Gold Coast Suns chairman Tony Cochrane has stepped down from his role at the club after nine years.
The outspoken Cochrane announced his plan to step back from his position at the Suns earlier last month, with the decision becoming official after the side's Round 1 loss to the Swans.
During an interview with SEN SA's Sportsday, Cochrane’s first act after leaving the Suns has been to back coach Stuart Dew.
“I was president when we appointed him and I was president when we renewed his contract for a further two years towards the end of last season. I’m a terrific believer in Stuart Dew and he has got a real determination about himself,” Cochrane told SEN SA's Sportsday.
“You know he’s a very well organised individual, we’ve put some very good people around him Wayne Campbell is exceptional Craig Cameron is exceptional.”
Cochrane called for Dew’s critics to give the sixth-year coach some time to find success, as the former chairman compared a coach’s development to that of a player.
“It’s a tough gig senior coach and you know we’re quite funny how we analyse these things because when it comes to a player we say ‘oh you know it takes him 80 games before he really becomes useful and then 100 is around where he’s really becoming useful’. But we don’t give a young coach that same opportunity,” he said.
“I think you’ll now find Stuart’s coming up on his 100th game as coach, for me he’s in the go-zone now.”
After signing a two-year contract extension halfway through 2022, Cochrane did concede that the next 24 months would define Dew’s career given the talent the Suns side possess’.
“There’s no excuses anymore,” Cochrane said.
“He’s got two years with that talented list and I sincerely hope in that in two years he’s well into playing finals.”
This year the Gold Coast Suns are hoping to make finals for the first time in their 13-year history.