Suns to start again with management

THE clean-out at the Suns is complete and they will head into their eighth season back at square one with a first time senior coach and head of football after appointing Jon Haines to replace Marcus Ashcroft.

However they have added some much needed experience with the confirmation former GWS list boss Craig Cameron would take over the reins from Scott Clayton in December.

Cameron has previously been head of football at Rich- mond. The Mark Evans led review has now been fully implemented with a restructure that sees Clayton’s former role elevated in seniority.

Cameron reports directly to Evans and sits alongside Haines on a new look executive team. Haines will run the football department while Cameron will add the responsibility for the Suns academy and the development of the women’s program for the AFLW side that will enter the competition in 2020 to his list management portfolio.

Despite chairman Tony Cochrane voicing concerns at the press conference announcing Rodney Eade’s departure that the club was struggling with a shortage of experience, the Suns now find themselves back where they started in 2011 with an untried coach in Stewart Dew and Haines with the sole responsibility of running the football department for the first time.

Haines joins the club from the WA Football Commission where he was football operations manager.

Prior to that he worked in development and football operations at North Melbourne.

In 2013 he and Kangaroos’ list manager Cam Joyce shared the responsibility of running the football department on a caretaker basis until Walsh returned to the club after McDonald moved into another role following the drafting of his son Luke.

He has also extensive experience in community football and will play a very key role in the Suns’ desire to establish stronger connections with grassroots football on the Gold Coast.

“Jon’s extensive club and industry experience results in him being extremely well suited to the General Manager of Football Operations role,’’ Evans said.

“Craig has a history in recruiting and list management.

“He will oversee this area as well as our fast growing talent academy programs where our aim is to be the best club in the country at integrating our Male and Female Academies and pathways.”