The Gold Coast Suns have confirmed the immediate sacking of coach Stuart Dew.
Players and staff were informed of the decision on Tuesday morning before the club confirmed the news in a statement.
Chairman Bob East said the board met last night, where it was determined Dew would not continue in the role.
“We feel we have a great opportunity to achieve success with this group but haven’t seen the improvement we were after in 2023 and as a football club we must be prepared to make tough decisions, in that pursuit of success,” East said.
“Stuart has made a significant contribution to this football club, dedicating countless hours towards helping establish a platform from which our club can grow, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank him, his wife Sarah and family for the last six years.”
Senior Assistant Coach Steven King will serve as interim coach for the reminder of the season.
Dew’s coaching future has been a hot topic in recent weeks, following a number of losses that have seen the side slip to 13th on the AFL ladder, including back to back thrashings at the hands of flag favourites Collingwood and Port Adelaide.
It also comes just a week after Suns’ CEO Mark Evans presented a united front with Dew, emphatically denying claims he was about to be sacked and replaced with former premiership-winning Richmond coach Damien Hardwick.
Dew was contracted until the end of the 2024 season but there are reports he has clauses in his contract which might allow the club to pay out only six months of his salary, potentially as low as $300,000.
The club will be fronting the media at 11.30am.
