Time For ‘little Brother To Step Up’: Gold Coast Coach Damien Hardwick Eyes Wounded Brisbane

Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick has declared his nine will nary longer beryllium stomped connected aliases forgotten aft beating Fremantle successful melodramatic manner to group up a blockbuster Q-Clash semi-final.

The Suns blew a 26-point lead against nan Dockers connected Saturday nighttime but managed to regain their composure successful nan dying minutes to seal a celebrated one-point elimination last triumph astatine Optus Stadium.

Suns defender Mac Andrew drifted guardant to footwear nan game-tying extremity pinch conscionable 72 seconds remaining.

Then nan retiring David Swallow kicked nan match-winning down from a 50m group changeable pinch conscionable 9 seconds near connected nan timepiece aft being tackled without nan ball.

“To beryllium honest, I didn’t deliberation I had nan legs successful me. But I managed to get there,” an elated Swallow told Fox Footy aft his footwear sealed nan 11.14 (80) to 12.7 (79) win.

Gold Coast person been a laughing stock for overmuch of their 15-year history. Not anymore, pinch Hardwick turning nan Suns into a formidable, battle-hardened portion tin of beating nan competition’s elite sides.

• During finals motion up for our free play AFL newsletter

“It was rather a typical triumph – I’ve ne'er won an elimination last actually. That’s 1 of nan things I ticked disconnected my small list,” said Hardwick, who led Richmond to 3 flags.

“They [Gold Coast’s players] person changed nan communicative of this playing group, which is truthful important.

“At nan extremity of nan day, we’ve been a nine that’s been – I don’t want to opportunity bullied – but stomped on, forgotten, and each of a abrupt nan communicative has changed. We’re very proud of what they’ve done frankincense far.”

Gold Coast’s adjacent situation is taking connected a banged-up Brisbane outfit who are licking their wounds pursuing Friday night’s 38-point qualifying last nonaccomplishment to Geelong.

Star Lions midfielder Lachie Neale pinged his calf precocious successful that crippled and has been ruled retired for nan remainder of nan season, and guardant Eric Hipwood (knee) besides won’t characteristic again successful 2025.

Gold Coast thumped Brisbane by 66 points six weeks ago, but that was connected location comforts astatine People First Stadium.

Saturday night’s semi-final will beryllium played astatine nan Gabba – a venue wherever Gold Coast person mislaid 10 consecutive games, including losses to Collingwood, Richmond and Melbourne during nan COVID-affected seasons.

“At immoderate stage, small relative has sewage to measurement up and return them connected on their location deck,” Hardwick said.

“So we look guardant to that challenge. We’ve managed to sound a fewer things complete this twelvemonth that we haven’t achieved frankincense acold – a triumph present [in Perth] is 1 of those, and a triumph astatine nan Gabba would beryllium incredibly nice.

“But what we do know, Brisbane are a very proud side, truthful good coached, good drilled.”

Brisbane lead nan wide Q-Clash head-to-head grounds 21-8, but nan stakes person ne'er been this high.

Hardwick is urging his squad to clasp nan challenge, and he wants Suns fans to flood to nan Gabba.

“I deliberation it’d beryllium nan biggest crippled successful nan history of south-east Queensland, I would imagine, truthful scalpers will beryllium going crazy pinch summons income and each that benignant of stuff,” Hardwick said.

“Hopefully we tin get arsenic galore Suns group location arsenic we can. I deliberation this group has only started our travel really. It’s been 15 years of difficult work, and we’ve managed to make nan finals, first and foremost.

“But to person our first triumph successful a last is incredibly rewarding. Now we get nan awesome situation of trying to hit Brisbane connected their location patch.”