AFL legend and former Gold Coast board member Malcolm Blight has launched a passionate defence of the club as it comes under heavy fire over its sacking of coach Stuart Dew.
Dew was given his marching orders on Tuesday with the Suns — who have never played finals in their 12-season history — sitting 13th on the ladder on seven wins and nine losses.
AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson said it was “no way to treat a person”, while the long run of poor results has raised questions over the success of expansion into the Gold Coast altogether.
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Speaking on SEN’s Sportsday SA, Blight wasn’t having any of it, pointing to the long dry spells several other clubs had before being successful.
“This is how tough it is. Everyone out there saying the Gold Coast Suns are no good and they’re rubbish and shouldn’t be in the competition – that’s crap,” Blight said.
He said that the introduction of the Suns along with GWS provided a massive injection of TV money into the sport, which he says is proof that the club isn’t “a cost”.
“So when people talk about them being a cost – Port Adelaide was a cost 10 years ago, Collingwood were a cost 30 years ago, everyone is going to take their turn,” he said.
“They’ve been in the competition 12 (completed) years. The great Geelong didn’t win (a premiership) until last year for 11 years. Melbourne, 57 years it took to win another one. Richmond, 37 years. West Coast Eagles even took 24 years to win their next one. Western Bulldogs, 62 years.
“Fremantle haven’t won one yet, 28 years. Sydney, 72 years they took to win another flag. Collingwood, the great Collingwood, the most talked about club in the world, 32 years they took to win a flag from 1958 to 1990. And St Kilda, dare I say it, are now running at 57 years.
“So 12 years is not a long time in this game.”
Robbo explodes over Suns handling of Dew | 01:23
Blight also voiced his anger over those who compare the Suns to GWS for the fact that both are AFL expansion clubs.
GWS has enjoyed far more success in the AFL, having played finals in five seasons including a Grand Final appearance.
Blight said it’s not a fair comparison.
“They (the Giants) got a decent area. The Gold Coast Suns got ATCO huts with the best player in the competition (Gary Ablett Jnr),” Blight added. “They also got an extra year in the draft. I wish people would understand this. They also got $2 million more.
“I’m really dirty, absolutely dirty, when people say ‘Let’s compare GWS and Gold Coast Suns’. They should not be compared. GWS got much more.
“They (the Suns) were training in toilets, they were training in rubbish.”