Damien Hardwick says his Gold Coast Suns are “on the verge of greatness”, while Dean Cox explained his “world changed pretty quickly” upon learning of the opportunity to become the club’s next senior coach.
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Fox Footy’s flagship program AFL 360 returned in revamped style on Monday night, with five-time All-Australian Garry Lyon making his co-host debut next to Gerard Whateley.
Recap the biggest talking points from the first show of the season!
DIMMA: SUNS ‘ON VERGE OF GREATNESS’
In 14 AFL seasons, Gold Coast has yet to qualify for a finals campaign, having never finished a season higher than 12th on the ladder.
After an 11-win debut campaign in 2024 — the club’s best-ever winning return — second-year Suns coach Hardwick believes his club is teetering on a massive breakthrough.
“I think we’ve got a really capable group that’s on the verge of greatness, in my opinion,” the three-time flag-winning mentor told Fox Footy.
“I’ve learned from a great variety of leaders and aspirational leadership is a place to be, so, look, I’ll always challenge this group to be the very best version of themselves, and I think they’re capable of doing some wonderful things.
“We’ve got a group that I think, as a core, has been together for a long period of time and (is) about ready to take that next step. I’ll always firmly say that making the finals is the benchmark, and whatever comes from that will be.
“People will always try and tear you down, but if you’re not in it to make finals, why are you playing? That’s our reality, and that’s where we’re at, and that’s our understanding.
“We’ve got to make sure we deliver on that … We speak about being ‘fearless’ in 2025, it’s time to show it.”
The Suns are scheduled to open their season against Essendon at People First Stadium on Saturday, but they will be without David Swallow and Sam Flanders due to injury, and possibly also Mac Andrew and Lachie Weller, who are “in doubt”.
MOMENT COX’S ‘WORLD CHANGED PRETTY QUICKLY’
First-year Swans coach Dean Cox says he had no idea his time was coming following the club’s demoralising grand final loss to Brisbane last September.
However, things ‘quickly changed’ after being called into the club to sit down with the CEO and then-coach John Longmire.
“No, not at all (did I think my time was coming),” Cox said on AFL 360 on Monday night.
“I think all the plans were, when the season finished, was for John to have a little bit of time away and come back in January.
“I was going to run the program through up until then, and I suppose that was the dialogue all the way through until I got a text from (chief executive) Tom Harley.
“(We) spoke on the phone with him about coming back into the footy club and John was in (there) and it changed from there. We sat at the table … and (he) said ‘you’re coaching them from now, do you still want to do it?’ So, yeah, my world changed pretty quickly.”
‘Looking dire’: Season opener in doubt? | 02:57
INJURY PAIN FOR DOGS, SAINTS
The calf injury suffered by Marcus Bontempelli adds to a horror list of off-season injuries for the Western Bulldogs, but Lyon says there still won’t be any excuses for senior coach Luke Beveridge as he enters a contract year.
Bontempelli is expected to miss six weeks with a ‘complex’ calf injury, adding to an extensive Dogs injury list.
Liam Jones is hamstrung and faces an eight-to-10-week timeline, Adam Treloar is also sidelined with a calf injury and not expected back for another eight-to-10 weeks, while electric forward Cody Weightman (knee, 12 weeks) and Jason Johannisen (hamstring, eight-to-12 weeks) are also out of action.
Whateley said: “That’s a parlous state to enter a season in.”
Lyon responded: “It is, and it will be of no solace to Luke Beveridge, (and) there’ll be no excuse for Beveridge trotted out on the back of ‘but you didn’t have access to the best players on your list’.
“That excuse is trotted out for Adem Yze and first-year coaches … Luke’s into his (11th season), so he will have to deal with that.
“My experience on this stuff might be different to what you might think. Coaches and players and those within the club move very quickly … the coaching group and the playing group have to move past it (Bontempelli’s injury).
“He’s not going to be involved for six weeks, (and) as brutal as it sounds, he’ll get pushed aside … the mind clicks over really quickly.”
Whateley: “I reckon it moves it (the narrative) from ‘they needed a good start’ to ‘can they just stay viable?’ … It might appeal to Beveridge’s coach’s mind, a challenge like this.”
St Kilda has faced similar injury struggles this pre-season, coming off a 44-point Community Series loss to Port Adelaide at the weekend.
Whateley: “Ross Lyon’s going to have to coach their ears off … He’s going to have to do a lot of work week-to-week to have this team be competitive.
“I came away from this (game) with the question: Do they risk the spiralling to the doom loop? Because everyone’s coming for (them) … (the idea) they’re just not in this season before they start.”
Lyon: “It certainly wouldn’t have been the mentality coming in. Goalless quarter, one goal in a half (against the Power), Mitch Owens off (with a) shoulder (injury), Cooper Sharman does the thumb, adding to an injury list … no (Jack) Sinclair, no (Mattaes) Phillipou, no (Rowan) Marshall (currently), no (Liam) Henry.
“It won’t be an excuse for Ross either, but it makes life really difficult for them.”
St Kilda plays Adelaide in Adelaide, Geelong and Richmond at Marvel Stadium, and Port Adelaide in Adelaide to begin the season.
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