FORMER Brisbane Bear and Gold Coast product Corey Bell has no doubt about it -- he has landed his dream job.
The highly regarded former rover, who was once described by Rodney Eade as 'the littlest player in the AFL with the biggest heart', was among the smallest to have ever played league football.
A crowd favourite at Carrara, he was the local kid who had played for the Labrador juniors, then the Southport seniors before making it to the top level as an 18-year-old at the Bears.
After working for years as a game development manager for AFL Queensland, Bell has been appointed community development officer of the Gold Coast Football Club.
"My two main passions are AFL football and giving back to the community, and I have done that for the past 10 years now," he said.
"To be able to continue that on in my own home town is a dream job.
"Football has been fantastic to me and my family.
"I suppose the good thing with this role is I will have an understanding of what the football department's needs are and be able to work with the players and work around their commitments."
Bell will be responsible for managing the GCFC's community programs, in which they will be partnered by the Gold Coast City Council.
"The first part is to continue on with the good work we have done in the community with our game development program, led by the community-based Auskick program," he said.
"The three main focus areas will be the northern corridors, respect and responsibility with a focus on domestic violence and the third pillar will be working in the area of youth homelessness.
"We are really keen to make a difference in the community. But it's not what we do in the community, it's who we are in the community that is important."
Bell and his family will also provide a home to boom Tasmanian signing Maverick Weller next year.
"My wife Kellie and I want to give back a little bit," he said.
"We have taken from footy for a lot of years and we want to give back by giving a 17-year-old a good start on the Gold Coast by taking him in and looking after him."
Courtesy of Nick Smart, Gold Coast Bulletin
