The AFL’s newest club is known and marketed as the GOLD COAST FOOTBALL CLUB or GCFC.

The Club colours are red, gold and blue and the club mascot is an iconic Gold Coast surf identity know as “GC “.

The launch of the club’s identity followed an intensive process which included community input, research and an analysis of the commercial viability of the brand and logo.

“The GC 17 Bid Team carefully considered all the available information and community input from the process,” Club Chairman John Witheriff said. “The overwhelming response was that people were passionate about the Gold Coast and wanted the team’s identity to reflect the symbols of the Gold Coast.

“From there we determined that within the AFL there was a strong opportunity in both the local and national market to take a unique branding position as a sporting team based around our home, the Gold Coast.

“Gold Coasters love the Gold Coast. We believe in our community, we believe in ourselves and what we have to offer. We will also believe in and have an emotional connection to our AFL football team.

“AFL fans everywhere will understand what we are about as soon as we run onto the field ... we are about the Gold Coast and what it stands for. We are proudly GC and we will have half a million people behind us.”

The Gold Coast Football Club will reflect the local community – progressive, innovative, exciting and a little bit cheeky.
Mr Witheriff said in deciding the name, the team wanted to do more than just exist.

“We want to evoke emotion in people. AFL football is an emotive sport. A supporter’s emotional world is put on the line every time their team runs onto the field,” he said. “With the Gold Coast Football Club playing in the national AFL competition we want people to feel like they belong to this team which will bring so much to the region.”

The team will be known simply as Gold Coast or GC and the Club expects fans will create their own cheers or chants when cheering on the team during games. The colours and mascot were chosen to symbolise the beach culture of the Gold Coast – Red (sun), Gold (sand) and Blue (ocean and sky) and the iconic beach culture of the region.

Q: Why did you not go with one of the nicknames that was put forward by the community?
A: During the process we received a lot of feedback from the community. One part of the process involved voting on nicknames. There was no clear favourite with the people who voted. What was clear during the research was that the overwhelming majority of people were passionate about the Gold Coast and we have listened to that feedback.

Q: But don’t you think people need something to identify with?
A: Yes of course. What we also found was that children needed a character they could associate with. That’s why we have created “GC” a character that symbolises our beach culture and has all the values of the Gold Coast.

Q: So will you become the Guards or the Ironman? What’s your nickname?
A: We will be the Gold Coast, GC or whatever the fans choose to call us. Nicknames evolve over time. I know when I am out there barracking for the team I will be cheering for the Gold Coast.

Q: Do you think people will understand why you have chosen Gold Coast instead of a name like Titans or Blaze.
A: Yes and because of that we believe we had a unique opportunity to position ourselves around the City and its values. Some of the world’s great sporting teams and brands are synonymous with the cities they come from. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea are just a few. Gold Coasters love the Gold Coast and they will be just as passionate about their footy team.