Damien Hardwick ripped for ‘pathetic attitude’ after Suns loss
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Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick‘s defeatist attitude after the Suns’ thumping loss to Adelaide has been called “pathetic” by the Footy Show panel.
As the Suns fell to a 19.14 (128) to 7.7 (49) loss to the Crows, Hardwick was furious and his press conference comments sparked plenty of discussion.
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick. Getty Images
Hardwick slammed the fans in the arena for their behaviour and effectively wrote off his team’s ability to make the finals.
But the AFL Footy Show panel swiftly condemned his attitude, saying there is a mathematical chance that the Suns could make the AFL finals.
The Suns are currently only one game out of the top eight with several winnable matches remaining in their 2026 season.
“The defeatist nature of this season has even got to the coach Damien Hardwick,” said journalist Damian Barrett.
“Extraordinarily, with six matches remaining, he’s effectively just put a line (through) this season.
“I think that’s a pathetic attitude for him to shut the season down.”
Tony Jones hit back at the idea of the Suns being out of the equation, saying “they’re a game out”.
Nathan Brown agreed on the panel, asking if Hardwick’s “lack of discipline” contributed to player Mac Andrew having an altercation with the umpires on the field in a moment of frustration.
“It is a strange thing to say because there’s still a chance to make it, they have a couple of winnable games coming up,” explained Brown.
“But I look at Dimma and I saw Mac Andrew remonstrate with the umpire last night and it was a double goal and I just think, does Damien Hardwick go, ‘You know what? Does that come from me? Do my players have a lack of discipline?’.
“He can disapprove of umpires on occasions around the interpretations. He can be... he does question the AFL a lot. Does that filter down to players like Mac Andrew?
Suns coach Damien Hardwick talks to his players. AFL Photos via Getty Images
“Does Damien Hardwick sit there...and go, ‘Is that some of my doing, what Mac Andrew did last night?’. Does he need to lead a little bit better in maybe his press conferences? That’s what I’d say moving forward.”
Ex-Adelaide captain Rory Sloane offered a player’s perspective to Hardwick’s comments, warning that a coach publicly giving up on the season may lose him the room.
“I still think they’re a chance to play finals, but he doesn’t... the way he was talking last night… even hearing that as a player, that wouldn’t do a lot for your belief in your system at the moment,” said Sloane.
“And they’re not performing the way they want to; defensively, they’re way off. But that doesn’t do anything.”
Matthew Lloyd disagreed, saying Hardwick was attributing his thoughts to a “realist attitude” for a coach of a struggling outfit.
“Ten weeks ago is a long time. I know you’re saying it’s just the honest coach sitting there,” said Lloyd.
The Suns are set to host the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
