GOLD Coast will lock away coach Stuart Dew until at least the end of 2022 in a deal set to be signed within weeks.
After securing long-term arrangements with a raft of their high-end young players, the Suns late last year opened negotiations with their 40-year-old coach.
Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew speaks to Damian Barrett about his contract
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“We’re pretty close, yeah, I’ve never been a massive contract person, even as a player – if you’re playing well it will sort itself out and of the club is happy it will sort itself out,” Dew told AFL.com.au.
“We certainly appear very close and it is down to minor details which I’m not involved in.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a formality, but the bulk of it is done, as I am aware. We are happy.
“I’ve still got this year and if we are able to get it done early and add a couple (of years) to it, well that would be fantastic.
“It probably aligns with a lot of our playing group as well. We have a firm belief this is the group, we feel we have the (right) players.”
The Suns won four matches under Dew in 2018, and three in 2019.
But the re-signing of high draft pick players Ben King, Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine, and the securing of Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson with the first two picks of the 2019 NAB AFL Draft has convinced the club its player exodus woes are in the past.
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The club’s first three captains – Gary Ablett, Tom Lynch and Steven May – have all exited, as have Dion Prestia, Jaeger O’Meara, Josh Caddy, Jack Martin and Charlie Dixon.
Dew praised current co-captain David Swallow for stabilising the club.
“The first one to do that (re-sign) was Dave Swallow and effectively made himself a lifer for Gold Coast,” Dew said.
“On the back of that, really quickly, guys like Touk Miller, Wittsy (Jarrod Witts) and Rory Thompson followed, and then on top of that Jack Lukosius, Ben King, Izak Rankine and we’re up to 25 now, and really, the players are talking with their feet.
“It’s important – we can focus on other things, and what the playing group can actually do together.”
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Dew said Rowell and Anderson could not have prepared better for their debut AFL seasons.
“Their thirst for hard work is so impressive,” Dew said. “They’ve walked straight in to our top five runners. They are elite, as it stands now. They are ready to go, they have got mature bodies. They let the footy do the talking, they are not arrogant, they are humble, and the way they are handling the extra attention they are getting is very impressive too.”
Twitter: @barrettdamian
