Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick says the umpires “got caught up in the emotion” of Ken Hinkley and Travis Boak’s farewell in a sizeable whack after the Suns’ four-point loss to Port Adelaide on Friday night.
Hardwick’s brigade lost the free kick count 33-16 in a hostile Adelaide Oval environment, and the agonising defeat means Gold Coast must win its final regular-season hitout against Essendon next Wednesday to stamp its maiden September ticket.
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Asked how Hardwick planned to get his side back off the canvas to play in a season-deciding fixture in five days’ time, the three-time premiership mentor was categorical in response.
“You’re playing for a finals campaign. If you need me to sit there and give you a motivational speech to want to play your first finals campaign in our organisation’s history, then you’re playing the wrong game.
“Our players have got to pick themselves up, they’ve got to lead from the front, they’re going to take charge, I’m going to hand it over to them, and we’re going to see what this group’s made of.
“Because they are made of something special — tonight they didn’t show it, but I think they’re capable of doing some really good things.”
Hardwick initially admitted the Suns “gave away too many” free kicks, but later in his press conference suggested the occasion got the better of the team in green after he was asked if the free kick count was a fair reflection of the contest.
“I thought the umpires got caught up in the emotion of the game. Can happen,” he said.
“Asking the wrong bloke the wrong question. Maybe ask the umpiring department.”
Brisbane Lions legend Jonathan Brown concurred after the press conference aired on Fox Footy: “The umpires had an ordinary night.”
But ultimately, the Suns have only themselves to blame after allowing the Power six second-half goals to their three in a low-scoring affair — and their finals candidacy is all of a sudden back in question.
“They were too fumbly, they wilted under the pressure, they made too many fumbling errors, I thought, and handball errors especially,” Brown said later on Fox Footy.
“You can tell the clear disappointment there, he knows they’ve missed an opportunity, a golden opportunity to be heading towards top-four. Now, they’re fighting to finish in the top eight for the first time.”
Geelong champion Cameron Mooney added: “Yeah, I think we saw tonight, maybe they’re just not that grown adult that we that they are, and maybe that even Dimma thinks that they are. We saw tonight where the pressure was on, they wilted.”
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