Norm Dare will coach the Southport Sharks in 2011 – 30 years after he first took charge of the QAFL powerhouse.
Monday, 11 October, 2010
Southport Sharks have gone backwards into the future to launch a rebuilding campaign for 2011, appointing four-time premiership coach and Queensland Coach of the Century Norm Dare to the senior coaching job.
It is a no-nonsense moves which sends a message to rival QAFL clubs that the Sharks, the perennial powerhouse of Queensland football, are not satisfied with having finished third in 2009 and ’10.
Dare, former AFL coach of the Brisbane Bears and a long-time AFL assistant-coach with North Melbourne (1996-2000) and Geelong (2001-03), will step into the role vacated by the retirement of 2006-10 senior coach and fellow Sharks icon Craig Crowley.
Incredibly, is return to Southport will come 30 years after he was first appointed coach of the club in 1982 ahead of their 1983 jump from the Gold Coast League to the QAFL.
It will be the third stint at the Sharks for the 72-game Fitzroy wingman and Reserves coach, following on from the period 1982-88, when he spearheaded the club to an historic debut flag in 1983, and his comeback period in 2004-05.
Dare will be looking to add to four QAFL premierships won in 1983-85-87-2005.
Queensland State team coach from 1980-84 and 1980 premiership coach at Kedron before jumping into the AFL era, Dare was named Coach of the Queensland Team of the Century in 2003 and coach of the Southport Team of the Quarter Century (1983-2008) in 2008.
Having stood down for business reasons five years ago, Dare, enormously well-respected throughout the football fraternity, has said he is “really excited” about his return to the coach, and advised that pre-season training will commence on Tuesday 16 November at 5.30pm.
Dare is pictured with the Southport All-Stars jumper in 2008.
