Gleeson and company re-sign for 2025

THE Torquay Tigers Football Club’s longest-serving senior coach is extending his tenure for at least another season, with the club confirming Dom Gleeson will remain at Spring Creek Reserve until the end of 2025.

Gleeson was announced as next year’s senior coach alongside reserves coach Tom Butler, senior assistant coaches Aaron Nesbitt and Stuart Hill and head of football Marty Lanyon at today’s (Saturday, July 13) Past Players Function before Torquay’s clash with Anglesea.

Tigers president Cam Healy told the Surf Coast Times securing Gleeson’s signature for next year was huge for the club and was done in consultation with the playing group.

“We think it’s absolutely massive to have him here next season, we look at him as among the best country football coaches in Australia,” Healy said.

“There’s other coaches out there such as Ron Watt, Steve “Otis” Clark and a number of others with great records; we consider him equal to that.

“He’s a remarkable leader of people, he’s such a great role model for young men to aspire to, he’s a significant influence to our junior program, he’s the head coach of the club, so we can’t speak highly enough of Dom Gleeson the person.”

 

 

Gleeson arrived at the Tigers in 2015 as a playing coach and will enter his 11^th year at the club, with his present two-year deal expiring this season.

Gleeson’s extension puts him further ahead of club great Clive Brown, who led Torquay from 1965 to 1970, for senior games coached.

“I’m so excited to be given the opportunity to lead this club into 2025,” Gleeson said.

“I appreciate the support and faith that Cam Healy and the committee have shown in me.”

He has also coached the side to five grand final appearances (2015, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023), two of which led to flags (2017 and 2023).

This year has been another dominant one for the Tigers so far, sitting atop the Bellarine Football League (BFL) ladder with 12 wins from 13 games, and remaining hot favourites to claim back-to-back flags for the first time since 1987.

 

 

With a handful of games remaining until week 1 of the BFL finals, Healy said it was good to get Gleeson locked away before the club began approaching players about their contract intentions.

“Some of the players wanted to begin talks for next season, but we didn’t think it was fair for us to ask players to commit to next year if they didn’t know who the coach was.

“The first step was to make sure Dom wanted to recommit after 10 years, then from there we can now ask the players what they intend to do and what we need to do as well.”

Following today, Torquay plays Modewarre, Queenscliff, Portarlington and Barwon Heads before finals begin.