Why Damien Hardwick has nothing to be sorry for over his comments about Tom Lynch

WHEN will we talk freely about player movement — real or potential? Sadly, perhaps no time soon if this week is anything to go by. SAM EDMUND looks at the why no one should be sorry for trying to recruit a player.

WHEN will the attitudes become as progressive as the rules?

When will we talk freely about player movement — real or potential?

Sadly, perhaps no time soon if this week is anything to go by.

Damien Hardwick became the first coach to publicly express his interest in Gold Coast free agent Tom Lynch.

In a refreshingly frank and honest interview with Fox Footy and reported in Wednesday’s Herald Sun, the Richmond premiership coach said he’d love to secure the Suns skipper.

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“Those sort of players very rarely come out of contract, especially with free-agency … to not cost draft picks, you probably make room for that type of player,” Hardwick said.

“He’s an incredible athlete, great player and a great leader by all accounts ... so you’ve got to have a look at it.”

Last season we had a public spat between Adelaide’s Don Pyke and Brisbane’s Chris Fagan over the Lions’ interest in Charlie Cameron.

Tom Lynch in the biggest free agent in the game. Picture: Alix Sweeney

But Hardwick’s were the sort of comments that had the potential to set us on a new path, particularly given they had come from a coach who repeated his distaste for talking about opposition players.

The fact he had just endured a season of free agency speculation over his own star player, Dustin Martin, also added to the clout.

Players move freely in most other sports around the world, particularly in the US and English Premier League.

Early in last year’s NRL season, it was business as usual at Melbourne Storm despite the fact three of its starting Grand Final side — including superstar Cooper Cronk — had already signed for other clubs.

Yet before the sun had gone down on Wednesday, Tigers list manager Blair Hartley had already reached out to Gold Coast with what the Suns said was an “apologetic and embarrassed” phone call.

Hardwick was caught off-guard when asked about the phone call following the Tigers’ JLT win over North Melbourne that night, but his response wasn’t only instinctive, it was right.

“I’m not sure what we’re apologising for,” Hardwick said.

He may not be apologetic, but the sad reality is you won’t hear him talking so frankly about uncontracted opposition players again this year.

“What Damien says now is that if he’s ever asked that question again he will say ‘I’m not in a position to comment on a player from another club’,” Richmond football manager Neil Balme said.

“We went through it all last year with Dusty. We understand what it all means and we understand everyone has got a right to do what they want to do.

Richmond would like to add Tom Lynch in the off-season. Picture: Getty Images

“But we’re the last people to try and make someone else’s life difficult by intervening. We don’t want to intervene with Tom Lynch. He will do what he wants to do within the rules and that’s fine.”

Difficult? Really?

New Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew on Thursday said he had no problems with Hardwick, a former Port Adelaide teammate.

“It happened all last year, it’ll happen all next year, sometimes I’ll have to deal with it, sometimes I won’t,” Dew said.

Asked why we can’t be big enough to cope with the changing landscape of player movement, Balme said: “We should be, but we’re not.”

And to think league HQ is talking mid-season trades, drafts and even an EPL-style loan period.

That’s a lot of apologetic phone calls.