Gold Coast Suns to make approach to sacked coaches Brett Ratten and Matthew Primus

GOLD Coast will approach sacked senior coaches Brett Ratten and Matthew Primus about an assistant coaching role.

Brett Ratten

GOLD Coast will approach sacked senior coaches Brett Ratten and Matthew Primus about an assistant coaching role and will also offer Malcolm Blight a more permanent role in the football department.

The Suns have increased the football department budget for 2013 to bolster one of the smallest coaching panels in the AFL.

Football manager Marcus Ashcroft said the Suns wouLd aim high in the recruitment process, starting with Ratten and Primus, and then looking at any available senior assistants from the clubs that competed in this year's final series.

"We have to, we have to go after the best and most experienced people available," Ashcroft said.

"Those guys are certainly in that category."

The Suns are after an extra midfield coach and also a development coach. They are targeting one experienced operator and a recently retired player.

McKenna currently has the experienced Ken Hinkley as his senior assistant and recently retired players Dean Solomon (defence) and Shane O'Bree (midfield) as the line coaches.

Andrew Lovell is in charge of development, Shaun Hart is also in development and coaches the reserves, and Brett Munro is opposition coach.

McKenna said the Suns' improved form late in the season - they were 3-4 in the final seven rounds - would be an attraction to any players or coaches thinking of heading to the Gold Coast.

He said to take the next step next season it was imperative the club expanded its football department in line with the rest of the league.

"Our coaching group is pretty young so I wouldn't mind testing the waters as far as an experienced or semi-experienced coach," he said.

Blight was an inaugural board member at the Suns but stood down to help McKenna in the second half of the year.

Blight lives in Palm Cove in Far North Queensland and is a regular commuter to the Gold Coast. It is unclear whether he is interested in a return to full-time work or whether terms will be struck that see him take a part-time role.

"He's been fantastic and innovative and confronting and all those type of things," McKenna said.

"He's an added resource that has helped us in the back half of the season.

"Most of the time he's been down here he hasn't got a zack for it, he's done it out of his own goodwill.

"I'd only be positive about him being around more, but that's a decision for him. Every minute and every day he's here, it's been worthwhile. "