Damien Hardwick quits: Richmond Tigers coach resigns after 307 games

Liam O'Loughlin

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Aidan Cellini

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Damien Hardwick quits: Richmond Tigers coach resigns after 307 games image

Damien Hardwick officially resigned as Richmond coach on Tuesday, ending a lengthy tenure in charge of the club.

Hardwick's decision comes with 18 months remaining on his contract at the Tigers, leaving them with a lengthy period to find a suitable replacement, and comes less than two months after coaching his 300th game.

The 50-year-old has been in charge of the Tigers since 2010, taking the side to premiership victories in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

In an emotional display, Hardwick spoke on his time at the club and what Richmond means to him.

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"It's been an incredible ride and it's coming to an end. I couldn't have wished for a better place to have my journey as an AFL coach. It was one of the more tougher conversations I've had to do," Hardwick said on Tuesday.

"The way this club supported me, gave me every resource possible, gave me the best people possible, it's a testament to what we've created and one of the longest legacies that will continue to go on.

"I want to thank the Richmond Football Club for the opportunity they've given me. It's a wonderful place. I'd also like to thank our fans. The support I've received from the majority of people has been absolutely outstanding.

"I've been fortunate enough to be in a lot of football clubs, but by far the Richmond Football Club has been the love of my life. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

"From the bottom of my heart boys, I wish you all the very best. I'm going to miss you, I love you to death."

The former Essendon and Port Adelaide defender won't feature as the coach of the Tigers this weekend, insisting he didn't have 100 per cent in him to go again.

"If I couldn't give this playing group the very best of Damien Hardwick I wasn't prepared to see it out. It was a tough decision but one I was eternally grateful for," Hardwick continued.

"It all became just a little bit too much for me. I sort of made the decision that I wasn't going to be the coach of Richmond next year. The best thing for myself was to step aside - if I couldn't give 100% there was no way I was going to coach this footy club."

President John O'Rourke paid tribute to Hardwick's contribution to the club

"History was created under his watch, and for that we will be forever indebted. He finishes as the longest serving coach in the history of our club," O'Rourke said on Tuesday.

"His decision has come as a shock to our board but he has given it serious thought in recent weeks and we need to respect that. Selflessness is one of his great qualities. He will always be revered as a Richmond man."

Richmond currently sit in 14th spot on the AFL ladder with just three wins so far this season. The club's poor record and their finals chances are believed to have played a role in Hardwick's shock decision, with the narrow loss to Essendon in Round 10 seen as the final nail in the coffin. 

Who will coach Richmond this week?

Highly-regarded assistant coach Andrew McQualter will take over in an interim capacity, with former senior coaches David Teague and Ben Rutten will remain on the staff at Punt Road. 

What implications does Damien Hardwick's have on Port Adelaide and the coaching landscape?

Hardwick's departure is the second major coaching bombshell in the past week, with North Melbourne boss Alaistar Clarkson stepping away from the game indefinitely. 

The latest developments could also have implications for the future of Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley, who remains off-contract at the end of 2023 and with Hardwick playing over 100 games for the club, he could be teed up as a replacement. 

This could force the Power's hand in re-signing Hinkley earlier than they initially planned, given Hardwick's likely availability.

Club president David Koch said he's "happy" with the Port Adelaide coach and won't be bringing forward the new contract, if there is one.

"Ken and I both agreed before the season started and we stick to the plan," Koch said.

West Coast leader Adam Simpson's future has been murky for some time given the club's downfall that has resulted in three wins from 32 games, although is still locked in at the Eagles until 2025.

Club chairman Paul Fitzpatrick sat down with journalist Ryan Daniels, expressing his confidence in Simpson to take West Coast into the next phase.

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew could also come under fire given he has failed to reach the finals since 2018 and time could be running out despite being contracted to the end of next season.

Who could coach Richmond in the future?

With Hardwick departing the club, the Tigers could look at a host of coaches.

Speaking on SEN, Tim Watson and Sam Edmund floated the idea of former Brisbane player and coach Justin Leppitsch, who is currently an assistant coach at Collingwood.

Leppitsch sat in the hot seat for three years between 2014 and 2016 and has been an assistant coach at Richmond before and after his short tenure at the Lions, playing a role in the three premierships.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is currently out of contract and will not be re-signed until at least August, according to president David Koch.

Richmond could push hard for the experienced coach given his availability, although it the Power will likely re-sign Hinkley given how well they're going.

Alastair Clarkson effect?

Damien Hardwick's decision to resign from head coach at Richmond has many similarities to Alastair Clarkson's ending at Hawthorn.

Clarkson - who was pushed out as part of a succession plan at the end of 2021 - admitted he stayed one year too long at the Hawks which has played a role in fracturing his relationship with the club.

Hawthorn captain and premiership player Luke Hodge noticed eerily similarities between the two clubs.

“The first thing that comes to my mind, has he learnt a little bit from Alastair Clarkson and what Clarkson went through at Hawthorn?” Hodge said on SEN.

“The success that Hawthorn had and the correlation between Richmond, what they’ve been through and the success that they had compared to Hawthorn."

Clarkson brought in experienced players Tom Mitchell and Jeager O'Meara at the end of 2016 and missed out on the 2017 finals due to a host of injuries to key players.

Hardwick secured GWS duo Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper at the end of 2022 and are likely to be out of the finals hunt this year as the absence of Tom Lynch and Toby Nankervis - along with others - has played a damning role.

“It’s the same point where Clarkson and Hawthorn in 2017 said, ‘Do you rebuild?’, and Alastair Clarkson, who had given his word to these players, and ‘Dimma’ is the same with what he’s said to Taranto and Hopper," Hodge continued.

“It’s very hard to go back as a coach when you bring players into your club and go back on what you promised them. They both promised their players that they were going to strive again for more success and for them to be a part of a premiership side.

“I reckon he might’ve looked, and we’ve heard that Clarkson has said that he probably stayed a year or two too long and Dimma is probably looking at this going."

Hardwick also said on Tuesday that he wanted to walk away from Richmond "with the very best memories" and not have his time soured by staying too long.

Damien Hardwick coaching record

Hardwick is a three-time premiership winner with the Tigers, leading them to the flag in 2017, 2019 and 2020. 

Games Wins Draws Losses Win PCT
307 170 6 131 55%

Liam O'Loughlin

Liam O'Loughlin Photo

Liam has been with The Sporting News since 2019, helping lead both NRL and cricket content, as well as delving into the world of combat sports and NFL. A true rugby league tragic, he has spent the past 20 years playing, coaching and volunteering for his beloved junior club, Penshurst RSL. 

Away from work, Liam has a lifelong passion for all things pro wrestling and has travelled abroad to attend showcase events for WWE, AEW and NJPW. 

 

Aidan Cellini

Aidan Cellini Photo

Aidan has surrounded himself with all types of sport, but resonates most with AFL and basketball as he still plays both competitively. He loves being active and enjoys sharing sporting moments with friends and family.

In his spare time, Aidan likes to read biographies as well as keep active and healthy. He's also a big fan of Matthew McConaughey and Marvel movies.