Campbell Brown says Gold Coast Suns can’t afford to stuff up new era

FORMER Gold Coast Sun Campbell Brown has issued a dire warning to his old club, saying it must get its next rebuild right or risk being kicked out of the AFL.

Campbell Brown’s time at the Suns ended prematurely. Picture: Images Getty

FORMER Gold Coast Sun Campbell Brown has issued a dire warning to his old club, saying it must get its next rebuild right or risk being kicked out of the AFL.

Brown, who joined the Suns for three seasons after nine years at Hawthorn, said the next period in the club’s short history was crucial.

Brown, who played 46 matches with Gold Coast before being sacked following an end-of-season fight with current Suns co-captain Steven May, said the AFL might be forced to pack up the expansion club if it continued to fail.

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“I wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t in the AFL in 10 years if they don’t get this next era right,” Brown said.

The Gold Coast Suns might prove a costly venture for the AFL. Picture: George Salpigtidis

“The AFL can’t keep pumping tens of millions of dollars into a club that’s seemingly going nowhere at the moment.”

Gold Coast, laden with early draft selections in its formative years, has so far failed to make the AFL finals and this year slumped to 17th in a season that saw coach Rodney Eade sacked.

However Brown, speaking on SEN, did offer a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered club, saying the structures were in place off the field for the Suns to achieve on-field success — “but they must do everything in their power to keep Tom Lynch.”

“Where they’re at right now is magnificent, they’ve got a really good and strong president in Tony Cochrane, who I love because he reminds me of Jeff Kennett. He demands success, keeps everyone accountable and that’s what they need.

Campbell Brown thinks the Suns are in good hands with chairman Tony Cochrane and CEO Mark Evans. Picture: AAP Image

Stuart Dew has already got down to work with the Suns. Picture: Getty Images

“Mark Evans as the CEO is superb. Stuart Dew is an unknown, but it’s a fresh start, and if he is a good coach, they have a really good spine of being a successful club.

“When a new coach comes in, it’s a good time to say, ‘I don’t care about what’s happened in the past, this is how we go about it from here on in’.

“(Say) ‘These are my standards, team rules and my disciplines. I have no preconceived ideas on any players, I’m just going to watch you for the next six-to-eight weeks, the way you prepare, train and go about it, and then I’ll make up my mind’.”