Fire learn to stay cool thanks to coach
ALI Demircan 1: Far North Queensland 0.
Almost a decade after leaving Cairns, the Sunshine Coast Fire coach has finally beaten the heat and broken the most unwanted drought in NPL football.
Demircan, originally from Turkey, came to the Far North in 2007 and sweated it out as a player at Stratford and Mareeba before injuries struck and he turned to coaching at Edge Hill, taking the club to the finals. He said it taught him one important thing.
“I learnt about dealing with the heat,” Demircan said.
“My partner fell pregnant and we couldn’t handle it anymore, so we moved south where it was a little cooler.
“But it’s the best place. I love Cairns. It’s just really hot.”
The Fire’s win — their first since 2016 — was remarkable considering where the club started in October, with only two players from the previous squad.
Demircan, who enjoyed stints at Olympic and Moreton Bay before joining the Fire for 2018, lured Alex Smith, who he coached in the Far North, and together they have masterminded the resurrection of the so-called NPL easybeats.
“We’ve come to fix it and hopefully we well,” he said.
Demircan said the club was lucky to have the services of the former FNQ Heat striker, who scored a brace in the 2-1 in over Cairns.
Smith was set to retire after his last season in the Far North in 2015, before taking an opportunity to spend two seasons in Malaysia.
“He’s such a role model for the boys, helping everyone, so we’re very happy to have him,” Demircan said.