SEAGULL FOR LIFE
Davenport bids to be North Shore great
JASON Davenport wants to be forever remembered as a North Shore person.
The Seagulls’ coach recommitted to the club for the 2018 season on Tuesday night, taking him into a fourth year as senior coach.
It will be also his fifth year at the club, joining the Seagulls as a senior assistant coach for the 2014 season.
Davenport, long regarded one of the best players in the GFL, has been a key figure in North Shore’s resurgence, helping guide them from a winless 2014 to a highly competitive 4-7 side so far this year.
Davenport, who has now played 61 games with the Seagulls, said he wanted to keep building the club that has embraced him.
“In a bizarre twist of events, it’s somewhere where I felt at home immediately,” Davenport said. “It’s very hard for someone who started footy late and was jumped around because of the system ... I don’t really align myself to any particular football club.
“I’ve made it very clear that I want to be aligned to the North Shore footy club as a player and as a person. As a player I want to tick over the 100 game mark and be seen as a true clubman.
“It really is an honour to coach such a proud and historic club that’s rich with history. To continue on for a fourth season is really exciting.”
Season 2017 has been one of significant improvement for the Seagulls, winning the four matches and pushing some of the GFL’s best.
Davenport was confident this season would give the team the foundation needed to push towards finals in future.
“I can see the potential in the group. It’s a scary word to use, and I really want to drive high standards and make sure the group achieves the best of their capabilities,” he said.
“There were some growing pains last year, but I think we are starting to see a strong reflection of that and we’re starting to see a higher bar in regards to the standards set by the playing group.
“Collectively there are so many people putting in hard work and I’m just a small part of that.” Davenport said the time was right to recommit to the Seagulls.
“Timing wise it’s important we maintain our current list, so as soon as you can give the commitment of the coach, the sooner you can get some more pens to paper,” he said.
“So there are a number of reasons behind the timing of it ... it wasn’t a decision taken lightly. I spoke to my family and my wife in particular, the footy club too.
“This isn’t about making a decision that’s in my own personal interest, this is about making the best decision for the footy club moving forward.”