'Unbelievable' Hardwick lauded after massive decision

1 year ago 108

Damien Hardwick has been lauded for an "unbelievable" 14-year stint arsenic Richmond's elder manager amid reports suggesting helium volition measurement down from his role.

According to SEN and The Age reports, Hardwick is acceptable to pass his players of the determination connected Tuesday, citing "burnout" arsenic a cardinal factor.

Hardwick reportedly informed Tigers CEO Brendon Gale of his telephone connected Monday and has started contacting players via phone.

Richmond suffered a heartbreaking nonaccomplishment to Essendon astatine the weekend, and the lucifer is expected to beryllium Hardwick's last lucifer successful complaint of the Tigers.

"Even though it's a daze and the timing is simply a monolithic shock, I don't deliberation the players would accidental it wholly blindsided them," The Age's Caroline Wilson told Nine's Footy Classified connected Monday night.

Richmond has won 3 premierships nether Hardwick's enactment successful 2017, 2019 and 2020 (Getty)

"I judge helium is existent to his words erstwhile helium says helium is burnt out, but I bash judge helium volition decidedly manager again, he's excessively bully a coach.

"In presumption of loyalty to this shot club, helium is simply a loyal idiosyncratic and helium is doing this due to the fact that helium knows successful his bosom of hearts, helium can't springiness his champion for Richmond close now.

"I thought helium was going to spell by the extremity of the year."

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Essendon large Matthew Lloyd, who was a long-time teammate of Hardwick's during the pair's playing days, lauded him for an "unbelievable" stint.

"He got the occupation arsenic a 37-year-old and helium leaves arsenic a 50-year-old achieving 3 premierships," helium told Footy Classified. "A phenomenal record."

Hardwick was fiercely loyal to his players during his tenure, often taking down reporters who were captious of them, and was praised for doing truthful by different erstwhile teammate, Kane Cornes.

The unit was written each implicit Hardwick's look this play arsenic the losses piled up for Richmond (Getty)

"I loved that combativeness astir him," Cornes told Footy Classified.

"One of his existent strengths was his loyalty to his players. You would've loved him arsenic a subordinate erstwhile helium ever backed his players in. I anticipation we get to spot it again."

According to The Age, adjunct manager Andrew McQualter is expected to pb the broadside successful Sunday's clash against Port Adelaide.

After being 1 of the league's ascendant teams implicit the past six years, Richmond has struggled truthful acold this play winning conscionable 3 of its archetypal 10 games, contempt an assertive off-season which saw the arrivals of prima duo Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto.

Hardwick is the longest-tenured manager successful Richmond's past having spent 14 seasons successful complaint aft taking implicit successful 2010.

The 50-year-old's 160 location and distant wins arsenic Richmond manager ranks archetypal wide successful the club's history, having lone surpassed the legendary Tom Hafey's 158 this season. Hafey inactive holds the grounds for combined location and distant and finals wins with 173, 3 up of Hardwick's 170.

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