Doc Mackenzie

Alan "Doc" Mackenzie (12 October 1946 – 13 May 2022) was an Australian rules football administrator and general practitioner. He served as the president of the Southport Sharks for 49 years from 1973 until his death in 2022.

Mackenzie was an influential figure in Australian rules football in Queensland, playing a substantial role in the formation of the Gold Coast Suns and serving in several positions at both the Brisbane Bears and the Brisbane Lions. During his tenure as president, Southport played in more than thirty senior grand finals and became one of the most successful football clubs in Queensland. He was an inaugural inductee into the Queensland Australian Football Hall of Fame and was later elevated to "legend" status.

Football career Playing career Mackenzie was born in Queensland and grew up in the western suburbs of Brisbane. He was a foundational junior player at the Sherwood Football Club before moving to the neighbouring Western Districts Football Club to play senior football in the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL).

Beginning in 1992, Mackenzie served in various roles at the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League (AFL), including club doctor, team selector and match committee chairman. The Gold Coast Football Club (later nicknamed the "Suns") was granted a provisional license by the AFL in March 2009 and entered the league in 2011. Mackenzie served Gold Coast's board for ten years and was inducted as a life member of the club in 2018. He was the inaugural recipient of the Gold Coast Bulletin Sports Award in 2003 and was a life member of AFL Queensland. He received the Jack Titus Service Award in 2012.

During Mackenzie's tenure as president, Southport played in thirty-one senior men's grand finals and won eighteen premierships, along with two senior women's premierships. In addition to its successful on-field performances, the club was developed into a multi-million-dollar sports, leisure, and entertainment precinct. Southport moved from the QAFL to the newly-formed North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) in 2011, before later joining the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 2021. Mackenzie was a life member of the Sharks.

Southport's senior men's best and fairest award is named the "Doc Mackenzie Medal" in his honour. Since September 2022, VFL matches between Southport and Gold Coast have been played for the Doc Mackenzie Cup. The Mackenzie's Sports Bar is located inside the Southport Sharks precinct and is named after Mackenzie.