Damien Hardwick’s blunt MRO take over an act of “stupidity” from his own player has been lauded as “powerful”.
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A brutally honest Damien Hardwick believes his Gold Coast forward Ben Long’s act of “stupidity” was “uncalled for” – and “probably should’ve cost him a week” on the sidelines.
It comes as Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley lauded Suns coach Hardwick for his transparency – and bemoaned the financial punishment handed to Long from the Match Review Officer.
Long on Monday night copped two fines from the MRO for acts during the Suns’ win over the Giants on Sunday night: One for striking and one for misconduct against Clayton Oliver.
After giving away a holding free kick, Long and Oliver tangled in the pocket, with Long seeming to connect with a jumper punch before grabbing Oliver’s head on the ground – an act that cost the Suns a 50m penalty – then giving him a slap.
“If I’m being completely honest, you get a week for stupidity, if I’m Ben,” Hardwick told Fox Footy’s AFL 360. “It’s uncalled for, it’s not in the football game.
“It’s a disappointing thing, it cost us a 50 and to be fair it probably should’ve cost him a week, I feel. It’s a non-football act.”
Speaking later on Fox Footy’s on The Couch, Buckley said he “didn’t like the look of this at all”.
“Ben Long is a very physical, aggressive player and he might have thought that Clayton Oliver was staging a little bit, but there was a little bit in that and then there was a bit of taunting and then there was a slap.
“He’s copped two fines for that and players are getting weeks for throwing an elbow or a little punch off-ball.
“That is off-ball and I just can’t understand why that didn’t draw a week.”
Buckley said Hardwick’s honest take on Long was “powerful”.
“You can get away with one, that’s fine, but I think it’s great that your senior coach still calls it out for what it is,“ Buckley said.
“It’s disappointing the AFL didn’t follow through on their own laws.”
Hardwick said he was also pleased that Suns player Sam Clohesy was offered a two-game ban – instead of three – for a dangerous tackle on Giant Ryan Angwin after the MRO graded the incident as high impact, rather than severe. It comes after the AFL made an off-season change, which now means incidents that lead to a concussion don’t automatically lead to a severe grading.
But Hardwick said he was still grappling with the fact that a “football act” like Clohesy’s can received a greater punishment than a non-football act.
“Sam Clohesy didn’t go in with any intent or malice to injure young Angwin – and we hope he’s OK – but when you sit there and think about his intent, his intent is to tackle, not to hurt,” Hardwick said.
“I find it a little bit challenging at stages where Sam has been taught his whole life how to tackle and he gets to two weeks, but you can walk up and punch someone and get a fine. One is a football act and one isn’t.
“I’m happy they’ve used some precedent and got that reduced, but I still look at football acts a little bit differently to non-football acts and feel they should be fine. The game needs its talent playing, we’re an entertainment industry.”
‘TERRIFIC REDEMPTION STORY’: INSIGHT INTO STAR SUNS RECRUITS
Meanwhile, Hardwick said he was proud of how recruits Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan had settled into Suns life.
Petracca since arriving at Gold Coast has returned to his best form, ranking among the top AFL players so far this season.
“He’s been terrific, his ability to play the game has never been questioned,” Hardwick told Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“For us, it’s a new lease of life for him and a different environment that he’s thoroughly enjoying.
“But what we’ve been really captivated with is his off-field connection, the way he’s brought our younger players in group together has been quite significant.
“We’ve been really blessed to bring him into our footy club.”
Ugle-Hagan, who missed the entire 2025 season before being traded from the Western Bulldogs to the Suns, has returned to senior footy in the past two weeks, including a three-goal haul against the Giants on Sunday night.
Hardwick said Ugle-Hagan was “just a terrific redemption story”.
“He’s still got a long way to go – we understand that – but we’re really excited about what he’s brought,” he said.
“I sent him a text (on Monday) about a couple of ‘room for improvements’ because I wasn’t happy with his goal celebration song. I said ‘that’s probably due for a change’, but he said: ‘Look to be fair, it was on repeat a fair bit.’ So he’s got the swagger about him.”
Hardwick said he wasn’t surprised Ugle-Hagan had made an immediate impact upon return.
“It’s a bit like you can pick up that part of your game relatively quickly, but what we’re looking for is that next 20 per cent – and that’s probably the hardest bit, to get back to that AFL fitness … That will come over the next few weeks then we think the second part of the year is where he’ll really hit his straps.
“I think he’s indebted, not only to me but to the Gold Coast Football Club that was prepared to give him an opportunity. That’s what footy clubs are about.
“I think our players and our leadership group have been absolutely outstanding the way they’ve wrapped around him and general level of understanding about who he is and what he wishes to become.”
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