Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew has earned a two-year contract extension, eliminating months of speculation about his future in the AFL.
Key points:
- Dew causes the Suns to place 11th on the ladder and in the final dispute
- He has re-signed until the end of the 2024 season
- Dew is the Suns ’longest-serving coach, holding the role since 2018
It will remain in the Suns at least until the end of 2024 and the new deal is a massive win for Dew and the club.
Dew started the season under intense pressure on his future, with the name of four-time head coach Alastair Clarkson widely mentioned in the media as a potential candidate if the Suns made a change of coach.
But Dew has the Suns looking for their first final series, with two wins out of the top eight in 11th place on the ladder.
He is his longest-serving senior coach and will be in charge of his 100th game in round 18.
With his future assured, Dew is setting his sights very high.
“It’s our goal to chase the ‘firsts’ of this football club. A first AFL finals campaign, winning our first AFL final and of course chasing our first Premier,” he said. Dew in a club statement.
“The job is not done, and the best is yet to come.”
Dew paid tribute to the support he had received from the Suns and his fans during some rehearsal moments.
“I am very proud to train on the Gold Coast and I think with the help of some fantastic people around me we have laid an exciting foundation to build on in the coming years,” Dew said.
“We’ve had an unprecedented level of commitment, support and dedication from everyone involved in creating a connection to a journey that people believed in. I love this club and the game, and all the love comes back to me.
“We want to be a club that our members and fans can be proud of. The support we have received from our community has been unbelievable and will always be valued by me and the player group.”
Suns president Tony Cochrane has strongly supported Dew, especially as speculation about the coach’s future reached a feverish point earlier this season.
“We’ve had real clarity since the start of this season about what our expectations were as a football club and our belief in our senior coach Stuart Dew,” Cochrane said.
“Stuey has worked tirelessly alongside others to create an environment that prepares our players and this football club for success both on and off the field and we look forward to taking us on this journey as we continue to do so. building a strong culture and a winning environment “.
Dew’s renewal follows this year’s resignation from key players like Ben King, Touk Miller and Jack Lukosius.
AAP / ABC