Malcolm Blight has attended his first training session since becoming Gold Coast SUNS director of coaching, and assistant coach Shane O'Bree says the more help the SUNS mentors can get, the better.
Blight stood alongside Gold Coast SUNS football manager Marcus Ashcroft for most of the SUNS main training session on Thursday after taking on the part-time director's role on Tuesday.
O'Bree said the two-time Adelaide premiership coach had started quietly, but he expected him to have more influence in the coming weeks.
He said Blight's assistance would be a huge help for the battling club, which has only six employees on its coaching staff.
"I can only [comment on] my previous club Collingwood, the wealthiest club in Australia – they had a lot of resources," O'Bree said.
We're starting from scratch, we're working bloody hard. I reckon we're learning a lot on the job.
"Whether we're under-resourced or not I don't know. The staff we have got here, we're working our butts off to do everything we can.
"You can compare it to other clubs and they've probably got more staff than us.
That's why Malcolm has come on board because he's got spare time, he knows a lot about football, so he's come in to help us – the more people that can come and help us, the better.
Blight sat in on Gold Coast SUNS opposition planning meeting on Wednesday before watching his first training session on Thursday.
O'Bree said the dual premiership coach had minimal influence and was taking things in.
"I'm sure as the weeks go by … he'll have a fair input and give us advice along the way," he said.
"I'm sure he'll be a good sounding board with his experience and what he's had to face over the years as a coach.
"He'll have plenty of ideas with what has worked and what hasn't worked for him, so I'm sure he'll throw that up at the right time.
He's so experienced and has a wealth of knowledge so we thought we'd utilise that while we can while he has the free time to come and help us.
Winless Gold Coast SUNS hosts Geelong at Metricon Stadium on Sunday and will welcome back Michael Rischitelli from a hamstring injury and Jarrod Harbrow from a fractured elbow.
Geelong has been on the Gold Coast for the entire week to prepare, but despite a day at the beach and another at a theme park, O'Bree was sure they were not treating it as a holiday.
" I think it's just a ritual they do every year," he said.
"Everyone knows Melbourne is freezing cold and the Gold Coast is beautiful. It's a great mental release for them, so I can see the positives in it for them. Their coaches would be keeping their minds on the job."
By Michael Whiting
