Why Cornes found Hardwick's call for Suns assistance amusing

Kane Cornes enjoyed Damien Hardwick’s recent comments surrounding the disadvantages Gold Coast has to face on a weekly basis.

The new Suns coach expressed his frustrations in a press conference, outlining the issues.

“I’ve played in Victoria, I’ve played interstate and I’ve coached now up here. We’re up against it. There’s no question about that,” Hardwick said.

“And then we travel every second week so sometimes we’re on a bus to Ballarat for an hour after our flight.

“It is a challenge for the interstate sides. Every advantage we try to get, we are fighting hand over fist with the AFL to gain one. It’s incredibly tough. I’m 10 games in and I’m finding it challenging.

“These sort of things that Melbourne clubs take for granted … we don’t get that advantage.

“All the Academy stuff … well you know what, we do need some advantages because we haven’t had an advantage for a long time at this footy club.”

Cornes found it funny, considering Hardwick’s famous rant as Richmond coach about having to play home games at Marvel Stadium.

“The truth of the matter is you can play Richmond games here (Marvel Stadium), but they don’t come,” Hardwick said in 2021.

“Mate, I hate coming here. I probably shouldn’t say that.

“The MCG has got soul, it’s got Richmond people there. Our people don’t come here. Plain and simple.

“I’d love them to come, but the fact of the matter is I can’t drive them all here.”

Cornes welcomed Hardwick to the joys of being at the helm of a non-Victorian team.

“He’s been very vocal about the disadvantages that Gold Coast faces with competition balance and travel and trips to Perth taking 5.5 hours,” Cornes told SEN Breakfast.

“Didn’t hear a peep from him on that when he was coaching Richmond.

“He was worried about going to Marvel Stadium!

“What he said was accurate, but it’s just taken him a long time to get there and perspective certainly wasn’t there when he was at Richmond.”

The Suns take on Carlton, coincidentally, at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon.