Jason Cotter

One of the all-time greats of Queensland football, with a record to match anyone at senior level right across Australia. He twice won the Grogan Medal on top of nine premierships as a player and coach at Southport and a distinguished record as a State player, captain and coach. A tenacious rover, he played his junior football at Surfers Paradise (1974-80), winning the U14 and U16 Junior League Medal before collecting the U19 League Medal and representing Queensland at U17 level in 1981.

Broke into senior ranks at Surfers in ’82, when he also represented the Gold Coast against PNG, and switched to Southport for their entry to the QAFL in ’83. Played 188 games and kicked 190 goals for the Sharks from 1983-94, winning the 1990 and ‘93 Grogan Medals and finishing third in ’86. Winner of the Southport B&F in 1985 and ’90 and runner-up in ’93, he won an equal club record six premierships as a player in 1983-85-87-88-90-92, also playing in losing grand finals in 1986-88-91-93.

Awarded Southport Life Membership in 1992, he played 12 games for Queensland from 1986-93, including the 1988 Bi-Centennial Championships, the 1991 win over Victoria at the Gabba and the ’92 State of Origin game against NSW, and captained the Queensland State League side against Tasmania in ’93.

Widely regarded as an astute judge of football character, he returned to the Gold Coast League to learn the coaching ropes and enjoyed immediate success as captain-coach of Palm Beach-Currumbin’s 1995 premiership side and Broadbeach player-coach when they won the seniors, reserves and U19s in 1996. Was Broadbeach player-coach for their entry to the QAFL in ’97, notching his 200

Took charge of Southport in ’98, winning three consecutive flags in 1998-99-2000 and seeing Nick Riewoldt drafted at No.1 in 2000. Was assistant-coach of the Queensland U18 side in 2002 and coach in ’03, and took over as Southport Football Manager in late ’05 after serving as assistant-coach to Norm Dare in the club’s ’05 premiership. Was also assistant-coach to Craig Crowley in 2006-07, and State Open coach in 2007, when the Maroons beat Tasmania, and ’08, when they were beaten by WA.

Was chosen in the Southport 1983-2008 Celebration Team to mark the club’s first 25 years in the State League.

th AFLQ game and guiding the side to the finals.