Solomon exits race to be next Suns coach

DEAN Solomon has told Gold Coast he does not want to be their next senior coach but the Suns are hopeful he will remain at the club next year.

Solomon chose not to apply for the position made vacant when Rodney Eade was sacked last month and has yet to sign a new contract.

However, the Suns say they have reached a verbal agreement with the highly regarded former Essendon premiership player that he will be the senior assistant next year.

Solomon was unavailable for comment last night.

Gold Coast are in talks with Lions premiership star Shaun Hart about a development welfare role but face a mass exodus from disgruntled assistants.

Hart, who spent two years as an assistant at the Suns, has a year to remain on his contract with Port Adelaide but wants to return to the Gold Coast for family reasons.

There is tension within the Suns coaching ranks and sections of the playing list over the club’s refusal to provide certainty for next year.

Ashley Prescott is understood to be considering leaving football and returning to a teaching career while NEAFL coach Stephen Daniel has accepted the head coach position at NEAFL club Southport.

Andy Lovell has also explored other options. The Suns say they have not received any advice from any of the coaches about their intentions and as far as they are aware all wish to continue in the job.

However the coaches are not compelled to reveal their intentions given the Suns’ refusal to offer them the same courtesy and club insiders concede they don’t know what the coaches are thinking.

The clean-out will also extend to the playing ranks with up to 10 players considered to be tradeable. Trent McKenzie, Brandon Matera, Jesse Lonergan and Matt Shaw are some experienced senior players who are on the market.

Shaw met Carlton officials this week. Football manager Marcus Ashcroft said the club had not informed players they would be traded but confirmed they were not offered assurances at their exist interviews.

“We haven’t been categorical either way,” he said.