Damien Hardwick's shock resignation as coach of the Richmond Football club has left fans with plenty of questions.
Who will be the next Tigers coach?
Will Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin retire now that Hardwick has gone?
Where will Dustin Martin end up?
All these questions and more cross the minds of the Tiger faithful and what will happen to their club heading into a new era.
Damien Hardwick departs as the longest-serving coach of Richmond 🙌 pic.twitter.com/daSuFbdyyu
— 7AFL (@7AFL) May 23, 2023
MORE: Who will replace Damien Hardwick as Richmond coach?
During Hardwick's farewell press conference, he was bullish about the prospects of the current list at Richmond, despite the disappointing start to the 2023 season.
“Whichever coach takes over is going to be in a very, very good place,” Hardwick said on Tuesday.
“I still firmly believe that this club is placed to challenge ... I know the list here and the people here ... we’ve got a really capable playing list capable of doing great things."
So, we thought we'd analyse Richmond's playing list to see what the next coach will be getting.
Richmond playing list 2023
| No. of players | |
| 18-24 | 21 |
| 25-30 | 14 |
| 30+ | 8 |
*As at 31 December 2023
According to Draftguru, Richmond possess the third most experienced (81.1 games) and fourth oldest playing list (25.1 years old) in the competition.
MORE: All of Richmond's off-contract players
Of their eight players 30 years and above, Riewoldt and Cotchin are likely to retire, while Robbie Tarrant has been cruelled by injury and could force him into life after football.
Following them is Martin, co-captain Dylan Grimes, Marlion Pickett, Dion Prestia and Tom Lynch who still have a few years left each, although all have spent extended time on the sidelines due to injury.
However, what Hardwick was building was a core group of players that will carry this club forward.
The acquisitions of GWS duo Tim Taranto (25 years old) and Jacob Hopper (26) has been widely scrutinised but their lengthy deals will mean they are Tigers for the rest of their careers.
Speaking to their capabilities, Taranto won the Giants best-and-fairest in 2019, the year they lost the Grand Final to Richmond, while Hopper made the All-Australian squad in 2021.
Co-captain Toby Nankervis, 28, still has plenty of good football left in him while Nick Vlastuin (29) and Nathan Broad (30) have been stalwarts of the club in defence.
Daniel Rioli's move to the half back line resulted in a selection in the AA squad last year while Shai Bolton made the final 22 after his stellar season in 2022.
Jayden Short is in the prime of his career while Jack Graham will enjoy playing alongside Taranto and Hopper in the midfield for years to come.
Now, let's look at the next wave coming through.
Josh Gibcus and Noah Balta are both under 24 and have already shown plenty of potential, with the latter denying champion forward Tom Hawkins much of a look in a fortnight ago.
Samson Ryan continues to take steps forward towards becoming a consistent figure in the senior line up, as his confidence grows with each game.
Noah Cumberland's pure footy instincts will hold him in good stead going forward if he can succeed in the mental part of the game.
Maurice Rioli, Judson Clarke, Hugo Ralphsmith and Tyler Sonsie have all played roles under Hardwick to great effect, showcasing why they got drafted by the club in the first place.
Admittedly, AFL onlookers would look at Richmond's three wins from the first 10 rounds and say they are well off the pace.
And for 2023, they are.
However, they've quietly entered a transition phase whereby a strong core group of players could carry this club to another successful period.
Alike Geelong, the changing of the guard is happening on the run, with the imminent retirements of Cotchin and Riewoldt allowing for young players to stand up in the absence.
Martin - who's close relationship with Hardwick is predominantly the reason he continued his career at Punt Road - may also be out the door soon, resulting in the next wave to assert themselves on the competition.
Fortunately for a lot of Tigers supporters, they've seen premierships in recent times and witnessed arguably the greatest team of the modern era.
Although the flag number 14 might not be this year or the next, Hardwick ensured that the next chapter is set for glory.
And like his journey that almost ended in 2016, patience, courage and trust is what's needed to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
