Michael Voss has been given three weeks to decide whether he will be the development coach of the new Gold Coast club for their 2009-2010 first steps towards their entry to the AFL in 2011, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Nick Smart of the Bulletin reports today that Voss has until the start of the Australian U16 Championships, which begin on the Gold Coast on 25 July, to determine his future.
Voss, who has declared he will coach in some capacity next year, is also being chased by the West Coast Eagles as an assistant-coach, the Bulletin says
The Gold Coast will field a side in the TAC Cup U18 competition next year and in the VFL in 2010 ahead of their entry to the AFL in 2011, and the triple Brisbane Lions premiership skipper is the club’s No.1 choice.
Voss has been offered the job and according to GC17 football boss and ex-Lions chairman Graeme Downie the development coach of the next two years will be the front-runner to be the club’s first AFL coach.
AFL boss Andrew Demetriou supports the 25 July deadline for Voss, who is celebrating his 33rd birthday today.
"I think everyone involved in this bid knows that prior to the under-16 championships it is pretty important that a coach is in place," Demetriou told the Bulletin. "And I expect in the next week or two we will find out where Michael is and something about the coaching."
The AFL chief said Voss would be an inspired choice as foundation coach of the Coast club.
"The fact of the matter is he is one of the great Queensland sportspeople that has ever been produced. He is a big name in Queensland and he's a terrific person with excellent values.
"We hired him to coach in the AIS program and we have had great feedback from that. So he certainly has to be in the top echelon of candidates."
