Damien Hardwick Takes a Playful Swipe at AFL, Acknowledges He’ll ‘Cop His Whack’ for Gesture

Gold Coast’s head coach Damien Hardwick shared a chuckle with journalists regarding the $2000 penalty he received for an obscene gesture during last week’s defeat to GWS.

His frustration with an umpiring call led him to raise his middle finger from the coach’s box late in the match—an action spotted by Fox Footy’s AFL 360 midweek but missed by the broadcasting team during the game.

When the footage was presented to Hardwick for a laugh on the show, the AFL intervened and subsequently fined the Suns’ coach.

While commenting on star midfielder Matt Rowell’s two-year contract extension on Thursday, Hardwick humorously accompanied the news with a cheeky two-finger salute.

“It’s a two-year deal,” he quipped, flashing the gesture.

“Oh dear, what am I doing?” he laughed as he waved the fingers around.

Initially, the club considered asking Fox Footy to absorb the fine, but Hardwick stated he would cover it personally while the broadcaster would contribute to the Suns’ charity of choice.

“I’ll handle the fine; I need to do better, and I know that,” Hardwick explained.

“Fox has been fantastic and stood by me throughout, as has the Suns. They are going to donate to our charity partner Rise Up, which is much appreciated.

“When it comes to the AFL and humour, I’m not sure those two go together.”

“The reality is, I must remember I’m always in the public eye—a Truman Show mentality. I’ve got to improve, there’s no doubt about that.”

Hardwick acknowledged that he must demonstrate greater respect for umpires and their challenging roles.

“The stark truth is, I make mistakes during games too, and occasionally an umpire will make a blunder,” he remarked.

“They have a harder job than I do, to be honest. I can view the play from above, but they must make decisions on the field—it’s a tough gig.

“The umpires generally do a commendable job. So unless you’re ready to step up and do it yourself, just keep quiet and take the hit.”

He now joins Geelong’s Bailey Smith, West Coast’s Harley Reid, and Hawthorn’s Mabior Chol as players fined by the AFL for similar gestures in 2025.