Is Damien Hardwick the greatest coach of all time?

May 7, 2008
1,677
2,314
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
What is the benchmark? Premierships? Games Coached? The innovators?

Jock McHale coached for 37 years through 2 World Wars and through evolving finals systems and guided Collingwood to 7 premierships. He must have trained multiple generations if the average footballer plays about 5 years.

Norm Smith coached for 23 years, 3 teams, and won 6 premierships.

Tom Hafey changed the sport by bringing a professional level of fitness to his teams, something which had not been seen to that point. He coached 4 teams for 4 premierships in 22 years.

Kevin Sheedy built and rebuilt multiple generations of power sides with Essendon as well as righting the mistakes made by Gold Coast in how he built the GWS team from the ground up. 28 years of coaching and 3 premierships. (it is hard to imagine that Essendon would not have won at least one or two more by now had he not been removed by the then Essendon board whilst in the early stages of his 4th rebuild)

Alan Jeans, 24 years coaching, 3 clubs, 4 premierships.

Mick Malthouse, 31 years coaching, 4 teams, 3 premierships.

Leigh Matthews, 18 years coaching, 2 clubs, 4 premierships.

Alastair Clarkson, 15 years coaching, 4 premierships.

I think the most successful coaches have to be the most resilient coaches, those who have not only been successful but those who have coached so long they have had to rebuild and reinvent themselves and their teams generationally.
On that basis, my vote would go for Jock McHale.
 

dustysnecktattoo

Club Legend
May 15, 2019
2,067
2,883
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Richmond
Yes! Yes he is..

..cos Richmond.

(never mind the fact the Richmond Board wanted him fired-ignore all that)

Well, I guess we're all just one Dusty away from GOAT

FMD - the guy has 2 plans.
1. Play Martin in the midfield.
2. Play Martin forward.


Does anyone honestly think he's a genius? Christ almighty, his own club wanted his ass on a plate.

Coming up next:
"Was Woosha the best and greatest coach of all time?"

Faced with the challenge of playing Judd and Cousins in the same midfield, the genius coach decided he'd play both of them in there at the same time.

It was a masterstroke that puts him above all else.

A true lengend we can only hope will someday be matched by, and dare I say it, a Richmond coach.

must of had a pretty good plan outside of that when our defense was only rance, another 2 premierships later i guess we can delist all our defenders, game plan, play martin midfield, play marting forward, play martin defense, then clone martin after we delist everyone
 

BF Tiger

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 5, 2007
9,783
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Richmond
Yes! Yes he is..

..cos Richmond.

(never mind the fact the Richmond Board wanted him fired-ignore all that)

Well, I guess we're all just one Dusty away from GOAT

FMD - the guy has 2 plans.
1. Play Martin in the midfield.
2. Play Martin forward.


Does anyone honestly think he's a genius? Christ almighty, his own club wanted his ass on a plate.

Coming up next:
"Was Woosha the best and greatest coach of all time?"

Faced with the challenge of playing Judd and Cousins in the same midfield, the genius coach decided he'd play both of them in there at the same time.

It was a masterstroke that puts him above all else.

A true lengend we can only hope will someday be matched by, and dare I say it, a Richmond coach.
How many plans does a coach need if both Plans A & B work?

How many plans does any side need? If Ross Lyon had more than one plan then Freo might have had a premiership. I reckon Chris Scott pretty much had two plans, and very similar to Hardwick... play Dangerfield in the middle, and to mix it up play him forward.

Yes, it's our good fortune we have Dusty, but Geelong have Dangerfield, Freo have Fyfe, Collingwood have Pendlebury and Grundy, Brisbane have Neale, etc etc... with 18 teams in the comp each team might be lucky to have one superstar. It's about capitalising on him and getting the rest of the team right to fully realise their potential.
 

big footy cyril

Senior List
Sep 16, 2009
289
392
AFL Club
Hawthorn
What is the benchmark? Premierships? Games Coached? The innovators?

Jock McHale coached for 37 years through 2 World Wars and through evolving finals systems and guided Collingwood to 7 premierships. He must have trained multiple generations if the average footballer plays about 5 years.

Norm Smith coached for 23 years, 3 teams, and won 6 premierships.

Tom Hafey changed the sport by bringing a professional level of fitness to his teams, something which had not been seen to that point. He coached 4 teams for 4 premierships in 22 years.

Kevin Sheedy built and rebuilt multiple generations of power sides with Essendon as well as righting the mistakes made by Gold Coast in how he built the GWS team from the ground up. 28 years of coaching and 3 premierships. (it is hard to imagine that Essendon would not have won at least one or two more by now had he not been removed by the then Essendon board whilst in the early stages of his 4th rebuild)

Alan Jeans, 24 years coaching, 3 clubs, 4 premierships.

Mick Malthouse, 31 years coaching, 4 teams, 3 premierships.

Leigh Matthews, 18 years coaching, 2 clubs, 4 premierships.

Alastair Clarkson, 15 years coaching, 4 premierships.

I think the most successful coaches have to be the most resilient coaches, those who have not only been successful but those who have coached so long they have had to rebuild and reinvent themselves and their teams generationally.
On that basis, my vote would go for Jock McHale.
Finally some sense
 

Andyy

Club Legend
Oct 17, 2015
1,019
2,060
AFL Club
Richmond
He's a great coach, one of the best in the league currently, but not the best ever.


Heck for all we know some of the best coaches might have the worst teams and yet every dog has his day.


One thing for sure is that over the last 5 years he has IMPROVED as a coach. He was previously out-coached by the likes of Malthouse every time. Now you can clearly see he is different (as a Tiger fan at least I can). There is a plan B where there never used to be. He has the resilience to stick out hard games and seasons. The players really listen to him and believe him when he says they can get up and win. That's a great coach right there.


3 flags in 4 years is a great effort and due to COVID-19 we can safely brush off the bollocks about only winning at the MCG etc.
 
Apr 10, 2017
2,076
3,940
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Saints
What is the benchmark? Premierships? Games Coached? The innovators?

Jock McHale coached for 37 years through 2 World Wars and through evolving finals systems and guided Collingwood to 7 premierships. He must have trained multiple generations if the average footballer plays about 5 years.

Norm Smith coached for 23 years, 3 teams, and won 6 premierships.

Tom Hafey changed the sport by bringing a professional level of fitness to his teams, something which had not been seen to that point. He coached 4 teams for 4 premierships in 22 years.

Kevin Sheedy built and rebuilt multiple generations of power sides with Essendon as well as righting the mistakes made by Gold Coast in how he built the GWS team from the ground up. 28 years of coaching and 3 premierships. (it is hard to imagine that Essendon would not have won at least one or two more by now had he not been removed by the then Essendon board whilst in the early stages of his 4th rebuild)

Alan Jeans, 24 years coaching, 3 clubs, 4 premierships.

Mick Malthouse, 31 years coaching, 4 teams, 3 premierships.

Leigh Matthews, 18 years coaching, 2 clubs, 4 premierships.

Alastair Clarkson, 15 years coaching, 4 premierships.

I think the most successful coaches have to be the most resilient coaches, those who have not only been successful but those who have coached so long they have had to rebuild and reinvent themselves and their teams generationally.
On that basis, my vote would go for Jock McHale.
Good post - I can't disagree at all.
Would you include Ron Barassi ?
 

yeee_haaaa!!!!!

Club Legend
Aug 30, 2010
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prahran
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Collingwood
Nowhere near it. His team is carried by one player. When he's up and about, the rest go along for the ride. For example, where was his coaching nous in the 2018 prelim when Dusty was hobbled? His team was destroyed. Compare him to say a malthouse - won 2 flags with a team that had to travel the length of the country every 2 weeks including for grand finals, and managed to get a collingwood team of nobodies within a kick and a half of stealing a flag from the mighty lions in 2002 - daylight between them
 

BF Tiger

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 5, 2007
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Nowhere near it. His team is carried by one player. When he's up and about, the rest go along for the ride. For example, where was his coaching nous in the 2018 prelim when Dusty was hobbled? His team was destroyed. Compare him to say a malthouse - won 2 flags with a team that had to travel the length of the country every 2 weeks including for grand finals, and managed to get a collingwood team of nobodies within a kick and a half of stealing a flag from the mighty lions in 2002 - daylight between them
Using the Collingwood Nearlyships to discredit DH’s achievements... you’ve lost before you’ve even begun.
 
Jul 26, 2007
31,909
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Darwin
AFL Club
West Coast
Selfless culture - built by Hardwick.

Hardwick the coach who was spittting the dummy early in the season angry storming around ripping down covid guideline posters as he was afraid they would derail Richmonds season? Very selfless........

Harwick who needed to be pulled aside by club power brokers and instructed to pull his head in?

Harwick who had a massive sook post game about some imagined tactic Longmire implemented. Who's wife told him he was an idiot and he needed to ring Longmire and appologised?

Hardwick who has been sneaking around banging a young staffer cheating on his wife. Selfless.......

Sounds like a really selfless character............GOAT even. ;) :drunk::drunk:
 
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BF Tiger

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 5, 2007
9,783
22,305
9th
AFL Club
Richmond
Hardwick the coach who was spittting the dummy early in the season angry storming around ripping down covid guideline posters as he was afraid they would derail Richmonds season? Very selfless........

Harwick who needed to be pulled aside by club power brokers and instructed to pull his head in?

Harwick who had a massive sook post game about some imagined tactic Longmire implemented. Who's wife told him he was an idiot and he needed to ring Longmire and appologised?

Sounds like a really selfless character............GOAT even. ;) :drunk::drunk:
You forgot the last part... can you work it out? Here’s a hint...

4016110B-B94C-4CDE-ADFF-E5DFCBEE1871.jpeg
 
Oct 29, 2017
18,407
35,552
AFL Club
Richmond
Lol.

Its not Richmonds success thats the problem matey.

Its all the flog fans with no class (like Hardwick, and friends) who are so desperate for external validation that they make total fools out of themselves. You are such easy targets to pull back into line and make fun of.

We understand, 30 years of failure and being the joke of the comp does leave deep scars. You had a chance to make good and enjoy your success, be thankful and a tad humble in the achievements but instead you went the other way. Act like total flogs. Culture. ;) :thumbsu:
Whatever you wish to believe or portray, go right ahead! 🤣

You should have no fundamental stake with our success, yet here you are - another Bradbury Coast supporter with a problem. Spending most off season making demands of the opposition because losing is too much to handle.

The smoke is in the air and the mirrors have but all been set, yet its plain to see where the deep scars are!

TLDR - dont be bitter, be better.
 
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HolyWars

Premiership Player
Apr 8, 2008
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He's one of the best of post 2000.

Clarkson I would still rate higher since 2000, not just for his 4 flags, but how he has taught others to become premiership coaches.
 
Jul 22, 2013
18,776
27,426
AFL Club
Carlton
What is the benchmark? Premierships? Games Coached? The innovators?

Jock McHale coached for 37 years through 2 World Wars and through evolving finals systems and guided Collingwood to 7 premierships. He must have trained multiple generations if the average footballer plays about 5 years.

Norm Smith coached for 23 years, 3 teams, and won 6 premierships.

Tom Hafey changed the sport by bringing a professional level of fitness to his teams, something which had not been seen to that point. He coached 4 teams for 4 premierships in 22 years.

Kevin Sheedy built and rebuilt multiple generations of power sides with Essendon as well as righting the mistakes made by Gold Coast in how he built the GWS team from the ground up. 28 years of coaching and 3 premierships. (it is hard to imagine that Essendon would not have won at least one or two more by now had he not been removed by the then Essendon board whilst in the early stages of his 4th rebuild)

Alan Jeans, 24 years coaching, 3 clubs, 4 premierships.

Mick Malthouse, 31 years coaching, 4 teams, 3 premierships.

Leigh Matthews, 18 years coaching, 2 clubs, 4 premierships.

Alastair Clarkson, 15 years coaching, 4 premierships.

I think the most successful coaches have to be the most resilient coaches, those who have not only been successful but those who have coached so long they have had to rebuild and reinvent themselves and their teams generationally.
On that basis, my vote would go for Jock McHale.

Add David Parkin to that list.

The common knock against his record is the appearance that perhaps he stepped in to coach sides that were already locked and loaded. Not as true as it might appear.

A great innovator who squeezed the last drop out of his list, and turned good sides into Premiership teams - and at times mediocre sides into competitive ones.
 
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