There are plenty of talking points after Round 18 of the AFL season, including whether Damien Hardwick was out of line in declaring the struggling Suns should switch their focus to season 2027.
Let's get to this week's overreactions column, where we judge the biggest takeaways as legitimate or irrational.
Damien Hardwick is right in saying the Suns should give up on 2026
After Gold Coast's humiliating 79-point loss to Adelaide on Saturday night, Damien Hardwick made a rather bizarre admission at his postgame press conference. The three-time premiership-winning coach didn't mince his words when declaring his side's season was all but over and that the club's focus should soon shift to 2027.
"The way we're playing, we don't deserve to make it," Hardwick told reporters. "End of the day, we've got six weeks, this year is effectively gone, what we've got to do is forge our way forward about what we want ourselves to look like for next year, from my point of view."
Verdict: Overreaction
Last week I wrote that Gold Coast had easily been the most disappointing team of the season. I stand by it. From flag favourites after three weeks to seven consecutive losses and now sitting 14th on the ladder, there's no denying it's been a diabolical season for this club. But why on earth would you want to throw in the towel this early?
We've still got six games remaining, which is a quarter of the home-and-away season. There are a possible 24 premiership points up for grabs (the Suns have 28 as of Round 18) and they're only sitting outside the top 10 (yes, don't forget there's two additional finals spots this year!) by one win and some percentage. As woeful as this campaign has been, it's hardly one that's mathematically finished.
If I'm Suns CEO Mark Evans, I'm livid with these remarks. Hardwick was brought in on mammoth money to instill a winning culture and mentality, and transform this club into a legitimate premiership contender. These strange comments simply reek of a totally defeatist mindset, a losing attitude that ultimately trickles down to the playing group. And don't forget, this playing group is the very same one Hardwick famously declared was 80% of the way towards a flag when he joined the club three years ago.
Instead of giving up on the year, how about trying to right the ship over the next six weeks? Maybe win a game away from home for a change. Heck, win a game ... period! Find a way for Christian Petracca, Noah Anderson, and Matt Rowell to co-exist. Get some discipline into your playing group. Rediscover the spark and hunger you had shown in the early rounds. There's plenty a highly-credentialed coach should be focused on fixing in the next month and change.
-- Jake Michaels
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