Words: Michael Flynn
Image: Albert Perez/Football Queensland

FNQ Heat coach Martin Docherty may not guide the club in next year’s PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland campaign with a club review of all coaching positions currently underway.

The position of Head Coach of the senior team is currently being advertised by Heat as part of a full review of the club’s operations following the incremental appointment of a new board in recent months.

Docherty, who recently served as coach of the PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland All-Stars team, has been informed by the club that he needs to reapply to secure the role for 2016 despite twice guiding Heat to the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 and winning more than half of his 41 games in charge in the league.

Heat Chairman Colin Daly said the club would assess all candidates for the role, including Docherty, and make a decision in coming weeks.

“The reason we are doing this is because the board is a brand new board and has no connections to the past,’ Daly explained.

“We thought the fairest way and the way we can demonstrate there is real change at the club is to take a broad brush approach and say we are going to throw all the jobs open."

“We are going to put the best people in there that we can find - and Martin may well be the best person we could find - but we don’t know that until we throw the job open.”

Daly was adamant the decision was not a reflection on Docherty’s performances nor an indication that the board was unhappy with his tenure.

“The club has been pretty successful and Martin has been a major part of that," Daly clarified.

Asked if he intended to reapply for the role, Docherty explained that he has been maintaining a dialogue with Daly but is yet to submit a formal application.

“I need to sit down with the club and make sure we are both on the same page because it doesn’t do myself any good nor the club if we are at tangents about the path forward,” Docherty explained.

“But I’ve been talking to the club and at this stage - yes, I intend to reapply.”

Also being advertised is the position of Technical Director, previously held by Chris Collins, as part of the re-evaluation process.

Daly said the club will also examine elements of the club brand in the longer term, however stressed that no decisions would be made without consulting with club members.

“The club belongs to the members and the people working for the club are just servants of that.”

“You can’t do everything at once because resources aren’t unlimited. It’s true to say we will look at these elements in the longer term but we haven’t made that decision yet,” Daly concluded.