Steve Daniel

Steve Daniel
Daniel in October 2018
Personal information
Full name Stephen Daniel
Nickname SJ
Born 1967 or 1968 (age 58–59)
Original team Mount Waverley
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1990s Mount Waverley
1990s–99 Surrey Park
2004–2006 Seymour
2007–2009 South Cairns
2010 Congupna 18 (5–13–0)
2011–2012 Tatura 40 (29–9–2)
2014–2015 Labrador 42 (33–9–0)
2016–2017 Gold Coast 39 (19–20–0)
2018–2024 Southport 111 (75–36–0)
2027– Labrador 0 (0–0–0)
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2026.
Career highlights

Stephen Daniel (born 1967 or 1968) is an Australian rules football coach who currently serves as the head coach of Labrador in the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL).

Daniel is a multi-premiership-winning coach, with thirteen grand final appearances across multiple teams and competitions in Victoria and Queensland.

Career

Daniel began coaching in Victoria after his playing career at Mount Waverley was ended in 1989 because of a severe car accident, which resulted in him suffering a broken back, neck and legs. After recovering from his injuries, he replaced Doug Searl as Mount Waverley's senior coach. Two years later, he moved to Surrey Park and coached the side to two grand final appearances.

In 2000, Daniel joined the Northern Bullants in the Victorian Football League (VFL) as an assistant to head coach Mark Williams. The Bullants were competing as a standalone team until the 2003 season, when it entered into a reserves affiliation with Carlton. Williams described Daniel as having "really helped keep the place together" during a period when the Bullants did not win many matches. Daniel joined the Seymour Football Club in the Goulburn Valley League (GVL) for the 2004 season, coaching the team to back-to-back senior premierships in 2005 and 2006.

Daniel moved to Queensland in 2007 to become the head coach of the South Cairns Cutters in the AFL Cairns competition. The following year, he coached the Queensland Country representative team to victory in Division 2 of the Australian Country Football Championships and was subsequently named the AFL Queensland Coach of the Year for 2008. South Cairns lost the 2008 and 2009 grand finals to the Cairns Saints.

In 2010, Daniel returned to Victoria for family reasons and spent one season coaching Congupna in the Murray Football League (MFL). He was criticised by Shepparton coach Richard Warburton for attempting recruiting two players who were contracted to Shepparton. Daniel returned to the GVL for the 2011 season with the Tatura Football Club and won the grand final the following year against his former club, Seymour. He later described the 2012 GVL grand final as "one of my hardest days in football", saying he "[calls] Seymour my club". Daniel left Tatura before the start of the 2013 season and was succeeded by Scott Grigg.

On 31 July 2013, the Labrador Tigers announced Daniel would serve as the club's senior coach in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) from the 2014 season. However, Labrador's NEAFL license was revoked the following month as part of a restructure of the competition, with the club returning to the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL). This did not prevent Daniel coaching Labrador, with the club finishing runners-up in the QAFL in 2014 before winning the 2015 grand final to break a 21-year senior premiership drought.

Following Labrador's QAFL premiership, Daniel was signed by the Gold Coast Suns as the club's NEAFL coach. The Suns finished sixth on the ladder in 2016 and fourth in 2017, when it reached a preliminary final for the first time. He left the Suns at the end of the year to become the head coach of the Southport Sharks, which had recorded its worst NEAFL position in 2017 after finishing ninth out of ten clubs.

With Daniel as head coach, Southport's playing list underwent significant changes to include twenty-five new players for the 2018 season. The Sharks claimed the minor premiership at the end of the home-and-away season and faced Sydney in the grand final at Fankhauser Reserve, winning by 55 points to claim its first NEAFL premiership and twenty-second senior men's premiership. Southport finished runners-up in 2019.

After the NEAFL disbanded in 2020, Southport joined the VFL. Under Daniel, the club finished second on the ladder in 2021 before the season was curtailed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He received a two-year contract extension in September 2021 and coached the Sharks to the 2022 VFL Grand Final, where they were defeated by Casey. Daniel served as an assistant coach for the VFL's representative team against the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in April 2024.

On 8 August 2024, Southport announced that Daniel would step down as head coach at the end of the 2024 VFL season and be replaced by Matthew Primus. The Sharks qualified for the 2024 grand final from fifth place, but were narrowly defeated by Werribee. Overall, Daniel had a win–loss record (including finals) of 67.6% throughout his eight seasons at the Sharks.

Daniel coached the Queensland Country men's team in a representative match against a combined AFL Sydney/Canberra team on 11 July 2026.

Statistics

Coaching statistics

Legend
 W  Wins  L  Losses  D  Draws  W%  Winning percentage  LP  Ladder position  LT  League teams
Season Team League Games W L D W % LP LT
2009 South Cairns AFL Cairns 20182090.0%1st7
2010 Congupna MFL 18513027.8%9th13
2011 Tatura GVL 19107252.6%6th12
2012 21192090.5%1st12
2014 Labrador QAFL 22157068.2%3rd10
2015 20182090.0%1st10
2016 Gold Coast NEAFL 19910047.4%6th10
2017 20119055.0%4th10
2018 Southport 20146070.0%2nd10
2019 20146070.0%2nd10
2020 ——————9
2021 VFL 1091090.0%2nd22
2022 21156071.4%3rd21
2023 18810044.4%14th21
2024 22157068.2%5th21
2027 Labrador QAFL 0000———

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 This does not include the match between Gold Coast and Southport in round 11 of the 2021 VFL season, which was abandoned for no result after ten minutes of play because of the announcement of a snap COVID-19 lockdown.

References

  1. ↑ Wenzel, Murray (6 October 2017). "Off-contract Suns staff face anxious wait". ESPN. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "Lakey and SJ have a chat". AFL Queensland. 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Amy, Paul (16 September 2022). "The secret to Steve Daniel's remarkable record and push for grand final success". CODE Sports. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Ladder for 2010 MFL Seniors". Murray Football League. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Morris, Tom (31 July 2021). "VFL game cancelled after NINE minutes as Covid-19 mayhem hits Queensland". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  6. ↑ "Round 16 Postponed Game". Southport Sharks. 5 August 2021. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  7. ↑ McGowan, Marc (29 June 2019). "Back in the big time? Five coaches in the mix for 2020". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 28 June 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Underwood, Gus (14 April 2025). "Newman named in best country side for 25 years". Dairy News Australia. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Grand final tally grows for Labrador coach". AFL Queensland. 17 September 2014. Archived from the original on 28 June 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "A-list Coaching Lineup announced for AFLQ Club Development Expo". Play AFL. 7 February 2025. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "TAC Cup: Hard work pays off as new coach steps in". Star Weekly. 8 October 2012. Archived from the original on 1 December 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "E-Footy Record". AFL Queensland. 9 May 2008. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Steve Daniel AFL Queensland Coach of the Year". AFL Cairns. 24 March 2009. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Saints march on to premiership". AFL Cairns. 21 September 2009. Archived from the original on 14 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Saints Marching On". AFL Cairns. 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 14 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Daniel to crack open new six-pack". Murray Football League. 30 November 2009. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Search for ruck raises ire". Murray Football League. 18 March 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  18. ↑ Payne, Aydin (15 September 2022). "Three-time GVL premiership coach Steve Daniel in search of VFL silverware". Shepparton News. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Nash, Liam (24 April 2025). "Tatura Football Netball Club to host first night game under lights in about a decade in an Anzac Day blockbuster". Dairy News Australia. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Steve Daniel named as Labrador coach". AFL Queensland. 31 July 2013. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "2014 NEAFL sides finalised". Brisbane Lions. 16 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2 June 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  22. ↑ Wiles, Andrew (26 September 2015). "QAFL GF Wrap: Tigers break the drought". AFL Queensland. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Strong SUNS flavour in Labrador win". Gold Coast Suns. 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Daniel and Raines join GC SUNS coaching staff". Gold Coast Suns. 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  25. ↑ Wiles, Andrew (14 October 2015). "Steve Daniel gets SUNS coaching gig". AFL Queensland. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  26. 1 2 "NEAFL coach departs for Southport". Gold Coast Suns. 12 September 2017. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  27. 1 2 "2018". Southport Sharks. Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  28. ↑ Lillecrapp, Justin (16 September 2018). "Southport blows Sydney away to claim historic first NEAFL premiership". NEAFL. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  29. ↑ "NEAFL Grand Final ends in chaos as Southport wins flag despite breaking 19 men on field rule, not having score wiped". Fox Sports. 16 September 2018. Archived from the original on 6 February 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  30. ↑ Hunter, Ben (15 September 2019). "Brilliant Brisbane completes flawless season with Grand Final triumph". Brisbane Lions. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  31. ↑ "The perfect season: Brisbane Lions' reserves make footy history with 20-0 year to win NEAFL flag". Fox Sports. 15 September 2019. Archived from the original on 24 December 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  32. 1 2 Keating, Mitch (17 December 2021). "Sharks set to certify premiership credentials in 2022 VFL campaign". ZeroHanger. Archived from the original on 7 September 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  33. ↑ Rhodes, Brendan (1 September 2021). "Two more years for Sharks coach after another sensational season". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  34. ↑ Rhodes, Brendan (14 September 2022). "It's the VFL and we love being a part of it". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  35. ↑ "2024 Smithy's VFL Grand Final fact sheet". AFL.com.au. 16 September 2024. Archived from the original on 21 March 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Sharks announce coaching handover". AFL.com.au. 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  37. ↑ Rhodes, Brendan (23 September 2024). "Tigers break premiership drought in Grand Final thriller". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 July 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  38. ↑ Seal, Frank (8 August 2024). "VFL club announce former AFL captain as senior coach". ZeroHanger. Archived from the original on 15 June 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Steve Daniel appointed Queensland Country Men's Head Coach". Play AFL. 17 April 2026. Archived from the original on 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.