Coach Did Damien Hardwick fake exhaustion to graciously exit a declining Richmond?

[Rich01]

Sorry for bringing a bloke right under your eyes into the conversation. I take it back. Back on topic, losing to Essendon was the last straw for Hardwick, it’s been well reported how ****ed off he was to lose in his last game as coach to Essendon. Apparently Mrs Hardwick was right up for it.

Well, isn’t someone just craving a bit of attention! There there windy.

 

[Lsta062]

They're all jumping ship.

Richmond will do what they have always done.
Go back into irrelevancy for the next 30 years before popping up again for a brief moment in time.
It's what they are as a football club.

You’re so obsessed with us. Geelong not giving you enough of a dopamine hit lately?

 

[QPower]

Hardwick understood that a coach is only as good as the playing list and knew Richmond’s list needed a rebuild that would take years.

GC, with their academy picks, are drowning in AFL largesse and a half decent coach will take them to the top of the ladder.

 

[My Tilly]

You’re so obsessed with us.

Could say the same about yourself

 

[Lsta062]

Could say the same about yourself

I don’t mind Geelong though. Good run club with good players and a good head coach.

Now if you were to talk about Carlton, maybe my response would be different…

 

[smasha]

Could say the same about yourself

Shocking changing rules started the Cats rivalry.

and 44 years mate lol ,longer than our 37 year wait.

Cats will have another down hill ski soon but we win the big ones against your mob.

Enjoy.

I remember going to the bowling alley in 2017 and watching us getting towelled up by Geelong and copping a shitfaced Cats and Bombers fan all the way home in the train telling me we will never win a flag.

Then BANG!

Peggy,Benny,Dimma,Dusty,Cotch and all associated with that fantastic period and made all my dreams come true.
TY!

AMAZING journey it was.

 

[My Tilly]

Shocking changing rules started the Cats rivalry.

and 44 years mate lol ,longer than our 37 year wait.

Cats will have another down hill ski soon but we win the big ones against your mob.

Enjoy.

At least we regularly feature in September without the occasional decade long absences into the abyss like the Yellow and Black

 

[TheGoldPersons]

Why not take on a new challenge as Hardwick has achieved everything possible at Richmond? He has nothing left to prove by staying there

 

[Mr Meow]

As an expert liar, I can confirm that it was all a load of s**t. Once the huge Suns offer came through he had to quickly come up with an excuse to exit or he wasn’t going to get his holiday.

What are the believable options? Burnout/exhaustion was top of the list and was palatable enough for the board and fans.

Knowing the media will be all over it, the next step is to plant several photos laughing it up in Texas bars so we’re all made aware that he’s getting the rest he needs before the Suns news breaks.

Forget 2017-2020. This was his greatest coaching performance.

People shouldn't even be mad at it.

Respect the grift and move on.

 

[Mr Meow]

Shocking changing rules started the Cats rivalry.

and 44 years mate lol ,longer than our 37 year wait.

Cats will have another down hill ski soon but we win the big ones against your mob.

Enjoy.

I remember going to the bowling alley in 2017 and watching us getting towelled up by Geelong and copping a shitfaced Cats and Bombers fan all the way home in the train telling me we will never win a flag.

Then BANG!

Peggy,Benny,Dimma,Dusty,Cotch and all associated with that fantastic period and made all my dreams come true.
TY!

AMAZING journey it was.

This is awesome, but why didn't it turn you into a grateful, well adjusted supporter that had immense satisfaction that outlasted Richmond's period of success?

Why did you double down on being a bitter, jaded, cynical conspiracy theorist insistent on being mocked for outlandish statements? It's an odd thing for good fortune to somehow make a chip on one's shoulder even bigger than when they were suffering. How many flags would be required to turn you sane?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Pretty obvious the AFL orchestrated a huge $ deal for him to go up there… they knew it would appeal to Hardwick as Richmond were about to fall off a cliff and he knew it

 

[RAPPA]

Left them high and dry like Mrs Hardwick

 

[smasha]

The more flags you win,the harder you fall.
Lions of 2001-2003
Hawks amazing dynasty
Our dynasty

and top it off with an injury list the same as West Coast.

Look at what West Coast are doing now with fit players back and finishing bottom,grabbing a once in a generation player in Harley Reid.

You always are at the tough end of the draft.


Unless you have father sons popping up all the time.

All our stars produced baby girls lol.

 

[BomberManU]

Like most to do with the AFL, the game lied to the fans. Don't blame him for seeking a fresh start, but be honest with everyone.
Not that I think (or want) it will happen, but would be interesting to see how he would deal with the bottom falling out of the GC season and they plummet down the ladder.

 

[QuietB]

Hardwick spent Richmond's future on Taranto and Hopper - instantly realised he screwed up - and was first off the sinking ship.

Clarkson made the same mistake at Hawthorn with JOM and Mitchell - but Clark didn't jump ship.

I'd be filthy.

 

[windyhill]

Although gale is just dialling it in at this point , at least he hasn’t done a hardwick.

 

[simba_]

the dynasty was done and the AFL wanted its best coach at its expansion franchise, timing was right, the way they played it out was just hilarious. at the time i thought it was the same as when the AFL put leigh matthews in charge of brisbane

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Yet Hinkley survives 12 seasons with one to come without ever making a grand final.

Next week he takes the record for AFL games coached without making a GF

That's a decision for Port Adelaide to make. My comment is based simply on my personal opinion. I've seen many cases over the years of long-term coaches having a lot of success, saying in their first 8-10 years, but clubs hanging onto them for too long, they start to recruit from other clubs to maintain their success, it fails, and then the club is left having to rebuild. Hinkley's a little different because, as you say, he hasn't had success.

 

[katana]

i thought the way he abandoned wife and daughters was worse.

 

[Farang83150]

This is awesome, but why didn't it turn you into a grateful, well adjusted supporter that had immense satisfaction that outlasted Richmond's period of success?

Why did you double down on being a bitter, jaded, cynical conspiracy theorist insistent on being mocked for outlandish statements? It's an odd thing for good fortune to somehow make a chip on one's shoulder even bigger than when they were suffering. How many flags would be required to turn you sane?

Sums up lots of Richmond supporters on BF during their successful period.

 

[Farang83150]

Like most to do with the AFL, the game lied to the fans. Don't blame him for seeking a fresh start, but be honest with everyone.
Not that I think (or want) it will happen, but would be interesting to see how he would deal with the bottom falling out of the GC season and they plummet down the ladder.

 

[Rich01]

Makes you wonder if your bombers had chosen him over knights if they would have won a flag or two in the 2010s.

Wouldn’t have put up with any of those Dank shenanigans and is the sort of guy who wouldn’t put up with Sheedys white anting.

Sliding door moment for both clubs and Hardwick right there.

 

[windyhill]

Makes you wonder if your bombers had chosen him over knights if they would have won a flag or two in the 2010s.

Wouldn’t have put up with any of those Dank shenanigans and is the sort of guy who wouldn’t put up with Sheedys white anting.

Sliding door moment for both clubs and Hardwick right there.

I cannot disagree with any of this. Problem is he pissed off with indecent haste. Came very close to the chop early days but richmond stuck fat. He didn’t.

 

[Rich01]

I cannot disagree with any of this. Problem is he pissed off with indecent haste. Came very close to the chop early days but richmond stuck fat. He didn’t.

In hindsight he checked out at the end of the previous year. His media conferences when the side lost was evidence of this.

He should have bowed out 6 months before he did.
And yep, you are right. After 14 seasons at the helm, he obviously didn’t have the stomach to rebuild the list.
He did get close to getting sacked in 2016. And maybe 8 years later after giving his employer 3 flags he thought he’d had enough and left while he was highly sought after.

Whether that’s not ‘sticking fat’ or deciding to take a more appealing job in the sunshine at a higher pay.
To be fair, if I had that decision to make in my profession, I’d do the same.

Regardless of the way he exited, I’m glad the bombers board committed the first of many brain farts over the last 15 years and bypassed Hardwick to allow him to coach the Richmond Football Club.

 

[windyhill]

In hindsight he checked out at the end of the previous year. His media conferences when the side lost was evidence of this.

He should have bowed out 6 months before he did.
And yep, you are right. After 14 seasons at the helm, he obviously didn’t have the stomach to rebuild the list.
He did get close to getting sacked in 2016. And maybe 8 years later after giving his employer 3 flags he thought he’d had enough and left while he was highly sought after.

Whether that’s not ‘sticking fat’ or deciding to take a more appealing job in the sunshine at a higher pay.
To be fair, if I had that decision to make in my profession, I’d do the same.

Regardless of the way he exited, I’m glad the bombers board committed the first of many brain farts over the last 15 years and bypassed Hardwick to allow him to coach the Richmond Football Club.

We handed Truck back, many laughed, not so sure now.