Surfers Paradise has pulled a rabbit out of the hat for 2010 by naming Robbie Martin as their new senior coach. Robbie comes to the club fresh from his premiership success with Beenleigh and also from many years serving his apprenticeship at the Burleigh Bombers. In congratulating and welcoming Martin, club President Alistair Mitchell said: “We set out with a stringent set of guidelines this year for our next coach, it was important that we kept the process as concise as possible so we enlisted the help of an independent panel to go through the applications and interviews and then make an educated recommendation, we had no less than 10 potential candidates apply and it’s a credit to Robbie that he stood out from those other applicants, we feel that for the club to embrace its next faze we need a person with strong coaching and teaching skills but also a person who can develop a list of youngsters into group of leaders on the field an in the local community. We have set some strong guidelines for the club to move forward and Robbie along with his great list of support staff will bring some professionalism and discipline needed for success at State League division 2 level and drive the culture for the future. Robbie has experience at nearly every level of local photo and his knowledge and experience will be invaluable at our club”.
Part of THE NEXT FAZE for Surfers Paradise in 2010 is the appointment of a dedicated football department headed by Director of Football Terry Atkinson. This Football department is made of some great football and business minds all of whom have a clear and concise direction the club will be taking both with junior and senior development as well as fundraising and also player welfare. With the formation of this football department the club board can concentrate on steering the Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club to long term financial stability and creating a club that the community, its members and supporters can all be proud of.
The Surfers Paradise Football club has already set its sights on the Gold Coasts best young talent as part of THE NEXT FAZE project, hoping that they will all see a future at a club that will give them the ability to grow as young men and leaders. Mitchell said” I hope all the young lads on the coast can see we are giving them a club to call their own and that they will be given every chance to fulfill their potential at Senior level. We have the facilities that most other clubs would give their left arm for now its time to create something special on the field without trying to buy a premiership. Football nomads will need to show us something special to put any of our local boys out of a spot, and I can’t wait to see these young men run some of the other teams off the park with their speed and enthusiasm. The days of the old veterans are gone and no club can afford the prices some of these guys put on themselves anyway. Our boys will be here for the right reason and that’s it no questions asked.
The Award winners for the 2009 Season are listed below
Seniors
B&F Brad Scalzo
Runner Up Matt McCormack
Equal 2nd R/Up Simon Fenton Travis Tamburro
Goal Kicker Ben McEntee
Rookie of the Year Kristian Rizzo
Reserves
Equal B&F William Morrison & Bobby McCartney
Runner Up Jordan Pope
All came down to last 3 rounds with McCormack and Scalzo going vote for vote all year. Tamburro had a late charge but was well out of the running missing 7 games this season
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