‘We the North’: Hardwick channels the Toronto Raptors championship saying

Gold Coast Suns members have been told to look at how the Toronto Raptors embraced being the ‘outsider’ and became champions by coach Damien Hardwick in a speech that left fans hanging on every word.

Damien Hardwick had a speech for the ages on a beautiful Friday night on the Gold Coast at the Suns season launch.

There was no promise of three flags in 10 yearsliek the Richmond CEO Brendon Gale did in 2010 when Hardwick was coach.

Instead, he embraced a new philosophy, one which led the NBA franchise, the Toronto Raptors from a laughing stock, to a championship side.

Hardwick said his main focus was the potential of what the talent at the Suns can offer.

“For 12 seasons we have been judged and ridiculed by those outside of our four walls” Hardwick said.

The Gold Coast Suns full team at the clubs 2024 season launch. Picture: Mohammad Alfares

“Narratives around making up the numbers, the club that farms talent, so other teams can reap the benefits.

“The club that is seen as an outsider within the AFL industry.

“But we are an outsider club, but if we simply flip our thought process, to believe this fact can be advantageous.

“Then suddenly we have the ability to rewrite that narrative.”

Speaking at the Star Gold Coast to more than 150 Suns members, staff and special guests, keeping them all captivated and hanging onto every word the three time premiership coach said:

“Take the Toronto Raptors for example, a team with uncanny similarities to us,” Hardwick said.

“They were founded in 1995 as part of NBA’s expansion into Canada, the only NBA team in a non-basketball centric state.

“For 10 seasons, they were consistently under performing as a franchise, losses, crowd attendances, general buy into the bigger picture.

“Considered in the league as a team that just made up the numbers.

“But in 2016, they decided to flip the narrative, they turned the negative perception into one of strength an unity.

“How? They embraced they were considered outsiders and built a strong brand and mantra off the back of this mentality.”

Three years after, the Raptors won the NBA championship in 2019.

“It quickly became the Raptors versus everybody else and it quickly came down to three simple words,” Hardwick said.

“We The North.

“They understood they had to bring this mentality for every 48 minutes they stepped on the court.

“Win, lose or draw, the opposition quickly realised that when they stepped foot into Canada, into Toronto, into the Raptors stadium, they were playing the north.”

The Suns will open their season against Hardwick’s former side, the Richmond Tigers in what is known as the ‘Opening Round’ on Saturday March 9.

The last time the Suns played Richmond to open the season, they beat them by 18 points in 2014.

The Suns will then remain at home for round one of the season when they take on Adelaide at Heritage Bank Stadium on Saturday March 16.