- May 4, 2024
- 17
- 54
- AFL Club
- Western Bulldogs
- Banned
- #1
Did nobody else find it odd that Hardwick was so eager to coach again so soon after putting on a performance for the media telling everyone how exhausted and tired he was? Half way into this season, it is becoming clear what's going on.
The Richmond parallels with Hawthorn 8-10 years ago are uncanny to say the least. Hawthorn won three flags in a row before bowing out of the finals in straight sets in 2016. At this point Clarko decides now is the time to move on some of the old guard (Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis) and instructs the club to trade the farm for Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O'Meara; two midfielders in their twenties. This was Clarko's Grand Plan for a revolutionary snap rebuild where they wouldn't have to bottom out like other rebuilding clubs, but instead, continue to add free agents and big name trades and stay at the top. Proceeded to bring in Wingard, Scully, Patton among others, but missed out on Shiel, Lynch and Coniglio. All of this ended badly, leaving Hawthorn with a broken list and in need of an extended bottoming-out period.
Richmond won 3 out of 4 flags from 2017-2020. Following the 2021-2022 years it was becoming apparent the list was getting old and on the way down. What followed was a similar scenario: instead of going down the standard rebuilding path of prioritizing youth recruitment, Dimma decided he wants to try the Clarko snap rebuild, instructing Richmond to trade the farm for Hopper and Taranto. Fast forward half-way through the 2023 season, it is now abundantly clear Richmond won't be contending for a long time, and knowing this, Dimma decides to call it quits, citing fatigue.
Just a few weeks later he decides he's eager to coach again, and conveniently, the Gold Coast are looking for a new coach, have one of the exciting young lists in the competition, and are desperate to pay big money to any proven Premiership-winning coach.
As of Round 10, 2024, the Gold Coast are young, fast, exciting, just thrashed Geelong, look primed for their first finals appearance ever and will likely be contenders over the next 5-10 years. As for Richmond, they are in the dumpster. Their youth is poor (possibly the worst in the competition), they are full of injuries, they are still heavily dependent on older players who aren't performing, and are virtually certain to spend the next 5-7 years hanging around the bottom like Hawthorn. By the time that list is ready to compete, Hopper and Taranto will be grandpas.
With all this in mind, Hardwick's alleged fatigue all seems just a bit too well-timed. I suspect it was a load of rubbish. He's ambitious and impatient. He doesn't want to go through the whole rebuild thing again, he wants to coach a contender. This is precisely why he recruited Hopper and Taranto to Richmond in the first place, and why Clarko brought in Mitchell, O'Meara, Wingard (and tried to bring in Lynch, Shiel and Coniglio). While Clarko spent a few years trying to make it work, Hardwick quickly realized Richmond was sinking faster than the Titanic and abandoned ship.
The Richmond parallels with Hawthorn 8-10 years ago are uncanny to say the least. Hawthorn won three flags in a row before bowing out of the finals in straight sets in 2016. At this point Clarko decides now is the time to move on some of the old guard (Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis) and instructs the club to trade the farm for Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O'Meara; two midfielders in their twenties. This was Clarko's Grand Plan for a revolutionary snap rebuild where they wouldn't have to bottom out like other rebuilding clubs, but instead, continue to add free agents and big name trades and stay at the top. Proceeded to bring in Wingard, Scully, Patton among others, but missed out on Shiel, Lynch and Coniglio. All of this ended badly, leaving Hawthorn with a broken list and in need of an extended bottoming-out period.
Richmond won 3 out of 4 flags from 2017-2020. Following the 2021-2022 years it was becoming apparent the list was getting old and on the way down. What followed was a similar scenario: instead of going down the standard rebuilding path of prioritizing youth recruitment, Dimma decided he wants to try the Clarko snap rebuild, instructing Richmond to trade the farm for Hopper and Taranto. Fast forward half-way through the 2023 season, it is now abundantly clear Richmond won't be contending for a long time, and knowing this, Dimma decides to call it quits, citing fatigue.
Just a few weeks later he decides he's eager to coach again, and conveniently, the Gold Coast are looking for a new coach, have one of the exciting young lists in the competition, and are desperate to pay big money to any proven Premiership-winning coach.
As of Round 10, 2024, the Gold Coast are young, fast, exciting, just thrashed Geelong, look primed for their first finals appearance ever and will likely be contenders over the next 5-10 years. As for Richmond, they are in the dumpster. Their youth is poor (possibly the worst in the competition), they are full of injuries, they are still heavily dependent on older players who aren't performing, and are virtually certain to spend the next 5-7 years hanging around the bottom like Hawthorn. By the time that list is ready to compete, Hopper and Taranto will be grandpas.
With all this in mind, Hardwick's alleged fatigue all seems just a bit too well-timed. I suspect it was a load of rubbish. He's ambitious and impatient. He doesn't want to go through the whole rebuild thing again, he wants to coach a contender. This is precisely why he recruited Hopper and Taranto to Richmond in the first place, and why Clarko brought in Mitchell, O'Meara, Wingard (and tried to bring in Lynch, Shiel and Coniglio). While Clarko spent a few years trying to make it work, Hardwick quickly realized Richmond was sinking faster than the Titanic and abandoned ship.
