After being hit with a $2000 fine for giving the bird to the umpires, Damien Hardwick delivered a not-so-subtle response

Gold Coast Suns coach Damien Hardwick concedes he has to “be better” but found a cheeky, two-fingered way to put his $2000 fine for delivering the bird to umpires in last week’s loss to GWS in comedic perspective. Hardwick said he’d pay the fine, which only arose after vision was showed during his appearance on AFL 360 this week, not during the broadcast of the game, and it would be matched by a charitable donation from Fox Footy. But at the start of his weekly press conference on Thursday, Hardwick gave a brief two-fingered salute, reflecting the two-year-deal signed by Suns star Matt Rowell, then quickly turned his fingers around before later declaring “the AFL and humour, I’m not sure they could be used in the same sentence”. “Great news it’s a two-year deal,” Hardwick said as he vigorously whipped his two fingers up in the air. “Oh, sh*t, I should turn them around.” After much laughter, Hardwick ploughed on with his excitement at Rowell’s extension, knowing the midfield bull had spoken to at least four Victorian clubs, something the Suns are also doing. “We’ve got some really exciting players we are talking to that we are really excited at the prospect of coming,” he said. “It’s not something any coach feels overly comfortable about, but we are all big boys.” He said Rowell had shown he believed in the direction the Suns were heading, with a maiden finals berth in sight despite slipping out of the top eight following the loss to the Giants. “Anytime you are an interstate club and he’s a Victorian boy and he’s got the overtures at home, it will come calling,” he said. “What Matt sees, he’s very close to the playing group … he can see what this club will eventually become. We’ve got some work to do, but he sees the possibility of what may be.” That includes an emphasis on goalkicking against Melbourne this week, and more controlled emotions in the coaching box from Hardwick, who said he had to get back to the “Truman Show mentality” of being on camera all the time. “I’ve got to be better, no question about that,” he said. “I make mistakes in games and every now and then the umpire is going to make a blue. They have a tougher job than me to be perfectly honest. “They do a pretty good job. Unless you are prepared to put up your hand and do it yourself, just shut up and cop your whack.”