Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew has earned a two-year contract extension, quelling months of speculation about his AFL future.
Most important points:
- Dew has placed the Suns 11th on the ladder and in the final battle
- He has re-signed until the end of the 2024 season
- Dew is the Suns’ longest-serving coach, serving in this position since 2018
He will remain with the Suns at least until the end of 2024 and the new deal is a huge win for Dew and the club.
Dew started the season under intense pressure over his future, with four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson being named widely in the media as a potential candidate if the Suns made a managerial change.
But Dew has the Suns on the hunt for their first final run, with two wins outside the top eight in 11th place on the ladder.
He is their longest-serving senior coach and will be in charge of his 100th game in round 18.
With his future secured, Dew puts his sights on high.
“Our goal is to chase ‘firsts’ for this football club. To win our first AFL final campaign, to win our first AFL final and, of course, to chase our first premiership,” Dew said in a club statement.
“The work is not done yet and the best is yet to come.”
Dew paid tribute to the support he had received from the Suns and their fans during some testing times.
“I am extremely proud to be coaching Gold Coast and I think with the help of some amazing people around me we have built some exciting foundations to build on in the years to come,” said Dew.
“We have had an unprecedented level of commitment, support and dedication from everyone involved to create a connection to a journey that people believed in. I love this club and the game, and it gives me all the love in return.
“We want to be a club that our members and supporters can be proud of. The support we have received from our community has been nothing short of incredible and will always be appreciated by myself and the playing group.”
Suns chairman Tony Cochrane has fervently supported Dew, especially as speculation about the coach’s future turned feverish earlier this season.
“From the start of this season, we’ve really had clarity on what our expectations were as a football club and our faith in our senior coach Stuart Dew,” said Cochrane.
“Stuey has worked tirelessly with a number of others to create an environment that prepares our players, and this football club, for success both on and off the pitch and we look forward to him helping us move forward on that journey. as we continue to build a strong culture and a winning environment.”
Dew’s reappointment follows this year’s re-enlistment of key players such as Ben King, Touk Miller and Jack Lukosius.
MONKEY/ABC