Assistants start hunt for new coach roles

SUNS assistants are already on the lookout for new jobs as they prepare for their likely exit following the departure of Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade.

Rarely do assistants remain at an AFL club after the sacking of the head coach and Gold Coast’s mentors are preparing for the worst.

If any are looking to the club for support they won’t find it online. Gold Coast’s own website has taken down the list of its football department staff.

Suns assistants Dean Solomon, Matthew Primus, Ashley Prescott, Andy Lovell, Melbourne-based Brett Munro, Matthew Lappin, Aaron Rogers and NEAFL coach Stephen Daniel are all off contract at the end of the season.

Development coach Nick Malceski is contracted until the end of 2018.

It is standard club protocol to have the assistants contracts aligned with the head coach for this very situation.

Solomon has already been offered a job with fellow expansion club GWS but is likely to be considered for the Suns top job as he prepares to lead the team as interim coach in the last three games against Brisbane, Essendon and Port Adelaide.

The Bulletin understands some Suns assistants have already begun talks with various football clubs about positions both locally and interstate.

The group were all free to begin talks with potential new employers if the Suns weren’t able to offer them new deals by August 1.

Since the club’s review of the football department is still ongoing no decision on whether they are re-signed has been made.

All of Gold Coast’s current group of assistants are from inaugural coach Guy McKenna’s era except Lappin, Daniel and Malceski.

Some others were elevated from development roles under Eade.