Gold Coast SUNS coach Guy McKenna has waded into the war of words ahead of Saturday night's inaugural QClash, saying the GC SUNS have joined the AFL to "clean up the mess" left behind by the Brisbane Bears.
McKenna said on Tuesday the GC SUNS were in for the long haul and would ensure the game continued to thrive in southeast Queensland after the Bears' attempt to establish a presence on the Gold Coast in the late 1980s.
His barbs were in response to comments by Lions Brownlow medallist Simon Black that the GC SUNS had been given an easy ride in their early existence.
McKenna also labelled Black's description of former Lions Michael Rischitelli and Jared Brennan as mercenaries as "a bit rich".
"We're probably coming in to fix up their mess," he said.
"We're here to make sure that AFL football is alive and is going to thrive. Yes, the AFL have given us what they have, but it's about turning up and making sure that works and we're very keen."
The Bears were formed in 1987 and based out of Carrara on the Gold Coast before moving to the Gabba in 1993 and merging with Fitzroy in 1997.
McKenna took a clear swipe at the pre-merged entity.
"I think this is where they started, then Fitzroy jumped on their back as well, helped them out a bit, so we're here at Carrara, Metricon Stadium, on the Gold Coast, we're here to finish the job they started," he said.
McKenna also suggested that Black would have done exactly as Rischitelli did if he had been placed in the same position.
"If Blacky had won a best and fairest and was politely told he was on the market at the end of the year, I'm not sure he wouldn't have been sticking around either, so sometimes people have short memories," he said.
"I don't know him that well but he's said what he said. I wasn't at the press conference.
"The little I do know, I think he plays it hard and fair. To say those boys are mercenaries when Michael Rischitelli was treated the way he was treated, if that was Simon Black I'm sure he would have done exactly the same thing.
"It's a bit rich."
McKenna said despite the fact the teams were 16th and 17th on the ladder, he expected the QClash to be ferocious.
"I think these games, regardless of positions on the ladder, it's no different between Collingwood and Carlton … the same back home where I'm from in WA of course with the Derby," he said.
"I don't think the ladder position is really relevant, it's about being able to have bragging rights and that's what brings out the best and the nastiness in both sides.
"I'm sure they think given our performance last week it's a good opportunity for them to win a game and naturally we'd like to think it's going to be ultimately really tough for them because it's the Queensland derby and we want to go out there and prove to big brother that you can't push us around and throw us around, and we're going to stand our ground and hopefully push you back over the fence."
