CoastBhoy
4 May 2009, 18:23
Gold Coast in hunt for Stuart
Damian Barrett
IN-DEMAND Geelong chief operating officer Stuart Fox remains on a short list being considered for the chief executive post of the AFL's new Gold Coast team.
While Gold Coast officials remain keen on enticing the region's local council boss Dale Dickson to the post, it is known they are also extremely impressed with Fox's credentials.
In other developments:
GC17 consortium member Graeme Downie has resigned from the group.
CLUB boss John Witheriff hopes Guy McKenna will be endorsed to coach the club in its first AFL match in 2011.THE club has set itself to win five matches in that debut year.
Fox has been crucial to Geelong's successful redevelopment of Skilled Stadium, and has always been talked of highly by the club's chief executive Brian Cook.
He rejected the chief executive post at Melbourne when offered it last August.
Witheriff would not comment on the chief executive candidates, only saying "there are four or more" on the short list and that the successful candidate would be known "within the next four weeks".
Scott Munn, an AFL official sent to assist Witheriff in the running of the Gold Coast outfit before it was officially granted a licence last month, has also applied.
Downie, hugely influential in the Gold Coast consortium being granted the AFL licence, has relinquished official involvement with the group.
"The reality is going to be that, within the next 12 months, the level of rivalry between the (Brisbane) Lions and the Gold Coast will increase," Witheriff said.
"And I think Graeme would find it very difficult at that stage to make decisions that could have adverse interests on the club he spent at least 15 years developing, and was chairman of in three premierships.
"It speaks of Graeme's professionalism and integrity."
Witheriff also moved to play down perceptions that his group had set itself to win a premiership within four years of beginning in the AFL.
"The only commitment we have made is we want to win five games in the first year," Witheriff said.
Witheriff said his club needed to settle on its coach for 2011 by the middle of next year.
Asked if it was a done deal that McKenna, who is contracted until the end of 2010, would be coach of the club for its AFL entry, Witheriff said:
"Oh no, no, not by any means, but personally I would be very disappointed if that wasn't the case."
Damian Barrett
IN-DEMAND Geelong chief operating officer Stuart Fox remains on a short list being considered for the chief executive post of the AFL's new Gold Coast team.
While Gold Coast officials remain keen on enticing the region's local council boss Dale Dickson to the post, it is known they are also extremely impressed with Fox's credentials.
In other developments:
GC17 consortium member Graeme Downie has resigned from the group.
CLUB boss John Witheriff hopes Guy McKenna will be endorsed to coach the club in its first AFL match in 2011.THE club has set itself to win five matches in that debut year.
Fox has been crucial to Geelong's successful redevelopment of Skilled Stadium, and has always been talked of highly by the club's chief executive Brian Cook.
He rejected the chief executive post at Melbourne when offered it last August.
Witheriff would not comment on the chief executive candidates, only saying "there are four or more" on the short list and that the successful candidate would be known "within the next four weeks".
Scott Munn, an AFL official sent to assist Witheriff in the running of the Gold Coast outfit before it was officially granted a licence last month, has also applied.
Downie, hugely influential in the Gold Coast consortium being granted the AFL licence, has relinquished official involvement with the group.
"The reality is going to be that, within the next 12 months, the level of rivalry between the (Brisbane) Lions and the Gold Coast will increase," Witheriff said.
"And I think Graeme would find it very difficult at that stage to make decisions that could have adverse interests on the club he spent at least 15 years developing, and was chairman of in three premierships.
"It speaks of Graeme's professionalism and integrity."
Witheriff also moved to play down perceptions that his group had set itself to win a premiership within four years of beginning in the AFL.
"The only commitment we have made is we want to win five games in the first year," Witheriff said.
Witheriff said his club needed to settle on its coach for 2011 by the middle of next year.
Asked if it was a done deal that McKenna, who is contracted until the end of 2010, would be coach of the club for its AFL entry, Witheriff said:
"Oh no, no, not by any means, but personally I would be very disappointed if that wasn't the case."