Greg Swann Calls Damien Hardwick After Umpire Comments

Damien Hardwick is on notice after the AFL moved over his Friday night comments on umpiring decisions. Greg Swann called the Gold Coast coach personally on Monday morning after the post-match criticism, and Hardwick has not been fined or expected to face further punishment.

Hardwick And Swann

Hardwick had compared GMHBA Stadium to the Roman Colosseum after Gold Coast's 45-point loss to Geelong, saying umpires seemed to wait for a crowd reaction before making decisions on several incidents. When asked if he was frustrated, he replied: "What do you reckon?"

Swann's call put a direct line between the league office and one of its coaches after a night that left the Suns with more than just a defeat to absorb. Gold Coast lost the free kick count 20-24, and the club's third consecutive loss dropped it to a 7-6 record.

Geelong Loss And Ladder Pressure

The margin mattered because the Suns came out of the game sitting ninth on the ladder, one game outside the top six and one game inside the wildcard spots. That is the position Hardwick was speaking from when he pushed back on the umpiring and the way the match was handled.

He also went after the AFL's new last disposal out of bounds rule, which he called the "lasso rule." Hardwick said the Suns should not be penalised when the ball comes off a player's foot before going out of play, and urged the League to change the interpretation.

"I don't know, that's not what the rule is there for. If someone kicks it out of bounds, absolutely. But if you knock it off someone's foot and we're looking at that, they need to change that. That's an easy change," he said. He added: "It's not the reason we won or lost, but they change a lot of things. Just change that."

Gold Coast's Third Straight Loss

The wider issue for Gold Coast is the run it is carrying into the next stretch. A 45-point defeat, a 20-24 free kick count, and a third straight loss leave Hardwick's side trying to steady both its form and the conversation around it.

For now, the league's response has been a warning rather than a sanction. Hardwick keeps his voice, but the message from head office is already clear: the line on public criticism of officiating was crossed on Friday night.