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- Announced head coach was to ‘depart in 2025’
- Bold club marketing ploy, wasn’t football related
- Fans voiced their displeasure on social media
Gold Coast Suns footy fans were bemused on Friday after the club published a media release announcing head coach Damien ‘Dimma’ Hardwick was set to ‘depart in 2025.’
But the update – which also featured on the club’s social media platforms – wasn’t footy related – it was part of a new sponsorship arrangement with My Cruises.
Many supporters failed to see the funny side of the stunt.
‘Unreal clickbait,’ posted one in response on X.
‘Suns just casually giving their fans a mini heart attack,’ a second said on Instagram.
In the club ‘announcement’, Hardwick can be seen heading towards the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship, suitcase in hand.
The three-time premiership winning coach at Richmond then soaks in numerous features the cruise offers its passengers, before the mentor is handed a cocktail by a staff member.
Hardwick then checks out the on-board gym before laying out some cones ahead of a mock training session.
Gold Coast Suns fans were bemused on Friday after the club published a media release announcing head coach Damien Hardwick (pictured) was set to ‘depart in 2025’
But the update – which also featured on the club’s social media platforms – wasn’t footy related, it was part of a new sponsorship arrangement with My Cruises (pictured)
In the club ‘announcement’, Hardwick can be seen heading towards the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship, suitcase in hand (pictured)
Hardwick then checks out the numerous features of the cruise ship before laying out some cones ahead of a mock training session (pictured)
After entering the AFL competition in 2011, the Suns are yet to play finals football.
Previous coaches Guy McKenna, Rodney Eade and Stuart Dew all fell short in their September aspirations – with Hardwick now tasked with creating history.
Meanwhile, Hardwick confirmed his playing group have been motivated by the resilience from Gold Coast residents during the recent Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
‘We will be using that as a bit of inspiration for the boys, the fact that so many people are doing it tough at the moment,’ Hardwick said.
‘These sorts of events, of a catastrophic nature….they bring people together to work to a common cause.
‘Hopefully, as a footy club, we can get a win for those people.’
After tackling the West Coast Eagles in Perth on Sunday, Melbourne, Adelaide and North Melbourne await following a second-round bye.
