TEAM WANT SAY ON NEW SUNS COACH
GOLD Coast Suns leader Touk Miller (pictured) says the club’s senior players want a say in the search for a new coach. The Suns are in the process of finding a replacement for veteran AFL mentor Rodney Eade after he was sacked earlier this month.
GIVE us a voice.
That’s the message from Suns leader Touk Miller as the club begins the tricky navigation of finding a new coach for 2018.
In a tellingly poignant comment on the back of the acrimonious dumping of Titans coach Neil Henry in the NRL, Miller insists the playing group would love to provide feedback during the interviewing process.
Gold Coast will appoint Rodney Eade’s successor in the weeks following the club’s final game against Port Adelaide on Saturday.
Pressure is mounting on the Suns to find success as they prepare to enter their eighth season in the AFL with a third head coach following previous figures Guy McKenna and Eade.
Miller said the leadership group would push to have a chair at the table.
“(Having a say in who will be coach) would be fantastic,” Miller said.
“I find the player and coach relationship is almost the most important thing so I guess you probably wouldn’t want to have a coach that isn’t going to gel with the players.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up having a bit of buyin in terms of who becomes coach and it would be fantastic for us to gel with him.”
North Melbourne senior coach Brad Scott, Hawthorn assistant John Barker, Port Adelaide assistant Michael Voss and current interim coach Dean Solomon and are all among the frontrunners.
Suns CEO Mark Evans is still conducting his review of the football department and is expected to deliver his findings when the board meets at the end of this month following the final game.
The club announced Eade’s exit with three games left but is yet to reveal the future of staff from recruitment, football management and high performance.
A number of Gold Coast players including co-captain Steven May have already thrown their support behind Solomon and Miller has become the latest to say the former Essendon premiership player would be a perfect fit.
“The buy in from all the players has been fantastic,” Miller said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was coach and I think all the players would be just as excited to have him on board.
“He is definitely a coach you want to follow and has great relationships with players. He has built a lot of respect with the club over the years and he is very passionate about his job.”
I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF WE END UP HAVING A BIT OF BUY-IN IN TERMS OF WHO BECOMES COACH MILLER ON THE COACHING HUNT