Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans has denied shocking comments from Damien Hardwick, who effectively admitted the club no longer have a chance of playing in this season’s finals.
A frustrated Hardwick said after Saturday’s 79-point defeat to Adelaide that his side’s season was “effectively lost”.
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick. Getty
“From my point of view, we need to chart a path forward and figure out what we want us to look like next year,” the Suns coach said after the match at Adelaide Oval.
“The way we play doesn’t deserve to be done.”
Hardwick’s comments were met with confusion and criticism across the AFL world, given the Suns have just one win outside the group places with six games remaining.
The Suns are 14th in the standings heading into their home game against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon.
The expansion club have lost their last seven games and many of their highest-paid stars, including 2025 Brownlow Medal winner Matt Rowell, are underperforming.
In a statement provided to Nine’s Muddy secretthe Gold Coast CEO gave Hardwick a different story.
“That comment was a reaction to how we felt after performing well below our best and what it takes to compete with the best in competition,” Evans said.
“All our efforts should be aimed at improving results and victories.
“The position in the standings and the chances of reaching the final depend on this.”
Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd believes Evans could speak to Hardwick privately.
“I think Mark Evans behind the scenes would agree with Damien Hardwick that they won’t win the premiership this year. You just don’t win the premiership if you lose seven in a row and sit 14th in the standings,” Lloyd said in an interview. Muddy secret.
Statement from Mark Evans regarding Damien Hardwick’s comments. Nine
“But in the statement he has to make to fans, members and players, he has to argue that there is still a quarter of the season left and that they can still play in the finals.
“The public statement he makes is very different from what he would say to Damien Hardwick privately. You just can’t present it to the public like that. You can’t say that when there are six rounds left and you’re only in one game in the top 10.”
Geelong great Jimmy Barthel was stunned by Hardwick’s remarks.
“They play a lot of teams ranked between the Sith and 12th place (on the way home). We always talk about eight-point games, but if you actually beat those teams, you start to overtake them. That’s why I’m surprised they missed out so early and so far,” Barthel said.
“I’m curious if this public confession was actually a tactic to take the pressure off the team in the hope that they could play a little more freely and easily.
“But it’s very rare to hear of a coach missing out so far from the final.”