Damien Hardwick hits back at Ross Lyon’s ‘disrespectful’ jab at the Suns, urging him to concentrate on his own team.

Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick hasn’t held back in his reaction to St Kilda coach Ross Lyon’s cheeky remarks regarding the club on Sunday afternoon.

In the lead-up to the match between the two teams, Lyon, unprompted, referred to the Suns as the AFL’s “nepo baby”, likely addressing the advantages they have gained from their academy and their perceived favourable fixtures.

However, the match certainly didn’t play out in Gold Coast’s favour, as they suffered a defeat with an 80-61 scoreline against the Saints.

In his post-match press conference, Hardwick shot back, reflecting on the differences between coaching Richmond and Gold Coast, while also taking a dig at the meagre attendance at Marvel Stadium for the Saints’ home game.

“I find it a bit disrespectful, to be honest,” Hardwick told reporters following the match.

“Believe me, having been at Richmond and now at Gold Coast, we don’t have much support.”

“Perhaps St Kilda should focus on their own backyard instead of trying to drag everyone else down.”

“They had just 13,000 fans here today. We’ll keep our focus on the Gold Coast, and they should concentrate on themselves.”

“At the end of the day, the first place to look is within.”

When asked if he planned to discuss the comments with Lyon or the Saints, Hardwick indicated he had no intention to do so.