Former Gold Coast senior coach Stuart Dew could be set to reunite with former club Sydney.
The Swans have a gaping hole to fill after former Adelaide senior coach Don Pyke, who had been serving as a senior assistant under John Longmire, was lured back to Western Australia to assume the role of CEO at West Coast, where he played 132 AFL games in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Dani Laidley declares she wants to coach again.
Analysis, local footy and the biggest moments, Seven and 7plus are the home of footy shows for every fan. Stream them all for free on 7plus >>
Dew cut his teeth as a coach at the Swans, coming straight out of retirement from his playing days to join Sydney’s coaching panel, where was an understudy to Paul Roos and then Longmire between 2010 and 2017.
The Suns then poached Dew to replace Rodney Eade at Gold Coast, but the 44-year-old failed to take the expansion club to its inaugural finals series during his six years in charge. He was ultimately sacked this year and replaced by former Port Adelaide teammate and three-time Richmond premiership coach, Damien Hardwick.
Brodie Grundy makes sad admission about Melbourne exit
New Bomber Ben McKay unwittingly gives old club a backhander
According to News Corp, the Swans have kicked Dew’s tyres to gauge his interest in returning to the Harbour City.
Dew won premierships with Port Adelaide (2004) and Hawthorn (2008) as a player and was a key member of the Swans’ coaching staff during their 2012 premiership year.
After being sacked by the Suns, Dew was courted by Cricket Australia to play a role in the Australian men’s Test team’s Ashes campaign in England earlier this year.
Stuart Dew was sacked as coach of Gold Coast. Credit: Mark Brake/Getty Images
Over in the west, Pyke will take over from the club’s long-serving chief Trevor Nisbett who announced he was standing down from the role in September.
Nisbett is expected to officially depart before Christmas while Pyke’s start date is slated as January 15.
Pyke was a premiership player for the Eagles in 1992 and ‘94 and was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame before becoming the coach of the Crows in 2016.
His time at Adelaide ended in controversy, however, leaving in 2019 while engulfed in a pre-season camp scandal.
The controversial boot camp — which resulted in stars such as Eddie Betts leaving — followed a heavy grand final defeat to Richmond in 2017.
He was in part credited with the Swans’ meteoric rise in 2022 which saw them reach a grand final.
Pyke left the Crows in controversy after taking them to a grand final in 2019. Credit: Getty Images
Pyke is also a successful businessman and was a talented junior cricketer.
West Coast has been under siege over the past two seasons, finishing bottom this year and second last in 2022.
It has been a rapid fall from grace after playing finals in 2020 and winning the premiership in 2018.
Coach Adam Simpson has been under enormous pressure to keep his job but is under a “watertight” contract until the end of 2025.
7NEWS reported in June that if the Eagles were to cut ties with Simpson it could cost them $2.5 million in a payout to Simpson and they would owe the AFL $4.5 million in luxury tax.
“If they were to part company with Simpson, (it) would be up to $7 million plus the cost of a new coach,” former 7NEWS reporter Tom Browne said in June.
“Not even West Coast, the richest club in the competition, would do that.”
– With Cameron Noakes
Dani Laidley announces major career decision: ‘I’m ready’
Former Adelaide Crows coach to take over West Coast
If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings.
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.