How Damien Hardwick, Gold Coast are unlocking Mac Andrew’s ‘untapped potential’

Damien Hardwick once declared Mac Andrew could be “one of the best players to play the game,” yet to start 2024 he wasn’t in the Suns’ team. Now, the young gun is in a historic purple patch.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 07: Mac Andrew of the Suns in action during the 2024 AFL Round 04 match between the Gold Coast SUNS and GWS GIANTS at Adelaide Hills - Mt Barker on April 07, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

In February, Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick boldly declared Mac Andrew could become “one of the best players to play the game”.

It was a grandiose statement that came with a long list of unspoken caveats, but deep down the master coach knew there was serious untapped talent in the 201cm defender.

“Our job as coaches is to get the very best out of (him),” Hardwick said at the time.

“He has so much talent, we just have to find a way to bring out that talent for the best of Mac and the best of the Gold Coast Suns.”

Despite the lofty praise, multiple early iterations of Hardwick’s best-23 did not feature the former first-round draft pick.

In fact, for the first four matches of 2024 the 20-year-old was unsighted in the AFL side, despite playing 17 games the previous year.

It wasn’t the first career crossroads for the uber-athletic tall.

Andrew has become a more consistent part of the Suns’ defence. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Last year Andrew was slapped with two club-imposed sanctions. He was suspended for the first two matches of 2023 after being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol over the Christmas break, and another one-match ban for missing a recovery session later that year.

Some tough love and stern words from the Suns’ leadership group set Andrew on a path to success and he established himself as a best-22 player, with the expectation he would take another leap forward in 2024.

But a triple blow of Covid, concussion and a hamstring injury cruelled his pre-season preparations. When he returned to training, he was bluntly told by Hardwick that others deserved their place in the side ahead of him.

He agreed – and set about getting to work.

Since breaking back into the side in round 5, Andrew has established himself as one of the premier intercept defenders in the competition.

Forget purple patch. His is a historic run of form that nods to the talent Hardwick immediately saw in him.

In 27 career starts, Andrew has recorded 69 intercept marks. Only four players in AFL history have recorded more intercept marks over the same period: Jeremy McGovern, Tom Barrass (80), Aliir Aliir (74) and Sam De Koning (70).

His 154 intercept possessions are also the most by any Gold Coast Suns player through their first 27 games.

Andrew’s form has vindicated the talent Hardwick saw in him. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

This season, Andrew ranks ninth in the AFL for intercept marks per-game (3.3) and fourth for intercept possessions (9.0).

Not only is he incredibly damaging in the air, he also finds plenty of the footy at ground level. His 17.3 disposals per-game rank sixth among key defenders.

His numbers through six games this season put him on-par with the likes of Steven May, Jake Lever and Harris Andrews, who share five All-Australians between them.

Andrew’s emergence as a genuine intercept defender has evolved the Suns’ back six.

Sam Collins remains one of the best 1-on-1 defenders in the league, and Charlie Ballard – a top-five interceptor last season – can now balance his game and play more of a lockdown role, with Andrew filling the gaps as the dominant aerial threat.

“We’ve loved having him back down there,” Ballard said of Andrew.

“Just his athleticism and the flare he brings to the game and playing to his instincts is really great, but then also being able to play his role and defend – he’s been able to balance that really well, which is something we’re proud of him for.”

He may only be 27 games into his AFL career, but Andrew is quickly showing the promise that made the Suns draft him at No. 5 in 2022 – and why Melbourne was so disappointed it did not have priority access to the Next Generation Academy product.