Gold Coast chairman’s bizarre press conference announcing Guy McKenna sacking

Delivering the news that a coach has been sacked is never easy. But there is a way to go about it — and then there’s what former Gold Coast Suns chairman John Witheriff served up in 2014.

After Gold Coast sacked coach Guy McKenna the assembled media just wanted to ask one question: why?

But Suns chairman John Witheriff wasn’t about to answer that. Or anything else about when or how the coach got the chop with a year to run on his contract.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SACKED PODCAST

Instead, Witheriff blustered through one of the more unusual sacked coach press conferences in memory, labelling McKenna a “great man”, saying the search for a new coach would start with “a process to begin the process” and referring to himself in the third person.

On the podium for one of the worst press conferences of all time ...

— Mark Robinson (@Robbo_heraldsun) October 1, 2014

The lawyer and businessman, who signed off as chairman in 2016 used the phrase “extraordinary contribution” at least six times to describe McKenna’s tenure at the club. The performance was instantly savaged on Twitter.

“In the weeks to come there will be more announcements by the football club and that will be the time to talk about that, but not today. Today is about Guy McKenna,” Witheriff said.

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“I don’t want this club to be distracted from recognising the extraordinary contribution of a great man.

“Today it’s about acknowledging a great man who took us from nothing to somewhere.

Suns Chairman John Witheriff announces the sacking of Guy McKenna. Picture: Luke Marsden

“Everyone including John Witheriff would be the first to say this is a really tough decision and on a personal basis it’s an extremely tough one.

“It’s important for me personally to live my own commitment and that is when someone of the calibre of Guy McKenna leaves our organisation ... we have an organisation that acknowledges the extraordinary contribution of that person.

“It’s just the way the Gold Coast Suns go about doing business.”

That Suns press conference was horrendous

— Nick Smart (@NickSmart85) October 1, 2014

Gold Coast admits John Witheriff knows bugger all about footy. Big on process. They should have put Ashcroft up. Witheriff speaking nonsense

— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) October 1, 2014

Just waiting for Witheriff to say: 'Go and get the guitar' ...

— Ben Broad (@Ben_Broad) October 1, 2014

Based off this press conference, is Gold Coast about to elevate Guy McKenna to legend status?

— Nick Wade (@nick_wade) October 1, 2014

The Gold Coast presser was a complete sham. No point umming & ahhing & not answering anything. The club looks silly. Why did you sack him?!

— Neroli Meadows (@Neroli_M_FOX) October 1, 2014