By Ant Wingard
Maroochydore have looked locally to fill their vacant head coach position with the appointment of an AFL Sunshine Coast Hall of Fame Member for the 2020 QAFLW season.
Former Roo Steve Moody has returned to the green and gold to coach the senior QAFLW side following a playing and coaching career on the Sunshine Coast which traverses more than 20 years.
And following his homecoming to the club, Moody said he is hoping to build upon the team’s record success in the 2019 QAFLW season.
“After finishing on the bottom in 2018, they obviously got it together this year and made the finals,” Moody said.
“They had a very solid year. I would like to think that I can build upon that and make sure that the environment creates the opportunity for those who want to go further than QAFLW.”
Moody’s involvement with Maroochydore goes back to 1997 where he was a senior player for three seasons before another seven seasons with Noosa.
He returned to the Roos in 2008 as a coach in the junior ranks before coaching Maroochydore’s Colts’ team in 2013 and 2014 and was an assistant coach of their senior men’s team for the following three seasons.
Most recently, he has been head coach of the Caloundra Panthers in the QFA Division 1 HART Sport Cup over the past three seasons, guiding the club to finals in every season at their helm.
Moody replaces the outgoing Stu Jackson who departed the Maroochydore Multisport Complex following the team’s maiden QAFLW finals appearance in 2019 where the side had four players named in the QAFLW team of the season and three players drafted or listed by an AFLW club.
Moody, who has never previously coaches women’s football, said his return to the Maroochydore Multisport Complex helped his decision and said the familiarity of the club will help the transition.
“That was also something that was attractive in that respect. I know the football club; I know a lot of the people still involved with the football club even though it’s been three years since I’ve been involved there,” Moody told aflq.com.au.
“I loved my time at Maroochydore when I was coaching and also playing with them.
“I knew I’d feel comfortable when I went back because you sort of know the lay of the land.”
While Moody’s main focus with the Roos’ QAFLW side will be for them to remain competitive on the field following their best ever QAFLW finish in 2019, he is hoping his impact will reach well beyond that.
A true Sunshine Coast thinker, Moody said the real success of the Roos’ female program will also be judged by the strength of the code in the region, indicating that if all Sunshine Coast clubs can be strong in the female space then all, including Maroochydore, will reap the benefits.
“I’d like to think that I’ve got a Sunshine Coast football hat and that’s how I see it.”
“If Maroochydore can be a very strong QAFLW side and we can also make sure the other clubs around us in the region are also strong then that can only be a good thing moving forward.”
Nathan Postlethwaite, who was on the Roos’ coaching panel in 2019 will coach the club’s QAFLW Development team.
Moody’s appointment rounds out the 2020 QAFLW coaching fraternity following the appointments of Nicole Graves at Coolangatta Tweed and Barry Standfield at Wilston Grange.
