Channel 7's Caroline Wilson has taken aim at Melbourne coach Steven King and Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick for their comments about playing home games in the Northern Territory. The Suns played two home games at TIO Stadium last month, beating St Kilda and Port Adelaide to continue their impressive record at the venue. They have now won their past 10 matches in Darwin.
Meanwhile, the Demons hosted their annual clash in the Red Centre at Traeger Park on Sunday, falling to the GWS Giants. Melbourne have now played 12 times in Alice Springs, winning just four times.
Coaches' Comments
Speaking after the match, King said he wanted to play every home game at the MCG. "Personally, selfishly for me as a senior coach, I'd love to play every game at the MCG, that's our home," he said. "But I completely understand the club's position and for our responsibility to grow the game, but also for our club to maximise its opportunities when they present as well. So I'm not sure how long the contract is, that's not part of my role, I'm here to coach the team."
Hardwick had similar comments. "It's a good question. What I do know is we're charged with the responsibility of growing the game in South East Queensland, we've also got a responsibility to grow the game up here," he said last month. "We'd also love to have some more home games in Queensland as well."
Wilson's Criticism
Wilson said the coaches need to get on the same page as the rest of the club and "own" the decisions to sell home games. "When are clubs who sell home games going to learn to own those decisions, notably their front men, particularly when we're talking about elite footy-starved communities like Alice Springs and Darwin," she said on The Agenda Setters. "And especially when the local government is paying you a million dollars a game for the privilege, not to mention the looks of joy those games create on the faces of all those kids who turn up to watch.
"Steven, I know you were just being honest when you talked about wanting to play every home game at the MCG. Ditto Damien Hardwick when you talked about primarily wanting to grow the game on the Gold Coast, and you both said lovely things about those joints. But that was not the time to be making those comments, nor to publicly distance yourself from future deals. What the Northern Territory deserves and needs from both of you is some unconditional love."
The AFL will soon begin negotiations to extend their deal in the NT beyond 2026.
