The Gold Coast Suns took a big step towards ensuring their first finals berth on Saturday with a nail-biting win over Collingwood, a victory that has left them sitting fifth on the ladder with six games left to play.
In his second year, coach Damien Hardwick has transformed a talented list of youngsters into genuine contenders, led in part by key utility man Mac Andrew.
The 21-year-old played a hand in holding the Pies goalless during the first half on Saturday, locking down Gold Coast’s back-line alongside Bodhi Uwland and Oscar Adams.
The former No. 5 overall draft pick took to the airwaves on Tuesday morning to discuss the win, before shedding some light on Hardwick’s unique coaching strategy that has helped implement an underdog-style role at the club.
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“He just likes the city of Detroit and a lot of their sports teams,” Andrew told SEN Breakfast.
“How a lot of them are built with grit and blue collared athletes. We’re not really a blue-collar city, but he sees the way we play and the teams of Detroit, the bad boy Pistons and the Detroit Red Wings. He had a theme about them and how they went about it. They were real defence-first teams, which is what we try to be – defence first and playing off that.”
Hardwick is well-known for implementing themes with his players and coaches, going as far as buying them books to read to help motivate them throughout the season.
The Pistons were known for their physical, in your face defence during the 1990s in several altercations with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, while the Red Wings won back to back Stanley Cup’s in 97 and 98 during what is famously known as ‘The Russian Five’ era.