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Rodney Eade confirmed as Gold Coast Suns coach

The Gold Coast Suns have confirmed a deal has been agreed to bring Rodney Eade to the club as senior coach.

Eade, who was still contracted to Collingwood as its football director, had been identified by the Suns as the preferred candidate late last week, but the Magpies were eager to receive compensation for letting him go.

But on Thursday afternoon, the Suns released a statement saying a “mutual agreement” between the clubs had been met, and Eade was able to take up the position on the Gold Coast.

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“We are really pleased to have landed someone with the credibility, knowledge and experience of Rodney Eade,” Suns chairman John Witheriff said.

“Confirmation of the appointment followed meaningful negotiations as Rodney had an employment contract in place with Collingwood, however, a mutual agreement was reached between our two clubs, and we are now extremely happy to ratify Rodney as our new senior coach.

“These discussions have also been the catalyst to forming a partnership between the Gold Coast Suns and Collingwood Football Club to further grow our great game in Queensland and we look forward to expanding on this in the near future.”

Eade has coached 317 games with Sydney and the Western Bulldogs, but has not been the head coach of a club since 2011, and says the offer from the Suns was too good to ignore.

“Only a very specific opportunity was going to lure me away from Collingwood and back into coaching,” Eade said in a statement released by the Magpies.

“Then, almost out of left field, the opportunity with the Suns emerged and, to be honest, there probably wasn’t another that I was prepared to consider.

“So, I say thanks to everyone at Collingwood, particularly Eddie McGuire, Gary Pert and Nathan Buckley, and move on knowing the foundation for an exciting period in the club’s history has been laid.”

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert offered his support to Eade, and said the club would miss his experience.

“Rocket has been a great source of support to our coach, Nathan Buckley, and his experience, industry knowledge, football IQ and personality made him an outstanding person to have at our club,” Pert said.

“Clearly, those same qualities made him someone of obvious appeal to Gold Coast. They have chosen wisely, we will miss him and we wish him well.”

Eade’s first competitive match at the helm will be against Melbourne at the MCG on April 4, 2015.

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