Gold Coast SUNS General Manager Football Operations, Jon Haines, said the club is finalising its structure for 2021 and, as a part of this process, five coaches and a number of football department staff have not been offered opportunities  for 2021.

“Due to the economic impact of COVID-19, every AFL football department is currently considering plans to support its playing group with a significant reduction in the football soft cap,” he said.

“This is a challenging time for everyone in the AFL and a range of difficult choices have been contemplated.

“Like all clubs in the competition, we have been considering how we create a football program that can deliver against our football strategy with a different set of resources. 

“As part of this process, we have been unable to offer a number of SUNS football department staff an opportunity for 2021 and beyond.

“This is an incredibly tough period as we have had to say goodbye to good people who have made a significant contribution to the Gold Coast SUNS. We will always be thankful to those affected for their hard work and dedication.”

The coaches are: Dean Solomon, Ashley Prescott, Nick Malceski, Andrew Swallow and Justin Koschitzke.