Knights’ new breed
THE Gold Coast Knights have secured the first pieces of their NPL puzzle, locking in five A-licenced coaches and a new chief executive ahead of their maiden campaign in 2019.
Just days after bowing out of the Gold Coast Premier League with the title double, the Knights have unveiled Grae Piddick (men’s and under-18s), Sean Lane (under-20, under-16 and men’s assistant) and Keith Stevens (under-13 and 14) as the men to lead their NPL charge next season.
Dean Gregory will serve as technical director and temporary under-15 coach, while Erika Phan Dao will assist him and help develop the club’s female NPL pathway.
Former English Premier League star Adem Poric, who also holds an A coaching licence, has been handed the reins as chief executive.
“We’ve definitely got the right people involved and people with the right attitude and the right know-how,”
Piddick said. “The staff are going to be second to none so from that point of view it’s really exciting and for me as the head coach, I know I can call on plenty of experience from all over the place to assist me.
“You’ve got to have a very good team around you, you can’t just do everything yourself, particularly moving into the NPL and the standards we want to set.”
Formerly with the Burnley Academy in his native England, Gregory has spent time at Knights feeder club Magic United, while compatriot Stevens spent 14 years coaching at The Southport School after playing more than 450 games for Millwall.
Dao played professionally for 12 years and has served as assistant coach of the under-19 Vietnam men’s team, with Lane spending this season at Gold Coast United after taking Brisbane Strikers to the 2017 NPL crown.
Knights president Adrian Puljich said their appointments were the first step towards the club’s goal.
“We are wanting to establish ourselves as a football institution, not just on the Gold Coast but in Queensland,” Puljich said.