The pressure is mounting on the Gold Coast, and that was on display through the actions of coach Damien Hardwick at three-quarter time of Saturday night's disappointing 79-point loss to Adelaide.
Hardwick was walking down the infamous Adelaide Oval stairs, which have caused controversy in the past due to the proximity between fans and coaches, when he got into a verbal altercation with a Crows fan.
The two exchanged barbs before the Suns coach was escorted down to the ground by security to deliver his final address. When asked in the post-game presser for his thoughts on the incident, Hardwick was still clearly frustrated.
“It's not ideal, to be honest, walking through here, and I understand people are going to say stuff, and I've got to be better,” Hardwick said.
“But at the end of the day, those sort of people are the guys that live in their mum's basements and type on bloody social media forums and all that sort of stuff.
“We're not playing well, and I've got to be better, but we've got to do something about it.
“It's a dangerous position to put us in, first and foremost. Security is okay, but we don't need people being peanuts about it.
“Get out of the basement, mate.”
The fact that coaches have to make the journey from the coaches' box to the ground through the crowd has been in the news this season, with Geelong coach Chris Scott having a similar interaction with a fan a month ago.
Questions have come as to how to better protect the coaches, out of fears that one day verbal assaults could turn to physical.
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said he was "disappointed" by the incident.
“I don't think any coach should have to put up with that," Nicks said.
“I don't know the ins and outs … but if it is abuse, I'd say to our members and our fans, ‘We're not here for that'.
“We're here to enjoy watching a great game of footy, and our boys put on a show tonight, so just enjoy it.
“I guess the AFL will keep looking into … how do we get down to the ground.”
