GOLD Coast chairman Tony Cochrane has teed off at Leigh Matthews, describing his call for the Brisbane Lions to be the only AFL team in Queensland as "stupid" and no good for the broader game.
Matthews, the Lions' deputy chairman and three-time premiership coach, set the cat among the pigeons on Monday night, saying two Queensland clubs would not be sustainable in the long-term.
"The Suns might win premierships (but) that's not the issue," Matthews told Channel Seven.
"I don't think there is a demand for two teams in this part of the world."
Cochrane bit back hard on Tuesday, launching a scathing attack against Matthews, claiming he was being short-sighted.
After unleashing on Melbourne radio station SEN on Tuesday morning, Cochrane reloaded for an even more savage attack at a press conference later that day.
"It's a stupid proposition," Cochrane said.
"Fifty-two per cent of the Australian population lives north of the River Murray, so clearly if you're going to have a national sport or national code, tiddly winks if you like, you clearly have to develop the code in NSW and Queensland.
"You get a choice; do you abdicate and just give that market to another sport or do you get in there and have a fair dinkum long-term crack, and that's 20-30 years.
"Anybody who thinks you can develop a sport in a market in three to five years is kidding themselves."
Cochrane described the Gold Coast as rugby league heartland, but with a population of 600,000 people, was convinced the Suns would succeed with patience.
He sighted NFL's Green Bay Packers as the perfect example of how smaller markets could thrive in a national competition, saying despite a population of 120,000 people in its city, the franchise was hugely successful.
"What we're doing is in the business of building a great footy club here," Cochrane said.
"It's not going to happen overnight, we're not going to be overnight wonders, we're not going to be instant successes. It's a tough, hard gig.
"What's not helpful are snide remarks like last night. Albeit he's an AFL great and he's got wonderful pedigree in the sport, that comment is not helpful.
"We're shooting our own here. We should be collectively working to build AFL.
While Cochrane said he would not be calling Matthews directly, the Lions have distanced themselves from the comments.
When asked what he thought might have prompted Matthews, Cochrane was even more direct.
"How do I know?
"I don't sit in Leigh Matthews' mind and he doesn't sit in my mind, thank god.
"He's entitled to an opinion and that's all it is, an opinion. Opinion's are like arseholes, everybody's got one."
Cochrane pleaded to the Gold Coast community to stay loyal to "stick it up the smart comments from Brisbane".
"We have to brick-by-brick build up a foundation.
"It's going to take 20 to 25 year in my humble opinion, not that there's too much humble about my opinion.
"I'll defend this place to the back teeth.
I love winning, I hate losing, I'm not a good loser. Good winners are also there for when you're doing it a bit tough.
"We don't have that history, we don't have that buy-in yet, but you don't give up.
"In my opinion, you jump on the front foot and you dig in."
