Gold Coast Suns: Outgoing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan approves of Suns sacking of Stuart Dew

Outgoing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has rejected the assertion that the Gold Coast Suns are a “basket case” in suggesting the sacking of Stuart Dew shows the club has grown up.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 07: Gillon McLachlan, Chief Executive Officer of the AFL is seen during the 2023 AFL Round 17 match between the Western Bulldogs and the Collingwood Magpies at Marvel Stadium on July 7, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has given a rousing endorsement of the Gold Coast’s decision to sack Stuart Dew, saying it proved the club had decided to “grow up”.

And while McLachlan said the league had “zero” influence in calling for Dew’s sacking, he conceded there had been conversations between AFL House and the Suns before the decision was made.

McLachlan also denied the Suns were a “basket case” despite failing to play finals across their short history.

With the Suns likely to appoint Damien Hardwick, McLachlan made clear his approval for the decision to upgrade the senior coach.

“I don’t think they are a basket case. Two weeks ago they sold out the game against Collingwood. They have made a decision that feels like a club that has decided to grow up in my view,” he told 3AW.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan with his successor Andrew Dillon. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“And there is a new chairman (Bob East) who has made a very difficult decision and these things play out publicly and I feel for Stuart Dew and his family. It’s very tough. But this is a decision of a football club that says, ‘We are playing finals, we haven’t played finals with Stuart in six years, and they are making a hard edged football decision that feels like they are growing up, personally.

“It’s the right decision because they want to play finals. There has been speculation about Damien and there will be another person take over with a clear mandate, they feel they have the list and systems to play finals and they need to. They have to.”

Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans will in coming days turn his mind to the suggested next steps for the club in its coaching search, having made clear he was yet to contact Hardwick or his representatives.

But there is little chance of the club running a full and exhaustive process if Hardwick makes clear his interest in the Suns role.

McLachlan conceded that while the Suns were handed up to $20 million in AFL funding a year powerhouses like Collingwood secured half of that figure.

He said the Gold Coast area was critical for the AFL and it believed Queensland would be an AFL state within 5-10 years given the league’s metrics for participation and ratings.

“The growth of football in Queensland has been dramatic. We will have more participants in Queensland than the NRL (this year). It’s the first time we have broken that record. We will have bigger participation at the end of the year than the NRL in Queensland.

“The ratings are comparable to South Australia, we will be the biggest sport in that market in Queensland in five to ten years across most metrics.

“Queensland is pumping and becoming an AFL state. But (Gold Coast) haven’t played finals yet and they need to and the board want them to and that’s why they are making these tough decisions.”