Stuart Dew coaching for his football future as shadow of Damien Hardwick looms large
Gold Coast is backing coach Stuart Dew but he is coaching for his football future over the next eight rounds after Damien Hardwick declared he wants to coach again.
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Gold Coast continues to reassure Stuart Dew it is not courting a replacement despite Damien Hardwick’s declaration he wants to coach again.
But Dew is coaching for his football future in the next eight weeks and he will have to curtail a string of heavy losses that have made Gold Coast a worryingly inconsistent side.
Hardwick is overseas in Europe for seven weeks and will return to assess the coaching landscape, adamant he won’t talk to clubs until the end of the year.
Dew is contracted to 2024 but will have to prove to Gold Coast he is capable of putting the Suns in the finals picture this season.
For all their rousing wins this year – including a pair of Darwin victories over Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs – the Suns have lost five of their 15 games by seven goals or more.
The Suns were heavily beaten by Carlton (59 points) in round 14 and then annihilated in a 78-point defeat against Collingwood.
Gold Coast’s consistent message to Dew has been one of support, with the club determined to give him the best chance to succeed despite the constant noise surrounding his position.
Despite speculation Alastair Clarkson met with then-president Tony Cochrane last year to discuss a role at the club, the Suns are adamant no such meeting took place.
The Suns extended Dew’s contract in mid-July last year until 2024.
It is understood that like most coaches at “assisted” AFL clubs which rely on league support, he has the standard clauses in his contract that would minimise the size of a possible payout.
But if the Suns fade from finals view the club will have to consider whether a coach like Hardwick would give them more chance of success in 2024.
Gold Coast has never guaranteed Dew’s coaching future for next year but its hope is that by season’s end he will have led the team into the finals or at least gone perilously close.
Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown said on Friday the coaching job would be highly prized given the club’s array of emerging stars.
But Dew’s 2008 premiership teammate Jordan Lewis said on Fox Footy on Friday that it would be “irresponsible” for the club to turf him out just because Hardwick had declared his availability.
“They are the fourth-youngest side in the competition, the fifth-least experienced, so they are not in premiership contention. There is a romantic side to a coach building with a team to try to build success,” he said.
“I think it would be irresponsible of Gold Coast if they were to then go and appoint Damien Hardwick after leaving the game for six weeks and then declaring he wants to come back and coach. I really think it would be irresponsible. Gold Coast are building nicely. I think it’s an easy decision (to retain him).”
Richmond will in coming weeks start interviewing candidates for Hardwick’s role with Andrew McQualter having confirmed to the club he is keen to be part of the process.
While he is in a strong position to replace Hardwick given strong support and a trio of wins he and the club have agreed he will need to be part of the entire process.
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