Gold Coast Suns sack AFL coach Stuart Dew amid Damien Hardwick rumours

The Gold Coast Suns have sacked under-fire coach Stuart Dew after a disappointing run of form left them languishing far down the ladder.

An official announcement is expected at 11.30am on Tuesday.

The 43-year-old started as coach in 2018 and compiled 36 wins, 84 losses and a draw from 121 matches in charge.

His contract was due to expire at the end of the 2024 season and it has been widely rumoured that former Richmond coach Damien Hardwick could be in line to take over at the struggling club.

After a 2022 season that gave fans hope the club had turned the corner and were on track to play finals footy, the Suns have gone backwards this season – and Dew (pictured after the loss to Port Adelaide last Saturday) has paid the price

The 43-year-old (pictured after the Port defeat) started as Suns coach in 2018 and compiled 31 wins, 79 losses and a draw from 111 matches in charge

The move means Gold Coast are almost certainly preparing to make a play for the three-time Richmond premiership coach.

‘We feel we have a great opportunity to achieve success with this group but haven’t seen the improvement we were after in 2023 and as a football club we must be prepared to make tough decisions, in that pursuit of success,’ Suns chairman Bob East said in a statement.

‘Stuart has made a significant contribution to this football club, dedicating countless hours towards helping establish a platform from which our club can grow, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank him, his wife Sarah and family for the last six years.’

Dew’s axing comes just six days after Suns chief executive Mark Evans stepped in to stand alongside Dew at his weekly press conference.

Three-time flag-winning Tigers coach Damien Hardwick (pictured) has been widely rumoured to be the Gold Coast’s preferred option to take over

Suns chairman Bob East (pictured on Tuesday) said the Suns ditched Dew as they made ‘tough decisions’ in the ‘pursuit of success’ 

Evans offered a qualified defence of the under-fire coach following Gold Coast’s horror 78-point loss in a sold-out home game against Collingwood on July 1.

He also denied any approach had been made to Hardwick following the former Tigers coach’s exit from Punt Road in May.

‘I’ve said time and time again, Stuey’s our coach, contracted for this year and next year. If he does a good job, he’ll be contracted well into the future,’ Evans said.

‘All I can say is that he’s got my support to get on with the job, manage our players and staff as well as we can.’

Dew, who took charge of Gold Coast in 2018, led the Suns to a club-best, 10-win season in 2022 and things looked promising when they entered the bye at 6-6.

But heavy losses to Carlton and the Magpies, split by a win over Hawthorn, halted any momentum they had following memorable victories over Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs in Darwin.

Dew was appointed Gold Coast’s third full-time coach following Guy McKenna and Rodney Eade’s stints with the club, which entered the AFL in 2011.

Dew led the Suns to their best ever record in 2022, leading them to 10 wins and raising hopes that 2023 would be a breakthrough year for the team

Suns assistant Steven King is expected to fill in as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Hardwick departed the Tigers in May after 14 years at the helm and has spent time travelling.

However, the 50-year-old confirmed last month he was determined to return to coaching following a break.

‘I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t see myself doing it,’ Hardwick told the Dyl and Friends podcast.

‘I love it. I miss it. I’ve been out for two weeks and I wanted to miss it, if that made sense.’