Saturday March 26 may have been the beginning of a new season for the Gold Coast SUNS, but the date marked the end to an era for inaugural Chairman John Witheriff.

Fittingly, the Chairman’s Club at Metricon Stadium was the location for Witheriff’s final SUNS commitment as Chairman.

In front of a packed function room that included Chairman of the AFL Commission Mike Fitzpatrick, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan, football Legend Malcolm Blight, re-elected Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate and former Queensland Premier, the Honourable Anna Bligh, Witheriff reflected on his time, turning the SUNS from an idea on the back of a napkin, to the reality of an AFL team representing the Gold Coast.

“As I enter my last week as Chairman of the Gold Coast SUNS, I was reflecting on what has happened up here over the past decade and wanted to acknowledge the courage and foresight of the AFL Commission and also the AFL clubs who supported the push for expansion,” Witheriff said.

“While we all take credit for the enormous inroads we have made in this market, much of the credit comes back to the AFL Commission and the then 16 clubs who agreed to put their own interests aside to support the growth of the competition and code.

“The Gold Coast community is forever in the debt of the Commissioners and the Club presidents and CEO’s who took the leap of faith.”

Witheriff praised the investment and highlighted the return that AFL football in Queensland has generated.

“The investment in the growth of the code in south-east Queensland has and will continue to provide dividends to both the competition, the clubs and the code,” he said.

“We know that since that original decision was taken, the AFL Broadcast rights has grown from $780 million to $2.5 billion, providing a financial boon for the clubs, the grassroots, the players and the fans.”

Witheriff saved two significant announcements for his final Chairman’s address, inviting both Mario Biasin from Metricon Homes and David Elia from Hostplus to the front of stage to announce that both organisations had signed sponsorship extension that would see both partners enter a tenth year as sponsors of the SUNS.

But Witheriff, who will remain on the Board until the end of the 2016 season, saved a special mention to the member and fans of the Gold Coast SUNS.

“There is still a long way to go but as our CEO Andrew Travis repeatedly says, we have drive. We have a sense of urgency and we have a sense of responsibility to both the Gold Coast community that rose up to ensure our creation and the other AFL clubs and the code to deliver sustainable success on and off the field.

“As I hand over the reins to incoming Chairman Tony Cochrane, a man who has plenty of energy and drive, I just thought it was appropriate to express my heartfelt thanks to all our members and fans, who have individually and collectively contributed to the establishment and growth of the Gold Coast SUNS, and I thank them very much.”