Malcolm Blight has staunchly defended Gold Coast after the latest setback suffered by the Suns.
The Suns sacked senior coach Stuart Dew on Tuesday in another body blow to the competition’s second youngest club.
Now in their 13th season in the AFL, the Suns have not made any major headway in their pursuit of finals football which ultimately brought about the demise of Dew.
There has been constant chatter surrounding the Suns and their viability with many believing it is a waste of the AFL’s time, money and resources to continue to run the club.
However, former board member Blight has launched at those who denigrate the Suns, providing some numbers relating to TV rights money while reeling off all the established clubs who experienced lengthy spells without success.
“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 on SEN’s Sportsday SA.
“When it all started with the two new teams - Gold Coast and GWS - the rights for TV went up by $250 million. Getting that extra game gave the game a lot more money.
“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.
“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.”
Blight was also critical of those who constantly compare the Suns to the GWS Giants who came into the competition a year later (in 2012), but have already played finals in five seasons as well as one Grand Final.
He believes the Giants were given a few more leg-ups than the Suns were, specifically relating to facilities.
“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.
“I said to the people in charge at the AFL that they shouldn’t have put team on top of team, that’s the two young clubs. And look at what we’ve got here.
“Gold Coast were dealt an ordinary blow.”
Asked if there should be a team on the Gold Coast, Blight replied: “Yes, there should. No doubt at all.”
The Suns will now move ahead with Steven King as interim coach in place of Dew.
The talent-laden list currently sits 13th on the ladder with a 7-9 win-loss record ahead of this weekend’s meeting with St Kilda at Heritage Bank Stadium.
Three-time Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick is the person being most heavily linked with the Gold Coast vacancy.
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