RustyHawk
13 Sep 2007, 02:50
From Thursdays Herald Sun
"Hardwick fits bill for Bombers
13 September 2007 Herald Sun
Mike Sheahan
DAMIEN Hardwick's credentials as Essendon's next coach seem more impressive by the week, Mike Sheahan writes.
Proven winner: (photo in article of ) Damien Hardwick, celebrating with James Hird after the 2000 Grand Final win, has the ideal credentials to return to Windy Hill as coach, says Mike Sheahan.
On top of his obvious ties to the Bombers as a player, the evolving profile of the modern coach fits him better by the day.
The latest boost for the Hawthorn assistant coach and Essendon hopeful came with the revelation in the Herald Sun yesterday of the preferred coaches of the current player group.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson topped the AFL Players' Association poll, from Mark Thompson (Geelong), John Worsfold (West Coast), Dean Laidley (Kangaroos) and Paul Roos (Sydney).
Clarkson is 39; Roos the eldest of the others at 44.
Hardwick is 35.
Like Clarkson, Hardwick played at two clubs - Essendon and Port Adelaide. Both were fellow assistants to Mark Williams at Port Adelaide.
When Clarkson won the senior job at Hawthorn for the 2005 season, he immediately lured Hardwick back from Adelaide as senior assistant.
More recently, another of their fellow assistants under Williams, Dean Bailey, won the Melbourne job for 2008-10 after an exhaustive process that acknowledged the emphasis on teaching at Port.
While Essendon is widely believed to be waiting for Geelong's Thompson to complete his finals campaign, perhaps that's a convenient camouflage.
Hardwick also is involved in finals, but has been free to meet the Bombers for further interviews.
All that is known is that he is one of up to six possibles for the position occupied by Kevin Sheedy for 27 seasons, and is understood to have made a presentation that impressed the Essendon coaching sub-committee.
Hardwick played 207 games with the Bombers and Port Adelaide from 1994-2004, playing in premiership teams at Essendon (2000) and Port (2004).
He had 11 seasons as a senior player and is in his third season as an assistant coach after starting out as a player in the VFL (Springvale).
Hardwick learnt the science of the modern game at Port Adelaide, and the work ethic required of the modern coach via Williams and the obsessive Clarkson.
He also meets the growing emphasis from clubs on education and intellect, working as an accountant with a commerce degree before moving into football full-time.
When he started in coaching, the word was it might be only temporary.
More recently, observers say he has embraced the idea of coaching his own team.
Hardwick is a reminder of a young Michael Malthouse.
Malthouse went straight into coaching at the Western Bulldogs after completing his playing career in 1983.
They had similar playing careers: Malthouse played 174 games at St Kilda and Richmond and played in Richmond's 1980 premiership team.
Just as he was "captain" of the backline in 1980, Hardwick occupied a similar role at both Essendon, in his latter years at Windy Hill, and then Port.
While it is so much harder to learn on the job these days, Hardwick will have had the benefit of three years in coaches' boxes at the end of this season, almost 70 games."
Should ask Hodge2Franklin what he thinks of DH? :D
Damien has faced interrogation from Number 24 and came out of it quite well. We asked about 2 of the fringe players and Damien gave a very insightful response about the future of both players and what could happen, what they could be, if THEY the players wanted it and that certainly left both N24 and myself pleased and somewhat reassured. Darn, can't remember who we where talking about ;) [N24 no reason to say who]
Seems quite tight with Clarko, Todd Viney and Ross Smith. Would be a shame to lose him to the scum.... good for them, bad for us.
"Hardwick fits bill for Bombers
13 September 2007 Herald Sun
Mike Sheahan
DAMIEN Hardwick's credentials as Essendon's next coach seem more impressive by the week, Mike Sheahan writes.
Proven winner: (photo in article of ) Damien Hardwick, celebrating with James Hird after the 2000 Grand Final win, has the ideal credentials to return to Windy Hill as coach, says Mike Sheahan.
On top of his obvious ties to the Bombers as a player, the evolving profile of the modern coach fits him better by the day.
The latest boost for the Hawthorn assistant coach and Essendon hopeful came with the revelation in the Herald Sun yesterday of the preferred coaches of the current player group.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson topped the AFL Players' Association poll, from Mark Thompson (Geelong), John Worsfold (West Coast), Dean Laidley (Kangaroos) and Paul Roos (Sydney).
Clarkson is 39; Roos the eldest of the others at 44.
Hardwick is 35.
Like Clarkson, Hardwick played at two clubs - Essendon and Port Adelaide. Both were fellow assistants to Mark Williams at Port Adelaide.
When Clarkson won the senior job at Hawthorn for the 2005 season, he immediately lured Hardwick back from Adelaide as senior assistant.
More recently, another of their fellow assistants under Williams, Dean Bailey, won the Melbourne job for 2008-10 after an exhaustive process that acknowledged the emphasis on teaching at Port.
While Essendon is widely believed to be waiting for Geelong's Thompson to complete his finals campaign, perhaps that's a convenient camouflage.
Hardwick also is involved in finals, but has been free to meet the Bombers for further interviews.
All that is known is that he is one of up to six possibles for the position occupied by Kevin Sheedy for 27 seasons, and is understood to have made a presentation that impressed the Essendon coaching sub-committee.
Hardwick played 207 games with the Bombers and Port Adelaide from 1994-2004, playing in premiership teams at Essendon (2000) and Port (2004).
He had 11 seasons as a senior player and is in his third season as an assistant coach after starting out as a player in the VFL (Springvale).
Hardwick learnt the science of the modern game at Port Adelaide, and the work ethic required of the modern coach via Williams and the obsessive Clarkson.
He also meets the growing emphasis from clubs on education and intellect, working as an accountant with a commerce degree before moving into football full-time.
When he started in coaching, the word was it might be only temporary.
More recently, observers say he has embraced the idea of coaching his own team.
Hardwick is a reminder of a young Michael Malthouse.
Malthouse went straight into coaching at the Western Bulldogs after completing his playing career in 1983.
They had similar playing careers: Malthouse played 174 games at St Kilda and Richmond and played in Richmond's 1980 premiership team.
Just as he was "captain" of the backline in 1980, Hardwick occupied a similar role at both Essendon, in his latter years at Windy Hill, and then Port.
While it is so much harder to learn on the job these days, Hardwick will have had the benefit of three years in coaches' boxes at the end of this season, almost 70 games."
Should ask Hodge2Franklin what he thinks of DH? :D
Damien has faced interrogation from Number 24 and came out of it quite well. We asked about 2 of the fringe players and Damien gave a very insightful response about the future of both players and what could happen, what they could be, if THEY the players wanted it and that certainly left both N24 and myself pleased and somewhat reassured. Darn, can't remember who we where talking about ;) [N24 no reason to say who]
Seems quite tight with Clarko, Todd Viney and Ross Smith. Would be a shame to lose him to the scum.... good for them, bad for us.