Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew has taken aim at recent reports suggesting his days with the Suns are numbered, stating the suggestion was "unfounded" and that the playing group have been left feeling "filthy", while the club's CEO has also spoken out on the matter.
On Monday night, veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson stated Dew was coaching for his future through the final eight rounds of the season and was seen to be likely to be sacked by the club in favour of former Richmond coach Damien Hardwick, who left the Tigers in May.
Dew is contracted until the end of next year, however pressure has mounted on the ex-Hawthorn and Port Adelaide champion following significant defeats in Rounds 14 and 16 to Carlton and Collingwood respectively.
Wilson stated the Suns could cut ties with Dew as early as this month if similar results continued to arise. The Gold Coast coach has since responded to the claims, revealing Suns boss Mark Evans has reassured his tenure in Queensland while calling for "accountability" from Wilson.
"He (Evans) absolutely told me it (the report) was unfounded," Dew told The Herald Sun.
"... There's no accountability. Last year, (Alastair) Clarkson's got my job, then he's got Essendon's job, Carlton's job.
"In the past 18 months she's gone six or seven times about me and not once has she bothered to pick up the phone to me.
"She just doesn't care about the person.
"For me I've been in the industry for a long time but it's your family and you're constantly fielding calls from those people."
During Dew's time with the Suns, the club has seen its cohort of young stars commit to the club, many of whom knocked back external interest, with Noah Anderson (2027), Matt Rowell (2025), Bailey Humphrey (2028), Jack Lukosius (2026) and Ben King (2024) all penned to deals beyond this year.
The buy-in from the playing group has been a resoundingly positive theme for the Suns under Dew, with the embattled coach revealing the recent reports surrounding his future have only agitated a host of players at Carrara.
"The players are filthy. They're like, ‘you're our coach mate, we've signed knowing you're going to be our coach and we're in it'," Dew said.
"They asked me ‘what do you want to do about (the claims)'.
"I said boys don't worry about it.
"... We are building something … everyone's on board. Noah Anderson doesn't sign, Ben King doesn't sign if they can't see success.
"… it's just disappointing, just find some new material."
Evans, alongside Dew, addressed the media on Wednesday afternoon, with the Gold Coast chief executive throwing further support behind his coach.
Evans was questioned as to whether he had made contact with Hardwick or his management, with the CEO stating the has "absolutely not" looked to hold those discussions.
"I've never, ever bought into comments about other people. I've got a coach. This club's got a coach. There would be no reason why we would buy into comments about who's available. It serves no purpose," Evans said.
"Our stuff is about how we perform as a club here to the end of the year, next year, with all of the ambitions that we have."
The Suns have recorded 36 wins in 120 games under the watch of their current coach. They'll head to Adelaide Oval on Saturday to face the Power at 7:10pm local time.
