‘Don’t do that’: Where Suns ‘failed’ Dew as sacked coach left ‘frustrated and angry’ by leaks

Gerard Whateley believes the Gold Coast Suns “failed” sacked coach Stuart Dew for their handling of his eventual departure over the past week as the AFL world responded to his dismissal.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - JULY 01: Suns head coach Stuart Dew during the round 16 AFL match between Gold Coast Suns and Collingwood Magpies at Heritage Bank Stadium, on July 01, 2023, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

AFL broadcaster Gerard Whateley believes the Gold Coast Suns “failed” sacked coach Stuart Dew for their handling of his eventual departure over the past week as the AFL world responded to his dismissal.

The Suns on Tuesday morning confirmed they’d parted ways with Dew after five and a half seasons, effective immediately, with senior assistant Steven King to take over as interim coach for the remainder of the 2023.

It comes after veteran journalist Caroline Wilson first reported last week Dew’s days as Suns coach were numbered and suggested a call could be made on his future by the end of July.

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Dew then hit back at those claims, while Suns boss Mark Evans — although backing in his then coach — couldn’t guarantee the 43-year old’s future beyond 2023.

And speaking on SEN after Dew’s sacking was confirmed, Whateley thinks Gold Coast left the coach out to dry.

Dew has been sacked by the Suns (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“The reporting a week ago with all of its detail around what was happening politically at the Gold Coast Suns was right,” Whateley said on SEN radio.

“I feel for Stuart Dew that he appeared oblivious to that before it was in the public domain and then was left by the club to fight the fight for a week before ultimately being sacked.

“I don’t think that’s the way, don’t leave a man fighting for his job publicly that is already lost, don’t do that.

“There’s a level of dignity to the person you’re seeing out the door and I think they’ve failed on that front.”

Whateley added that he thinks the club couldn’t have made approaches to prospective replacements including recently departed Tigers triple-premiership coach Damien Hardwick, who Wilson reported is in the Suns’ sights, until they parted ways with Dew.

“There’s no coincidence of choosing July, it is to clear the job so you are free to go and explore what’s there.

“Particularly once Damien Hardwick was wild on the terrain, as you like, the only way to approach someone like that is to have a vacancy.

“Especially because Dew and Hardwick are tight. You can’t make those manoeuvres while someone is still in the hob.

Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley, who likened a coaching journey to a “romantic relationship,” suggested Dew’s future at the Suns always hinged on the club making finals this year, which it’s never done since its inception in 2011, and remains unlikely.

“You always need forward momentum as a team and as a club,” he said on SEN.

“You get the honeymoon period at the beginning where you get a bit of leeway and it’s OK if you go backwards first for a moment before you go forwards.

“Sometimes the progress is not abundantly evident in the win-loss (record) and that is up to the people internally in the football club and slightly removed from the coaching — the CEO and footy manager.

“But yes, the win-loss definitely needed to be heading forward.

“There just hasn’t been enough upward swing, progress or momentum towards where the Gold Coast Suns want to be.

“They clearly believe that, one, he isn’t the person, and two, that they can find better, otherwise they wouldn’t make this call.”

Others on social media meanwhile voiced their sympathy for Dew.

Feel for Stevie Dew but no 1st time coach survives 6 yrs no finals. Well done Caro got it right. Not surprised but for it to get out from in club prior to coach being told shows how soulless, amateurish and culture less this club is.

— Tony Shaw (@TonyShaw22) July 11, 2023

The old adage ‘he has the full support of the board’ strikes again. Gone in a week. Feel for Stuart Dew

— Campbell brown (@Browndogg_30x) July 10, 2023

Feel for Stuart Dew, coaching is a tough business and history says the Gold Coast gig is the hardest in the business. 36 wins from 121 ultimately not good enough #AFL

— Drew Jones (@DrewJonesFOX) July 10, 2023

So the Gold Coast Leakers a week after very publicly throwing their full support behind Stuart Dew via their CEO Mark Evans will soon hold a media conference.

Why should anything that is said there be believed?

— ralph horowitz (@rtralphy) July 10, 2023

2021 no Witts
2022 no King
2023 no Touk

Dew didn’t trade pick 2 for Weller or sign Brodie and Bowes on contracts that they forced to trade early picks to get out of.

Bit stiff old Stewy.

— Moreira’s Magic (@MoreirasMagic) July 11, 2023

SEN reporter Tom Morris revealed Dew himself feels he’s been let down by the club, having been initially caught off guard by Wilson’s report last week.

“I know that Stuart Dew had felt this was coming at some stage after Caroline Wilson’s report last week. His view at the time this time last week was that people on the inside of the club were conspiring against him,” Morris said on SEN’s Whateley.

“He had his views as to who those people were but was unable to confirm exactly that. It’s fair to say that he was pretty filthy this time last week with the report coming out, not as much with ‘Caro’ as he was with those people telling Caro.

“As a result, this wasn’t as much of a surprise to him this week as it would have been if the Caro report didn’t come out.

“He didn’t argue with its authenticity, he didn’t think that it was incorrect, but he was just frustrated that people within the club were talking to a journalist about his future before talking to him.

“Stuart Dew is extremely frustrated and angry with whoever those people are within the club that were speaking to Caroline Wilson before speaking to him about his future.”

Originally published as ‘Don’t do that’: Where Suns ‘failed’ Dew as sacked coach left ‘frustrated and angry’ by leaks