Damien Hardwick praises his side and former skipper David Swallow as he looks ahead to a semi-final against Brisbane

By Ben Somerford at Optus Stadium

Noah Anderson and David Swallow celebrate during the Elimination Final between Fremantle and Gold Coast at Optus Stadium, September 6, 2025. Picture: Getty Images

GOLD Coast coach Damien Hardwick has labelled next week’s semi-final against Brisbane as the biggest in Queensland football history and says it’s time for “little brother to step up”.

Playing in the Club’s first-ever final after 15 years of trying, the Suns stunned Fremantle by one point in an epic clash at Optus Stadium, locking in a September Q-Clash against the Lions at the Gabba next Saturday night.

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Gold Coast will enter that game full of belief after an emotion-filled win over the Dockers where retiring veteran David Swallow kicked the match-winning score with nine seconds left. That came after Fremantle rallied back from a 26-point deficit in the third-quarter to hit the front.

Hardwick was full of praise for his playing group and the progress of the club, but also quick to look forward to facing Brisbane.

“In a hostile environment, it’s always one of the toughest trips in modern AFL footy. To come away with a one-point victory when we got headed, I thought it spoke volumes of the playing group and how far the club has come,” he said.

“It’s been 15 years of hard work to make the finals first and foremost, to have our first victory in a final is incredibly rewarding.

“Now we get the challenge of trying to beat Brisbane on their home patch, probably the biggest game in Queensland history I would imagine. We’re looking forward to it.”

The Suns will be buoyed by their Round 20 victory over the Lions by 66 points at People First Stadium, while Brisbane will be without star onballer Lachie Neale due to a season-ending calf injury.

“We had a really good win against them six to eight weeks ago,” Hardwick added. “We take a lot of stock out of that. 

“Both sides will have challenges. I do know Brisbane are a very, very good football club and that’s what we aspire to be. 

“At some stage, little brother has got to step up and take them on on their home deck. We look forward to that challenge. 

“We’ve managed to knock a few things over this year that we haven’t achieved thus far. A victory over here is one of those. A victory at the Gabba would be incredibly nice. I think this group is only starting out in our journey.”

Gold Coast had surrendered a 26-point third-quarter lead, with Fremantle charging to the front with three minutes left in the final term following four consecutive goals.

But Mac Andrew squared the game up before Swallow’s decisive score clinched the win, leaving Hardwick delighted with his side’s resolve, particularly after losing a similar finish to Port Adelaide in Round 24.

“Losses are gifts in a way,” he said. “You learn your lessons along the way. 

“Fremantle always come back hard. We just couldn’t get some things right, especially around clearance. We managed to rectify it at the end. This is a side that digs in. We could’ve easily rolled over but this isn’t what the club is about.

“We’ve come six hours across (the country). There’s no tougher challenge than coming across here, in front of 60,000 fans, hostile environment, get headed with three minutes to go and then respond. They’ll gain enormous confidence out of that victory.”

The Suns coach said Swallow’s score was a “fairytale moment” and revealed he addressed his team-mates in the pre-game.

“It was a fairytale moment,” he said about Swallow’s late behind. “He is Gold Coast. He’s the fabric of the place. What he’s given our football club, it’s just reward. 

“For him to kick the winning point that got his club over the line, he’s served since he was 17 years of age, 15 years here. 

“‘Witta’ [Jarrod Witts] summed it up best, when he said ‘Dave stayed when others moved on’. Dave committed and stayed the course, so it’s great reward for him.

“Shaun Grigg got him to speak to the guys. It was quite a touching moment for him to be out in front of the group. They just idolize him. He’s everything that everyone wants to be. He’s an incredible person.”