TEAM OF THE DECADE

FIND OUT WHO MADE THE CUT

SACKED coaches carry scars for as long as they deem necessary as they deal with the indignity of being told they are not good enough or not wanted.

Not Guy McKenna. The inaugural Gold Coast Suns coach was sacked at the end of 2014, and while disappointed, he never death rode his former club nor the people who made the decision.

“It’s all good,’’ McKenna says. “No one likes it, but it happens. I’m not the first and I’m not going to be the last. I loved every day of coaching the Suns. It was a privilege. I was given that responsibility which I loved.

“I’ll always look back and say it was a great chapter in my life.’’

Clubs move on, and so do sacked coaches, but there’s no denying the total investment a coach makes to his footy club.

So, when McKenna’s first involvement with the Suns since he was sacked was presented to him six weeks ago by Suns chief executive Mark Evans, he accepted.

He agreed to be one of five selectors — the others were current coach Stuart Dew, Lions champ and Fox Footy commentator Alastair Lynch, veteran player Jarrod Harbrow and yours truly — to choose the Sun’s Team of the Decade, a milestone in the life of the AFL’s youngest club.

McKenna was appointed the first coach of the Suns amid much hype and anticipated prosperity.

It’s why being a selector when he was the coach through those early years was valuable in recognising the contributions from those foundation players.

Included in the team were

Charlie Dixon, Tom Lynch, Harley Bennell, Sam Day, Trent McKenzie, Harbrow, Steven May and, of course, Gary Ablett.

All winners of the club’s

B & F are included in the team — Ablett (four), Lynch (two), Dave Swallow, Harbrow, Jarrod Witts and Sam Collins (one each).

Nine current players made the team: Collins, Harbrow, Charlie Ballard, Touk Miller, Alex Sexton, Witts, Swallow, Day and Lachie Weller.

McKenna and the selectors, were huge admirers of Miller, who was named on a wing.

“I was always going to find a spot for Touk Miller,’’ McKenna said.

Ablett was named captain of the team and Swallow vice-captain.