By Peter Ryan and Jake Niall
New Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick is not planning a major overhaul of the club’s playing list, saying he believes the Suns already have 80 per cent of their first premiership team.
Although the expansion club has not played finals once in the 13 years it has been in the AFL, Hardwick, the three-time Richmond premiership coach, was full of optimism when the Suns confirmed the worst-kept secret in football on Monday by announcing his appointment.
He joins the club on a six-year contract almost three months to the day since he finished up at Richmond, when he said he needed a break.
“There’ll be a few bits [to the playing list] added along the way, but the fact of matter is this side and this club are very capable of saluting in the not too distant future,” Hardwick said.
“I look at these guys, they’ve got incredible strengths. They’re here for a reason. So let’s, let’s unleash those. Let’s make sure we’ve got a game style that we can implement that brings out the strength of our players, you know, fast, dynamic footy.”
Hardwick played a straight bat to questions about why his break from coaching was so short-lived and laughed off suggestions he might have an eye on recruiting Tigers’ superstar Dustin Martin to the Gold Coast, or talking Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt out of their recently announced retirements to play up north.
Damien Hardwick arrives at Gold Coast with a sunny outlook on the club’s future.Credit: Getty
“I’d been in that organisation [Richmond] for 13 years and given everything to that group of players and the fact of that matter is they needed a new voice,” Hardwick said.
“I still love coaching, and it will always be my blood. I’m a career coach ... I’ve got a great bunch of players now ... a great new bunch of toys, that I’m really looking forward to working with, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Hardwick, 51, celebrated his birthday on Friday, attended the farewell match for Cotchin and Riewoldt on Saturday and flew to the Gold Coast on Sunday night.
He shocked the football world when he stepped away from Richmond after 10 rounds in May. However, there was immediate speculation he would replace Stuart Dew as Gold Coast’s coach.
The Suns sacked Dew after round 17, and chief executive Mark Evans and chair Bob East then flew to Italy where Hardwick was holidaying to outline the final details of a long-term deal to be their new coach.
Hardwick will be among the higher-paid coaches in the competition, but he is conscious of leaving enough resources to invest in the Suns’ football program, as he was at Richmond, where he was never the highest-paid coach in the league, despite being a three-time premiership coach.
Two sources familiar with the deal, speaking anonymously to discuss contract matters, said there were not expected to be special AFL payments outside the soft cap.
Hardwick said the Suns spoke to his management group about a week before his meeting with Evans and East in Milan, and he was flattered by their commitment to recruiting him. He said he grew more excited about the challenge of coaching the club as his travels in Europe with partner Alex continued.
He said the coaching group – like the playing list – was unlikely to receive a major overhaul.
“No, I think we’re pretty set. I’m pretty happy with the group we’ve got. We’ve had some good conversations around that, very confident in the footy department that we’ve we’ve managed to bring together over a period of time, and that, with the playing group, is the reason I’m here,” said Hardwick, who added he had not yet spoken to Dew.
“You know, as I said, I’m not the messiah. I’m part of the puzzle that’s going to take us where we need to go. So that, to me, is the best part of the job.”
Hardwick won the 2017, 2019 and 2020 premierships in 307 games at Richmond after building the club from the bottom of the ladder to one of the game’s powerhouse clubs.
Damien Hardwick with Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans and chairman Bob East.Credit: Getty
He won two premierships as a player, one with Essendon and one at Port Adelaide, before being involved in a premiership at Hawthorn as an assistant coach.
East said he was pleased to secure Hardwick’s signature.
“It is with great excitement that we welcome Damien and his partner Alex to the Gold Coast Suns,” the chairman said in a statement.
“We have been unequivocal in our desire to deliver success for our football club, for our loyal and growing group of members and fans, and to the wider Gold Coast community. This appointment is clearly a significant step in that direction.
“When we began the process to determine our senior coach, it was quickly apparent Damien was the best candidate available, with premiership experience and the proven elite coaching skill set required for the job.
“We have high expectations for our club and firmly believe Damien can deliver on these to elevate the Gold Coast Suns to achieve premiership success in the AFL.”
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