Stuart Dew responds to claims of falling out with Dean Solomon
Amidst rumours of a rift between the head coach and his 2IC, Suns boss Stuart Dew has revealed the reason why the controversial decision to let Dean Solomon go was made, as a club emerges as the sacked assistant’s next destination.
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Suns senior coach Stuart Dew says his bond with Dean Solomon is strong and the difficult decisions surrounding the redundancies of coaches has been made early to give them the best chance at finding another job.
Gold Coast’s decision to axe 14 staff from the club has been met with criticism, with much of it centred around the fact Solomon, Dew’s second in charge, was among those set to depart.
Suggestions have been made that Dew and Solomon had a relationship break down, with some insinuating the coach felt threatened by his 2IC who had applied for the Fremantle head coaching role.
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But Dew has moved to clear the air, adamant he and Solomon are on good terms and that the decisions made had nothing to do with the characters or capability of those involved.
“We have had to make difficult decisions and it’s purely because of this environment,” Dew said.
“We knew and we have been saying it internally to everyone that footy clubs and departments are not going to look like what they did last year and we have been trying to prepare everyone as best we can to give them as much notice.
“That is part of the reason why doing it five weeks out from the end of the season, so they can look for other opportunities and get a head start on some of these other clubs.
“If it were me I’d just want to know, the earlier the better.”
Dew has spoken to around eight other senior coaches, with many determined not to confirm any changes to their football department until after the season in a bid to not derail their finals campaigns.
Nick Malceski, Ash Prescott, Justin Koschitzke and Andrew Swallow are among the other coaches set to depart the club.
All but one coach had contracts extending beyond 2020 but all the outgoing coaches have individual contracts with variations in their termination clauses, with some having anywhere from one to five months pay and more that can be paid out.
Malceski and Solomon both attended overseas personal development trips last year and it’s understood they are part of Gold Coast’s long term plans before COVID-19 struck.
Dew will also go into bat for any of the coaches let go should they need a reference for another potential job.
Gold Coast could land on a final coaching group of five to six, including himself, for 2021.
Among those left are Josh Francou (midfield), Josh Drummond (defence), Tate Kaeslar (stoppages) and Tim Clarke (development).
CROWS KEEN ON SOLOMON?
Adelaide will consider approaching Dean Solomon for a role at the club next year
The Crows are looking to give Matthew Nicks more coaching support next year after he decided last year to go without a senior assistant coach, as they look to rebuild following the worst season in the club’s history.
As part of this, and the football department budget for next season being cut from $9.7m to $6.2m because of COVID-19, the club is reviewing every department of its football program.
Coaches who are available will come under consideration by the Crows if they can either help Nicks or assist in the development of what will be an extremely inexperienced Adelaide list.
Midfield coach Michael Godden and forwards coach Ben Hart are believed to be out of contract at the end of year, while Martin Mattner and Paul Thomas left West Lakes earlier this year.
Godden said on Tuesday he was expecting to find out his future in the next two weeks.
“If I get the opportunity again … that will be fantastic,” he said on SEN SA.
TOUGH TIMES AT CARRARA
Gold Coast Suns football manager Jon Haines said the last few weeks have been difficult for the club following the termination of more than a dozen key football staff.
“The whole process has been difficult,” Haines said.
“The other thing, the important thing for everyone to recognise, like all clubs, they’re going through this particular phase at the moment and there’s no doubt more clubs will be making similar announcements in the next month or so.
“They’re incredibly difficult decisions and it’s fair to say if it wasn’t for COVID and the reduction in the football soft cap, we wouldn’t be having the conversations we’ve been forced to have over the last couple of weeks.
“We’ve had 14 staff from our football program that we’ve had to advise they won’t have an opportunity next year.
“Each individual conversation has been difficult.
“We want to make sure we support them on the way out.”
FRUSTRATION OVER SOLOMON AXING
Rival clubs have expressed frustration at the Suns’ costly decision to offload Solomon and four fellow assistant coaches.
Payouts for the five will be excluded from the 2020 soft cap under a special AFL termination clause aimed at assisting clubs to push under next year’s $6.3 million football department spending limit.
At least two of the five, Solomon and Malceski, were contracted beyond this year, while some of the assistant coaches retained by the club were out of contract.
“There is a level of accountability that many of the more financial clubs are showing,” a rival club figure said on Tuesday.
“It wouldn’t be a good look if that same accountability wasn’t being applied to some of the clubs that can’t afford it.
“This isn’t an opportunity to create competitive advantage. It’s a desperate need to make the necessary cost cutting to ensure survival.”
Gold Coast said the club had no choice but to let go several key staff as part of football’s savage cost-cutting mission but the move to axe Solomon, a contender for Fremantle’s senior coaching position last year, has been widely condemned during extremely difficult economic times.
And St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt said the emerging Suns’ playing group would be “worse off because of this” after taking great strides forward in 2020.
Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy said it was a terrible decision on the surface.
“It makes absolutely no sense,” Healy said on Fox Footy.
“It puts a dark cloud over one of the best stories of the year.
“This is on the same day the AFL, who are paying the bills for the Suns, are sacking so many people.
“I can’t come up with a rational answer on this one.
“We’ve got a problem with finances, the club’s funded by the AFL, the AFL is sacking people left right and centre in a terrible day for football and we’re throwing money down the drain, no matter which way you’re looking at it.”
Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon said sacking Solomon would cost the Suns an excessive amount of cash.
“What is it about Dean Solomon that they need to pay him the $600,000 to get him out of the club?” Lyon said.
“I know Dean Solomon personally and everyone says he’s a great person, a great football person.
“They’re going to pay good people and good coaches not to coach.”
He is expected to be rehired quickly although clubs face huge challenges staying under the new $6.2 million soft cap.
Other Suns’ staff to be let go include Nick Malceski, Aaron Prescott, Shaun Hart, Justin Koschitzke and Andrew Swallow.
This smells a bit for mine, perhaps a senior coach seeing how good @SollySolomon is and is threatened but will hide behind soft cap decision. No doubt every club will want to talk to him but the call doesn’t seem like a GC best interest call. https://t.co/bWQCVME8uo
— Andy Welsh (@Andrew12Welsh) August 24, 2020
Unbelievable coach. Honest, tough, realiable, honourable and great footy IQ. Will make any club better the minute he walks in the door.
— Campbell brown (@Browndogg_30x) August 24, 2020
The best coach I had during my time at the club. Genuinely cared about his players and he was always there for me on a personal note. Such a great person and the next club will be very lucky to have him. It’s guys like him you want to play for
— luke russell (@Luke_russell_) August 24, 2020
Former Hawthorn premiership star and Gold Coast defender Campbell Brown was one of several players to express their shock and disappointment at the Suns’ big call.
“Unbelievable coach. Honest, tough, reliable, honourable and great footy IQ,” Brown said.
“Will make any club better the minute he walks in the door.”
Former Essendon teammate Andrew Welsh said there must be more behind the decision given Solomon’s standing in the game.
“This smells a bit for mine, perhaps a senior coach (Stuart Dew) seeing how good (he) is and is threatened but will hide behind soft cap decision,” Welsh said.
“No doubt every club will want to talk to him but the call doesn’t seem like a GC best interest call.”
Ex Gold Coast Sun Luke Russell agreed.
“The best coach I had during my time at the club,” Russell said.
“Genuinely cared about his players and he was always there for me on a personal note.
“Such a great person and the next club will be very lucky to have him. It’s guys like him you want to play for.”
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