‘He’ll coach there next year’: AFL great backs ‘easy sell’ club to lure Damien Hardwick

Damien Hardwick’s next destination is clear according to Fox Footy’s David King, after his “perfect exit” from Richmond this week.

Damien Hardwick announced his retirement during the week. Picture: Quinn Rooney

Damien Hardwick will be the coach of Port Adelaide next season, according to Fox Footy’s David King, after his “perfect exit” from Richmond this week.

Speaking on SEN, King said he believed Hardwick made the right call in to step away from the club he led for more than a decade to “refresh” after getting “burnt out”.

And after time away from the game, King believes the Port Adelaide job – currently held by an out-of-contract Ken Hinkley – would be his best option to return.

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“I think this is the perfect way to do it, get yourself three months off, have yourself a break, refresh and then when the job comes up at Port Adelaide and Port Adelaide say ‘come and coach us, we’ve got this midfield’, the sell is easy,” he said on SEN.

“I think he’ll be coaching Port Adelaide next year, personally.

“I think that’s a good thing for footy because the way he coaches is what we want to see.

“It’s highlights, it’s free-flowing footy, it’s aggression.

“He needs a break and they’ve (Richmond) been great for him.

“I think it’s really mature to walk in and say, ‘I’ve got the most out of this group. You know what? I could sit in this chair and pick up checks for another six months and probably 18 months’ and some would do that.

“Some would just sit there and fulfil their obligations knowing they’re short of 100 per cent but he hasn’t done that.”

Hardwick finished his playing career at Port Adelaide, and is a premiership winner at the club back in 2004.

King said Hardwick’s decision to leave Richmond mid-season was the “perfect exit” for both himself and his veterans who he now doesn’t “have to retire”.

“It’s someone else’s team now,” King added.

Damien Hardwick poses with his mum Pam and dad Noel after the 2004 premiership win.

“This is footy – this is reality. Nothing goes to script in reality TV which is AFL footy.”

Fellow SEN panellist Kane Cornes questioned how Richmond fans would respond if Hardwick were to return to the game so soon after his exit, describing it as a potential “bitter taste”.

“Would you be a little bit disappointed if in 12 weeks time he’s got another job?” he said.

“There’ll be job offers everywhere.”

“(Richmond fans could say) he said he’s burnt out and we’ve given up on the season 10 weeks in, but then he’s gone and coached Gold Coast or Port Adelaide a couple of months after.”

While Hinkley’s job was described by club premiership skipper Warren Tredrea as “untenable” seven weeks ago, the Port coach has only gone from strength to strength since.

He’s led the side to an unbeaten seven-game winning run and put them into genuine premiership talk.

But King said a winning streak won’t save Hinkley come season’s end if they don’t make it to the big dance in September.

“I think the assessments of Ken in-season are different to what we all thought starting the year,” King said.

“The pass mark at the start of the year wasn’t winning seven home and away games in a row, or win 10 in a row, or win 15 in a row.

“The pass mark is all about the pointy end and we’re miles from the pointy end.

“If he makes a Grand Final, he’s fine and if he’s charging towards the prelim, probably there’s some pressure on him to re-sign (with the club).

“But they’ve got to deliver, they’ve been here before.”

The Power have missed finals just five times since Hinkley took charge for the 2013 season, making three preliminary finals along the way.

But they’ve yet to make a grand final since their 119-point belting at the hands of Geelong back in 2007.

Originally published as ‘He’ll coach there next year’: AFL great backs ‘easy sell’ club to lure Damien Hardwick