Damien Hardwick, a former Australian rules football player, served as both a player and a coach. He held the position of senior coach for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League from 2010 until mid-2023.
Bio/Wiki
Age-50years
Height- 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight-82kg
Born-18 August 1972
Profession-Football Coach, And Former Player
Spouse- Danielle Hardwick
Full name- Damien Patrick Hardwick
Nationality-Australian
Draft-No. 87, 1992 national draft
Teams coached-Richmond Football Club (Head coach, since 2009), Hawthorn Football Club (Assistant Coach, 2005–2009)
Family
Noel Hardwick (father) and Pam Hardwick (mother) are the parents of Damien Hardwick.
Wife
Damien Hardwick married to Danielle Hardwick.In 2020, amidst the turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the AFL was thrown into disarray, leading to the breakdown of the couple’s marriage. As players and officials were compelled to relocate to a hub in Queensland for an extended duration, the pair, who had been together for three decades, decided to separate.
Children
The Hardwick couple had a total of three children, namely Isabelle Hardwick, Benjamin Hardwick, and Imogen Hardwick.
Career
AFL Playing Career
Starting his AFL journey in 1994 with the Essendon Football Club, Hardwick quickly gained a reputation as a resilient and robust defender. However, his aggressive style of play occasionally led him to face disciplinary actions at the AFL Tribunal. Notably, he played a vital role in Essendon’s triumph in the 2000 premiership. Following the 2001 season, he was traded to the Port Adelaide Football Club, where he remained until his retirement in 2004. During his time with Port Adelaide, he contributed to their successful premiership campaign in 2004. In the memorable 2004 Grand Final, Hardwick’s impact was evident as he earned three crucial free kicks, including a reversal against Jason Akermanis, which denied the Brisbane Lions a scoring opportunity.
AFL Coaching Career
Hawthorn Football Club Assistant Coach
In 2005, Hardwick started his career as an assistant coach, working alongside senior coach Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn.
In 2007, Hardwick applied for the senior coaching position at Melbourne Football Club, but unfortunately, he was not successful as the job was given to Dean Bailey. Later, he also made the shortlist for the senior coaching role at Essendon Football Club, as a replacement for the departing Kevin Sheedy. However, he was ultimately passed over for former Richmond captain Matthew Knights.
Richmond Football Club
On August 25, 2009, Hardwick took on his first senior coaching position when he was appointed as the head coach of Richmond Football Club for a three-year term. He replaced caretaker coach Jade Rawlings, who had stepped in for Terry Wallace during the 2009 season. In March 2012, Hardwick agreed to a two-year contract extension, and in December 2013, he accepted another two-year extension, tying him to the club until at least the end of the 2016 season.
Under Hardwick’s leadership, Richmond achieved significant success. In 2017, he coached the team to their first premiership since 1980, securing their 11th overall title with a 48-point victory over the Adelaide Crows. In 2019, Hardwick guided Richmond to another premiership, their 12th overall, with a dominant 89-point win against the GWS Giants. The team continued their winning streak in 2020, claiming their third premiership in four years and their 13th overall. Hardwick also had the opportunity to coach the Victoria State of Origin side in a one-off match in 2020.
Hardwick faced challenges during his tenure, particularly in his first season in 2010 when the team struggled initially. However, they showed improvement throughout the years, reaching their first finals series in 2013 since 2001. In 2014, Richmond made a late-season surge to secure a spot in the finals but were eliminated by Port Adelaide. The 2015 and 2016 seasons were less successful, with early exits in the finals and a lower ladder position for the team.
In 2017, Hardwick led Richmond to their historic premiership victory, earning him the AFLCA Coach of the Year award. The following year, he guided the team to their first minor premiership in decades but fell short in the Preliminary Final against Collingwood. However, Hardwick redeemed himself in 2019, securing a second premiership for Richmond with a commanding win over the GWS Giants.
Despite aiming for a third consecutive premiership in 2021, Richmond’s performance declined, and they finished the season outside the finals. Then, on May 22, 2023, Hardwick unexpectedly resigned from his position as senior coach due to burnout and the stress associated with the role. Assistant coach Andrew McQualter took over as caretaker senior coach for the remainder of the 2023 season.
Achievement/Awards
- In 1990 and 1991, he was a premiership player for the North Melbourne Under-19s.
- He won the Essendon best and fairest award in 1998.
- In 2000, he was a premiership player for Essendon and also earned the All-Australian title.
- He participated in the International Rules series in 2000 and 2001.
- He became a premiership player for Port Adelaide in 2004.
- In 2008, he worked as an assistant coach for Hawthorn during their premiership win.
- As the coach of Richmond, he led the team to premiership victories in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
- He received the Jock McHale Medal in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
- He was named the AFLCA Coach of the Year in 2017.
Net Worth 2023
As of 2023, Damien Hardwick has an estimated net worth of 6.02 million dollars.
Latest News About Damien Hardwick
Former Richmond coach Damien Hardwick is set to receive a call from the Gold Coast after Stuart Dew was sacked by the club. Another potential contender, Chris Scott, is likely to extend his contract with Geelong.
A reliable source close to Hardwick, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the three-time premiership coach would be open to discussing the vacant position with the Suns. While Hardwick expressed his desire to coach in the AFL again, he did not specify when he would like to resume coaching.
Having experienced the relaxed and sun-soaked lifestyle on the Gold Coast during the AFL’s relocation in 2020, Hardwick, whose children are all adults, is considered a strong candidate for the coaching role. The club has never had a premiership-winning coach at its helm, with Rodney Eade being their only senior coach with prior experience, coaching from 2015 to 2017.
Ken Hinkley and Chris Scott have also been linked to the Suns coaching position, but it seems Hinkley is likely to re-sign with Port Adelaide, and Scott is under contract with Geelong until next season.
An anonymous senior source within Geelong expressed confidence that Scott would extend his contract beyond 2024 and ruled out his candidacy for the Suns’ vacant job. Scott, a dual-premiership coach, is content in his role at Geelong and is performing well. Discussions are underway between Scott’s management and the club to secure a new deal. The Suns have not approached Scott’s manager, Liam Pickering.