David King is tipping the Gold Coast Suns to improve enough in 2022 to keep Stuart Dew his job, going in to bat for the embattled coach.
The Suns have never made finals in their short history in the AFL, and the club has missed the bottom four just once in four years under Dew, finishing 14th in 2020.
Next year shapes as a crucial one for the 42-year-old's future, with former Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson waiting in the wings and seen as an ideal coach for the Suns in the future.
However, King believes Clarkson won’t be required at the club.
Leon Cameron has been criticised in the past for failing to get the most out of the GWS list, and King says that level of unjustified criticism has now been put on Dew.
“I’m a fan of Stuart Dew, I like what he does,” King told SEN Drive.
“I think they will improve quickly, I actually thought they were going to charge for the eight this year.
“Not a lot has to go wrong with these young lists (for a season to become derailed).
“I think he’s the new Leon Cameron. Everyone was quick to pot Leon Cameron when the team was underperforming, I think that baton has now been passed to Stuart Dew.”
With the club likely to be under more scrutiny than ever in 2022, King thinks Dew needs to get the Suns to at least 10 wins to keep his job safe.
“I think he’d have to win 10 games, which is going to have you around that 10-12 zone (on the ladder),” he said.
“He knows the importance of the first six weeks, when the draw comes out, that will be the most looked at first six weeks.
“They’ve been 40 games less experienced on average than their combatants week in week out for two years, so you think that’d correct a little bit this year.”
The club enjoyed a successful AFL Trade Period by bringing in former Tiger Mabior Chol and strengthening their 2022 draft hand.