Gold Coast Suns coach Stuart Dew says huge loss to Adelaide ‘stings’
Gold Coast Suns coach Stuart Dew said there was one moment during his side’s 95-point loss to Adelaide on Saturday night that stood out from everything else.
While Adelaide was able to walk away from Saturday night’s clash against Gold Coast with respectability restored and team bond united, it was a vastly different story for the Suns.
Their second consecutive 90-plus point loss was labelled by many Queensland-based sports journalists as the worst they’ve seen in the Suns’ eight seasons in the AFL.
Bemoaning the lack of effort and fight in the Suns, questions were asked of coach Stuart Dew about where on earth Gold Coast goes from here.
“We sat here seven days ago (after the 92-point loss to Richmond), looking for a response … The last two weeks, we’ve certainly lost our way.
“Sometimes you can say it’s not as bad as it seems, but when there’s two performances like that, that’s not what we’re after.”
Dew saved his most surprising post-game comments for when discussing his opponents.
“But tonight, I think, look at the Crows coaches box in the last quarter there. So, that stings. It’s got to sting. That’s where we’re at. That’s what they think of us.”
When asked to clarify what had gone on in the Crows coaches box, Dew said: “They laughed in the last quarter. We’ve got to live with that. It is what it is.”
Dew said his Gold Coast chargers had simply lost their confidence.
“There were times (on Saturday night), through lack of confidence, they released the ball without pressure on them, it’s perceived pressure,” he said.
“That’s between the ears.
“We’ve got to pick them back up and get around them.
“We’ve got six weeks (left in the season) to get back to building that contest element that people were talking about early in the season.
“It’s not physical, it’s not physical at all. There are some elements of size, but in terms of run and fitness, it’s between the ears.
“We’ve got to make sure we get around them and coach really, really well and approach the games professionally, which we have done all year, but we’ve copped two right under the chin.”
And the 39-year-old coach admitted that seeking a priority pick — touted last week as a possibility for solving their woes and which would gift the Suns another promising 18-year-old — was not the answer.
“We haven’t (requested one),” he said. “But it’s not the answer … that’s an ongoing, whole process, but the priority pick is not the answer.
“Like every other club, you’ve got to work as hard as you can, you got to try and improve your list, that’s through draft, that’s through trade, that’s the answer.
“There are a lot of clubs asking the same questions as us.
“And I think by and large for the season, we’ve shown development and improvement, the challenge is not to let these two weeks define us.”
Dew offered an apology of sorts not just to Gold Coast supporters, but to lovers of football everywhere.
“We’re disappointed,” he said. “We love the game, we love coming into work. We love trying to work out how to get this club better. We’re certainly disappointed for our supporters, not just ours, but football in general.
“As coaches, we’re disappointed … We don’t want to put any spin on it, or any mayo.”