped on Vernon, who left Broadbeach last month after a 10-year stint highlighted by multiple championships and grand final glory.

His appointment, which will be formally announced at Glennon Park tomorrow night, follows a 2019 season in which Nerang battled for consistency to finish one spot outside the top four.

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Benigno last week told the Bulletin he struggled to juggle the often-conflicting priorities of mounting a serious title challenge and promoting youth development this season.

However, Vernon said Nerang’s rising crop – aided by the Academy of Football Australia - was one of the motivating factors behind his decision to join the club.

Nerang's incoming Gold Coast Premier League coach, Lee Vernon. Picture: Luke Sorensen

“When I looked around the Coast and looked at what was out there, the set up at Nerang with the youth talent and solid foundations is what appealed to me personally the most,” Vernon said.

“Last season and the season before, Nerang fielded some very exciting players and I’m hopeful that they’ll all hang around and mix it in with some of the experience a few of the lads coming over have got ... it should be exciting times at Nerang in 2020.

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“I think if you look back at the last 10 years of my coaching, the one thing we have been, if anything else, is consistent. I think I know what I need to do to add that consistency into the existing squad and to Nerang’s campaign.

“Culture is everything and we all play because we want to win trophies and we want to enjoy it but you do that by creating a strong culture.

“I’ve been lucky enough in my previous clubs to have created a great culture and I definitely want to continue on with the culture that Nerang already has established and hopefully add my little piece to it.

“My first year of coaching at Broadbeach we won the double – I’ve got exactly the same aspirations for next year’s season at Nerang, that part doesn’t change.”

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Having watched Nerang finish inside the top three of Football Gold Coast’s Club Championship race for the past three years, president Brad Davies said Vernon’s appointment was “another step forward with that positive growth”.

“Like Lee said, he wants us to be up there challenging for the trophies, just like the first season he banked at Broadbeach. The club has the same aspirations so we’re certainly eyeing top four or beyond, which is fantastic,” Davies said.