Damien Hardwick talks all things Gold Coast and AFL ahead of the 2024 season
Damien Hardwick has big wraps on one of his young Suns - and it’s not Matt Rowell, Ben King or Noah Anderson. See the full Q&A here.
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In three short weeks Damien Hardwick will lead the Gold Coast Suns into battle against the club he coached to three premierships over 14 seasons.
Before the Opening Round clash against Richmond, we sat down with the master coach to pick his brain on all things Gold Coast.
Hardwick named a second-year Sun as the next Dustin Martin, the midfielder every SuperCoach manager must have in their side and who has stood tall so far in pre-season.
He offered an update on the Ben King contract saga and explained why those in Victoria have got it all wrong when it comes to the Suns Academy.
Q. To win a premiership in the next five years was the line. That’s a lofty goal for a team that has never won more than 10 games in a season. Why is it important to set such goals early? Why vocalise that?
Hardwick: I love aspirational leadership. I challenge any club that hasn’t got a premiership on the cards within the next five years that they’re not doing the right thing by their fans, supporters and playing group.
Our purpose is to win that first flag for Gold Coast. When I first met Bob (East) and Mark (Evans) in Milan we spoke about that shared alignment about where we want to be. We haven’t quite made the steps that we needed to at this stage but we’re well on the way to hopefully making that first step but more importantly that step to that first Gold Coast premiership within the next five years.
Q. No major playing list moves outside of the draft just yet, but you did make quite a few changes to your coaching staff – a lot of familiar faces from your time at Richmond. How did you go about making those decisions?
Hardwick: I had watched Gold Coast from a far and admired what (former coach Stuart) Dew did with the side and how it was built up – it became a real footy club and the talent we’ve been able to bring through the doors is outstanding. I look at the group that I have and what I’m able to work with and that’s why I said 80 per cent of our next premiership side is already here. From that point of view we didn’t have to add a great deal of talent to get where we need to go.
Probably what I did need is a couple of people that have had experience in the system we’re going to bring in … which makes my job easier. What I will say is the coaching staff I have inherited here have been nothing short of outstanding. I’ve been really pleased with their ability to comprehend and entrench that knowledge into the playing group which has certainly made my job easier. We have far exceeded probably the level of expectation I had about where we would be up to this point.
Q. You’ve said before it’s going to take time to implement your game style. Do you feel like you’re ahead of where you thought you would be at this point?
Hardwick: Yeah I think so. We’re really pleased with the advancements we’ve made with the style of game we want to play.
Everyone these days will play a certain style of game but it’s understanding why we’re playing a certain style of game that is important and I think that’s the thing the players have really taken to and enjoyed.
Q. What can the fans expect as far as seeing some old faces in new positions? Will we see some role changes for players?
Hardwick: Yes there will be. You have to remember with every game style requires different positions and different athletic types to play certain positions. (Alex) Sexton is one of those players. I look at the way we want to play our rebounding backs – he has played the vast majority of his career as a forward but he’s an incredible athlete. His ability to cover ground, to use the ball proves from my point of view he could be a really good rebounding defender and he’s had a great pre-season.
When you move from a certain game style to another game style some positional swings and roundabouts come to fruition. We look at players like Darcy Macpherson who for me in our style fits as a small pressure forward. He does that really well. Jimmy Tsitas is another guy that’s grabbed that role, Tommy Berry – those players who are able to execute high pressure roles are really important to the style of game that we’re going to play. Those guys are incredibly valuable to the system and they will get games accordingly.
Q. No Lachie Weller to start the season. How is the hunt for his replacement developing?
Hardwick: Yeah look it’s funny with Lachie, he’s one of those players incredibly important to the way we want to play and fits that rebounding defender that we’re craving for but we won’t have him until the back end of the year. He’s moving really well in the off-season, he looks like he could play now but we have to be cautious because he’s such a valuable commodity to our footy club.
So we are looking out for that other rebounding back. Sexton has put his hand up, young (Connor) Budarick is coming through, Lloyd Johnston is another guy we have high hopes for. Will Graham has gone through halfback, Sam Clohesy is another play that we’ve trialled through there at various stages.
There’s still some question marks we have on that back six, back seven as to where we will land.
Q. And the forward makeup? You’ve mentioned Tsitas, Berry … no Jed Walter to start the season with a collarbone injury. Will Ben King be fit for Opening Round?
Hardwick: Ben I think is firming for (Opening Round) at the moment which is promising. Jed is disappointing with his collarbone but we have a long time ahead with Jed and what he will be. He certainly would have been a lock to play with the form line he showed.
We have Bailey Humphrey down there that’s just an incredibly talented young player that is still learning the game but has a great understanding of where he can impact and how.
We’ve got big plans for Ben Ainsworth. He’s someone I feel is just scratching the surface of what he could be as a player so we’re really excited to see how he operates in that forward six, and then we will have two or three small pressure forwards that will hopefully keep the ball in our forward half more times than not.
Q. Ben King’s contract, it sounds like things are close. How important is he to your plans here now and in the future?
Hardwick: He’s certainly very important but our club has to play its part. We have to show all our players that we are capable of taking that next step forward. At the end of the day players will make judgement calls over where they see the direction of the club and that’s important for us as an organisation to understand and show the players that we’re heading in the right direction.
Contracts will always come up and Ben is one of those players in this situation. We’ve got to realise as a club we have to play our part and show the players the way of the future. I’m sure as we do that Ben will sign on the dotted line which will be great for our club and great for Ben as well because we know what a player he can be.
Ben is another player that really is just scratching the surface of his career. A little bit injury interrupted obviously his ACL and a little bit of a hiccup over the course of the pre-season but we’re really happy with how he is progressing.
Q. Ethan Read, the ‘Unicorn’. Is every line coach putting his hand up to get hold of him? What will be his position and how can you incorporate him early in the season?
Hardwick: We call him the Unicorn because he’s quite a special player and without putting too much pressure on him, he’s capable of probably playing in a variety of positions much like Geelong’s Mark Blicavs. He could play midfield, wing, halfback, up forward … we’ve probably settled him down back. We want to give him a good grounding in the defensive aspects of the game. We’re really pleased with what he’s brought to the back seven, with his ability to win the ball back and distribute. He’s effectively a 6’10 who plays like a 6’1 guy which is incredibly impressive.
He’s well and truly in the mix for Opening Round, no question. He’s an incredible athlete, incredible young lad and we’re really looking forward to giving him a chance to debut for the Gold Coast Suns. How early that is we’re not too sure but he’s certainly in that mix, no question.
Q. The other draftees, who could be in the mix?
Hardwick: Well Jed was a possibility until he hurt his collarbone. He was dominating training which I must admit I was shaking my head watching this 18-year-old boy run around and dominate AFL players. He has a way to go with his understanding and knowledge of the game. But just his athleticism and his ability to chase opposition down – it was like a lion chasing an impala, I kept thinking ‘get rid of it, get rid of it’ because I thought he was going to grab them and throw them to the ground because he’s so powerful and strong.
The other one we’ve really been impressed with is Will Graham. He’s done some work off halfback, some wing, some on-ball, so he’s another guy I think will be around for a long period of time and has certainly put his hand up for round one as well.
Jake Rogers has been injured so he’s just making his way back into training and Sam Clohesy has made some inroads as well.
Q. A lot of talk before and after the draft about the Academy system. Now that you’ve been up here and seen the resources the club has funnelled into it, have you changed your outlook from before you joined the Suns?
Hardwick: It absolutely blew me away. I had no idea the amount of work and staffing that is involved in this. I was one of those guys in Victoria that used to complain about the luxuries of the Academy system but as soon as you get up here you understand the why and the how. The amount of people that put in so much work, five-six days a week flat out.
What we have to realise is for the greater good of the game of AFL we have to attract talent in the north and that is what they’re doing. The NSW and Queensland Academies are bringing some great talent into the game. If we want to continue to grow our game and make it the best game possible we have to continue to invest in these academies.
We had a once in a blue moon draft last year with those four academy boys that came through. It hasn’t happened before and it probably won’t happen again. But what we are seeing is the amount of kids now running around in Gold Coast Suns uniforms doing junior academy programs and Auskick programs is incredible.
The Girls Academy is going gangbusters also with the amount of girls that now want to play AFL footy and that can only be good for our game.
There will always be naysayers, that’s human nature. But the fact of the matter is this is an incredible difference maker for the northern states and to add to our game in general.
Having a guy like Rhyce Shaw heading up our Academy program one it gives it credibility but two incredible knowledge, not just to the players but the coaching level below is really important because as we know without great coaches the players don’t develop the proper habits to play the game the way it should be played. The investment that our club and all the northern clubs put in is so important to the growth of the game.
Q. Do you welcome the Opening Round clash against Richmond? Did the AFL make the right call in setting up this rivalry from the start?
Hardwick: Yeah I think so. I think it’s great for the growth of the game in the northern states. It’s a real opportunity and something that should be embraced. We’ll have a sellout here for that one, big game versus Richmond – it’s going to be a great contest. Two clubs with new coaches trying to implement new game styles, so it’s going to be a bit of an arm wrestle but I’m really looking forward to the challenge of hopefully bringing a win to the Suns versus the Tiges up here
Q. What are your snapshot opinions on these players and how they might impact this season?
Malcolm Rosas: Highly talented player, still trying to find his away. When the ball is in his hands special things happen, we just have to make sure we can get the ball in his hands more. The challenge for Rosas is I don’t want to fit a square peg in a round hole. He’s an unstructured player. If I try to make him play structure it doesn’t allow him to play to his strengths. He is probably behind a few players at this stage but has incredible talent that is very exciting.
Mac Andrew: Mac is another highly talented player that our job as coaches is to get the very best out of. Whether that’s back or forward, we’re probably sitting there at the moment undecided about what that looks for us. He’s a game changer. Mac has the capacity to be one – and this is a bit of a high bar to live up to – but he could possibly be one of the best players to play the game. He has so much talent, we just have to find a way to bring out that talent for the best of Mac and the best of the Gold Coast Suns. We know he can play back but he also got drafted as a ruck-forward so we’re working our way through that as well.
Joel Jeffrey: Joel is another exciting prospect that probably hasn’t quite reached the potential we know he can. His consistency level has to improve both on and off the field with regard to that and I think as soon as he finds that balance is when his footy will start to progress. We see him at the moment down back. We know he can play up forward, but he can break lines through his feet and is such a good user of the ball.
Bailey Humphrey: Bailey is going to be an exciting player. I must admit I knew a little bit about him before I came up here but watching him at training he’s been dominating. The way he plays, how explosive and tough he is, I have to remind myself he’s just turned 19. He reminds me of another player I used to coach who won three premierships and a Brownlow Medal … he’s got the ability to change games, Bailey. He’s only in his second year but I’m looking forward to seeing what he can produce for us this year.
Jake Rogers: Jake I haven’t seen a lot of because he’s been injured. What I do know and the little I have seen is he’s very clean. What he has to work on is probably his tank. He’s in good hands there. I’m looking forward to seeing how he progresses over the next month to see where his footy is at.
Ben Ainsworth: I just think he’s a player that needs a coach to back him in and that’s what we’ve done. We love the way he goes about his footy. He has a skillset that allows him to play the style of game we want. He has a really important role within our side and I think he’s learnt to love that and wants the responsibility of that so he’ll be a combination of a mid-forward and forward-mid. He’s a beautiful kick, he’s a goal kicker and he can play inside and outside.
Brayden Fiorini: He’s slotted in really well. To me he’s a natural winger. He sees our system well, he’s incredibly smart, good inside and out and uses the ball well. He will form a really strong part of our midfield group in that wing role. I think he’s going to be a really important piece for us this year.
Sam Flanders: I think this guy is going to take the AFL world a little bit by storm. I looked at him toward the back end of the year once I became interested in the Suns job and I couldn’t believe the talent that this boy has got. His capacity to run, he’s a really good user of the ball, he’s incredibly smart and I think he will reach the potential this club invested in him. He’s only going to get better. For all those people who play SuperCoach out there get this kid in your side, we’re going to feed him as much as we can.
David Swallow: Dave is one of those guys who can play in a multitude of positions. If there’s a spot fire Dave will be the guy. At the moment we’re playing him down back but he’s capable in the midfield and forward as well. Break glass in case of emergency, he’s the guy. So if I need a spark or someone to fill a role he will be the player to do that.
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