Brisbane Lions boss Greg Swann says it is solely pure his “best in the business” soccer supervisor is in demand however stays assured Danny Daly will stay on the Gabba.
The skilled Daly has been linked to Queensland rivals Gold Coast in an assistant coach function beneath Damien Hardwick, who has been broadly tipped to take over from the axed Stuart Dew on the Suns.
“He’s the best in the business; that’s why people would be asking,” Swann informed reporters on Friday.
“He’s invested with us, a key part of our success. He did tell me Gold Coast haven’t spoken to him yet but I’m sure they would.
“I’m fairly positive that is not the one membership that had a chat to him.”
A former accountant and banker, Daly worked under Hardwick at Richmond and was on the coaching staff at Collingwood and North Melbourne.
He was the Lions’ head of strategy for four years before stepping into his new role in 2020 following the departure of David Noble.
“Without denigrating Nobes I’d say we have higher to be sincere; the whole lot’s gone like clockwork,” Swann stated.
With the Lions flying high in the AFL, membership numbers at the club have eclipsed 50,000 for the first time.
NRL rivals Brisbane reported close to 40,000 members late last year.
“When I began (9 years in the past) we had been within the excessive teenagers,” the former Collingwood and Carlton boss said, crediting his staff and the success of the Lions’ men’s and women’s outfits.
He said Queensland now boasts more players than Australian rules heartland South Australia.
As the membership increases, Swann wants a decision made as soon as September on a temporary home for the Lions, with the Gabba to be out of action for four seasons from 2026 ahead of the 2032 Olympics.
The club’s new Springfield headquarters and the inner-city Brisbane Showgrounds site have emerged as the frontrunners.
AAP understands plans to develop the Showgrounds for AFL fixtures have been complicated by Queensland Cricket’s ambitious push to further enhance the precinct of their nearby Allan Border Field.
“An entire lot’s taking place … we would return to the previous Gabba hill with individuals rolling down there by the tip of the sport,” Swann joked of the challenges of accommodating their growing fan base inside a smaller stadium.
“It’s not excellent, we’ll be out for 4 years however the upside is we return right into a 55,000 seat, model new stadium.
“That’s the golden ticket at the end of the day and you don’t get the Olympics coming around very often.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
