Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick has taken some of his frustrations from the Suns’ first loss of the season out on Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, accusing her of ‘put[ting] her nose in someone else’s business’ over her comments on Richmond’s Noah Balta’s availability for selection as he awaits sentencing for assault.
Hardwick’s Suns had their unbeaten start to 2025 halted by his former side the Tigers, who surged to a 43-point three quarter time lead before holding on to win by 11 points.
Wooden spoon favourites heading into the season with doubts over whether they would win a game following a major player list cull over the summer, the Tigers have claimed two unexpected victories in the first six rounds, having taken down Carlton in a massive upset in Round 1.
Ironically, the win over the Suns was Richmond’s first at Marvel Stadium since Hardwick infamously remarked he ‘hate[s] coming’ to the venue following a match there in 2021 while Tigers coach.
Speaking after the loss, Hardwick lamented his team’s ill discipline, particularly early in the match, with gun defender Mac Andrew gifting the Tigers an early goal after slinging Seth Campbell to the ground immediately following a major.
There were also a series of spotfires throughout the match, many centring on the tussle between Tigers spearhead Tom Lynch and Gold Coast backman Sam Collins.
Hardwick described the Suns’ attitude as ‘poor’, and admitted the team ‘took a step back tonight’.
“It’s incredibly frustrating. It’s frustrating because you know the answers, if that makes sense – we just couldn’t get the job done,” he said.
“Credit where credit’s due, I thought they [Richmond] were outstanding. They played really, really well, good intensity, good vibrancy and got the job done.
“We came home hard late, but left our run too late.”
“The reality is, it’s not how hard you hit, it’s how firm you hold the line – it’s part of the game, but they’re going too far.
“We gave away a cheap goal that was probably the difference in the game… guys are going to get frustrated, but you can’t step over the line.
“We expect better, and we demand better.”
However, Hardwick stopped short of blaming Andrew for the defeat, acknowledging that he ‘went over’ the mark.
“I’ll speak to Mac, but I’d much rather pull him back than have to wind him up – that’s the nature of the beast,” he said.
“He’s going to overstep the mark. 80 per cent of the time, he’s going to be really good; 20 per cent of the time, he’s going to go over. Today he went over, That’s the reality.”
Hardwick had far harsher words for Premier Allan, who has been a vocal critic of the Tigers’ controversial decision to recall premiership defender Noah Balta to the AFL team to face the Suns.
Balta will be sentenced in coming days in NSW court for a summer assault which he has pled guilty to, with both the club and the AFL deciding not to extend the club-imposed four-match suspension placed on him at the time of the incident.
“I understand that this individual [Balta] is still awaiting sentencing,” Ms Allan said.
“It’s up to Richmond Football Club to explain why they’ve made this football decision as parents around the country are going to sit down with their kids and watch the footy this weekend and try and explain to their kids why this behaviour is wrong and dangerous.”
In response, Hardwick hit back hard.
“End of the day, [we’ve] got a premier that put her nose in someone else’s business,” he said.
“She should just concentrate on getting the state running well. Absolute mockery of her making comments with regard to that.”
Hardwick, who coached Balta from 2019 until his departure from the Tigers in 2023, had no issues with his former charge being green-lit to play.
“At the end of the day, he’s pled guilty. He understands that. He’s going to cop his fair whack,” Hardwick said.
“Speaking to him, [we’re] disappointed in his actions. Support the individual, and he’ll get better as a result of it.”
Balta was excellent in his first AFL match of the season, gathering 14 disposals while helping to keep Suns spearhead Ben King to just one goal and four touches.
