“This has now allowed us to have some clear air to look at next steps,and that’s a really important part of governance in any business to ensure that we set about a good process,a good system,good governance around the selection of our next senior coach,” Suns chairman Bob East said.

Gold Coast players and staff were informed Tuesday morning that the board had decided on Monday night that Dew’s time as coach was over.

East and club chief Mark Evans said the lack of progress since last year was the main reason behind Dew’s removal. At the same point in 2022,the Suns were 11th with eight wins and a percentage of 108.9 compared to 13th this season with seven wins and 92.5.

In the past two weeks,they have been well beaten by Collingwood and Port Adelaide by 78 and 33 points respectively.

“There is a clear gap between where we currently sit and where our expectations lie,” East said.

The move comes less than a week afterEvans held a joint press conference with Dew to reiterate the club’s support for the coach amid reports fromCaroline Wilson on theReal Footypodcast and Nine’sFooty ClassifiedthatDew’s days at Gold Coast were numbered.

Evans and East defended the Suns’ rapid about-face,saying the club had not misled its members and fans. East said it would have “cut to the culture” of the club if it did not act immediately once the decision was made. But Gold Coast did not explain why the call was made now and not after the season.

“It wasn’t just last week,we have been consistent in our support of Stuart,” East,who took over as chairman this year from Tony Cochrane,said.

“But,as any organisation should do,there should be a process of continual evaluation and continuous improvement. It did crystallise over the weeks and months that there were gaps.

“I’m not about to run a commentary or public commentary on performance appraisal,but it was very clear that we needed to close the gap.

“You cannot be disingenuous in any organisation,let alone a high-performance organisation. So once that decision is made,it is incumbent on the leaders of the club to act on those decisions.”

In a statement East said a change was necessary.

“We feel we have a great opportunity to achieve success with this group but haven’t seen the improvement we were after in 2023 and as a football club we must be prepared to make tough decisions,in that pursuit of success,” East said.

“Stuart has made a significant contribution to this football club,dedicating countless hours towards helping establish a platform from which our club can grow,and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank him,his wife Sarah and family for the last six years.”

A premiership player at both Port Adelaide and Hawthorn,Dew started as coach at the club in 2018.

He coached the Suns for five completed seasons without reaching finals. However,his contract was extended last season until the end of 2024 after the club decided with COVID-19 interruptions and the rebuild,he needed a fair shot at the job. His payout was set at no more than six months,but he had potential triggers in place if the team made finals.

Dew has been under pressure this season as the Suns attempted to make finals for the first time after opening the season with three losses in their first four matches.

Their capitulation against Carlton three weeks ago when they were still in the hunt to make finals was the beginning of the end for Dew. The Suns managed to defeat the Hawks on the Gold Coast but were thrashed against bothCollingwood andPort Adelaide in the past two weeks. A source,who wanted to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak publicly,was in the rooms after the Port Adelaide loss and said the mood was darker than usual – but the move still surprised him.

Dew had a winning record of just above 30 per cent in his 84 games.

Former St Kilda coach Alan Richardson is the only other AFL coach to last well into their sixth season at one club without making finals in the preceding five years. He also parted ways with the Saints after 16 rounds.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country.Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.