Damien Hardwick seethes at Victorian clubs for their stance on travel burdens of interstate sides

Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick was seething at ‘laughable’ suggestions from Victorian clubs questioning the legitimacy of travel burdens for interstate sides.

Damien Hardwick believes any club questioning the legitimacy of travel burdens placed on interstate sides “should be named and shamed” with the Gold Coast coach slamming the “laughable” and “downright disrespectful” narrative that has swept through the AFL.

Last week this Masthead revealed some clubs believe West Coast and Fremantle are not disadvantaged by their hefty travel schedules because they are afforded a minimum of 12 business class seats on all flights to and from the eastern seaboard.

“Those 12 business class seats make an enormous difference … seriously, that comment is laughable,” Hardwick said.

“I’ve played in Victoria, I’ve played interstate and I’ve coached now up here. We’re up against it. There’s no question about that.

“For clubs in Victoria to say 12 business class flight seats help out the teams in Perth is a laughable statement. They should be named and shamed to be perfectly honest because I find it downright disrespectful.”

Damien Hardwick was not pleased with the comments from some Victorian clubs. Picture: Getty Images

After the West Australian clubs, Gold Coast and Brisbane will cover the most distance of any other side in the competition this season, with the two New South Wales clubs making up the top six.

The Suns will board 24 flights across the home and away season, second only to the Giants who fly 26 times.

Hardwick said other considerations, such as limited flight times due to flying out of the smaller Gold Coast Airport, also had a tangible impact on the Suns’ travel schedule.

“And then we travel every second week so sometimes we’re on a bus to Ballarat for an hour after our flight,” he said in reference to the round 2 clash against the Western Bulldogs.

“It is a challenge for the interstate sides. Every advantage we try to get, we are fighting hand over fist with the AFL to gain one. It’s incredibly tough. I’m 10 games in (to coaching Gold Coast) and I’m finding it challenging.

“These sort of things that Melbourne clubs take for granted … we don’t get that advantage.

“All the (talk around the Suns) Academy … well you know what, we do need some advantages because we haven’t had an advantage for a long time at this footy club.”

Hardwick’s comments come as the Suns prepare to travel to Melbourne this weekend to play Carlton at Marvel Stadium.

They will travel eight times over the final 13 weeks of the season including two games in Perth and five trips to Melbourne.

Conversely, Saturday’s opponent Carlton has left Melbourne just once since Gather Round – for a 52-point defeat to Sydney last Friday night – and will only travel another three times before the end of the regular season.

The Suns are unbeaten on the Gold Coast this season and went 2-from-2 at their home away from home in Darwin. But they are yet to taste success on the road in 2024.

Gold Coast have a perfect record a home in 2024. Picture: Getty Images

Hardwick said the club was still searching for answers as to its form drop off away from home and would need to turn things around if finals was to be a consideration.

“We’re still looking at that. We’re trying a few different things with regard to our preparation and what that looks like,” he said.

“There’s no excuse. We have to play better. We have to start better.

“We know for us to make finals we have to start winning these away games. This is a great opportunity for us (against Carlton).

“We know for us to get better we have to embrace that challenge. (Winning on the road) has to be part of our game we have to get better and demand to get better.”

The Suns will welcome back co-captain Jarrod Witts, who was rested for last Thursday’s clash against Geelong with an eye to unleashing him against the Blues in a game where winning the clearance battle could dictate the result.

Jed Walter and Nick Holman are also likely to be recalled after Hardwick handed them a timely break in the Top End.

The Suns coach said he was happy to continue rotating the squad with an eye to peaking at the end of the season.

“My philosophy is you begin with the end in mind. Let’s say we do make it all the way to the back end of September, what does it look like? Accordingly we plan for that,” Hardwick said.

“Other clubs will be completely different. What’s right or wrong? We’re not too sure. But this is the general philosophy I’ve used in my time in coaching and hopefully it holds us in good stead.”