If you had told Mark Sutton 16 years ago he would become an integral cog in the rebuild of the female football footprint at Wynnum Wolves he would likely have called you crazy.
2010 was the season Mark started as a coach at Wynnum looking after his son Caleb’s Under 6 Red Rams team [see photo]. Mark went on to coach his son Caleb throughout his junior footballing days at Wynnum, but also branched out to coach his older daughter Kenzie as well when her interest in football blossomed at a later point.
In addition to coaching, Mark has become a fixture at Wolves over the years, volunteering for many club committee and support roles in helping to lead Wynnum Wolves both on and off the field.
Female football had very little presence at Wolves’ during most of the 2000s, with only a smattering of girls playing throughout the club’s MiniRoos and community teams and very few dedicated girls and women’s teams forming during this period.
In 2020, Mark stepped up to help establish the first all-girls team at Wynnum for many a year – a MiniRoos team they called the Wonder Wolves. With the help of Stacey Sasopulos and Sarah Gatenby-Doyle these girls began the rebuild of female football at Wynnum. Five of those girls – Jessica Doyle, Gabriella Galdamez, Claire O’Malley, Taylor Allen-Sympson and Alessandra Tuckwell – remain at Wynnum today in the club’s Under 14 MJL team with Mark, Stacey and Sarah still proudly leading this group.
Since that time Wolves have invested heavily in rebuilding female football at the club with a growing women’s program, a fully-fledged League 1 Academy Girls program and a growing list of all-girls MiniRoos and Metro community teams.
In recognition of his outstanding service to Wolves over the past 16 years the club’s committee chose this year’s Female Football Week to announce a fitting tribute – a Life Membership honour for Mark – voted for at the club’s recent AGM.
Club president, Rabieh Krayem, presented Mark’s Life Membership badge at Saturday’s Female Football Week celebration at Carmichael Park.
Welcome to a special group at Wynnum Mark. Our Life Members are truly a group of amazing individuals who have contributed so much to our wonderful community club – 105 Years and going strong!