Suns boss in cry for help
THE embattled Gold Coast Suns will apply for emergency assistance in a submission to the AFL commission next month.
Suns chairman Tony Cochrane yesterday confirmed the club would be seeking help to retain star players and strengthen its ailing list with priority draft picks.
If they were awarded a priority pick by the commission, one scenario could see the Suns pocket the first two picks if they finish last.
The Queensland expansion club was smashed by 92 points by Richmond at Metricon Stadium on Saturday — their 11th-straight loss under second-year coach Stuart Dew.
“Nobody could genuinely sit there at the moment and say, ‘They don’t need any assistance, they’re all good’,” Cochrane told News Corp.
“We have been down on the bottom pretty much our whole existence. So if ever there was a case — and there have been others who have been helped in the past — we are an absolute rock steady, walk up, head start.
“We’re travelling along reasonably well financially … so I’m not aware of financial assistance that we will be asking for. We are asking for assistance with the playing roster.”
AFL commission chairman Richard Goyder last month revealed the league was considering special rules to force high-end draft picks to stay at the Suns and Brisbane Lions for longer than the mandatory two seasons.
The $200-million Suns were handed special access to state league players ahead of last year’s national draft as well as additional funding for their development academy.
Cochrane said a detailed assistance submission would be finalised at this month’s board meeting.
“We hope to present it to our July board meeting and then get it in to the commission shortly thereafter,” he said. The Suns boss said the mistakes of the past in setting up the league’s 17th club were now “irrelevant”.
“The only thing you get from looking back is a sore neck,” he said.
“What we have to focus on is what we can do this year, next year and the year after to make sure we are a valuable contributor to the AFL family.
“I couldn’t care who did what, how they did it and what they screwed up. To me that is absolute water under the bridge.”
Asked what would happen to the Suns if the AFL rejected its request for help, Cochrane said: “I am a very, very, very, very difficult man to say no to. In fact the word no doesn’t exist in my vocabulary.”
Cochrane said one of the biggest issues facing the Suns’ list had been keeping players.
“Certainly we are going to be having discussions in the near future with the AFL,” Cochrane said. “One of the real issues for us has been the retention factor. Whether you like it or not, Melbourne is a pretty big drawcard.
“By way of example, Richmond are going to play the next seven weeks at the same ground as the home ground of all the big finals.
“There’s a lot draw-carding back to Melbourne and Adelaide and places like that and we’ve got to have some countermeasures in place.
“The Melbourne clubs have to recognise — if they want it to be truly a national game — that there has to be some assistance given to some of the issues that we deal with.
“I know what I am going to speak to the AFL and the commission about from our point of view.”
Cochrane declined to discuss the specifics of the club’s submission.
“We have to find ways around helping our retention. I think everything is on the board.”
On those questioning the future of the $200 million expansion club, Cochrane said: “We don’t say anything to doubting Thomas’, mate, because the world is full of people who can’t achieve and just want to criticise.”
“I AM A VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT MAN TO SAY NO TO. IN FACT THE WORD NO DOESN’T EXIST IN MY VOCABULARY.” SUNS CHAIRMAN TONY COCHRANE