Damien Hardwick delivers passionate speech at Richmond best-and-fairest

DAMIEN Hardwick has delivered a passionate speech at Richmond’s best-and-fairest, taking responsibility for the Tigers’ ‘incredibly disappointing’ season and declaring the club won’t be ‘fractured’.

Richmond CEO Brendon Gale.

UNITY prevailed at Richmond on Thursday night after a week of off-field drama that threatened to destabilise Punt Rd.

A clearly emotional Damien Hardwick backed club president Peggy O’Neal and chief executive Brendon Gale after a rival ticket this week launched its campaign to spill the club’s board.

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Hardwick is determined not to let the Tigers “fracture” when under pressure following a tough season.

That doesn’t happen to “good clubs”, he said, and he is hellbent on returning Richmond to being “great”.

“Good clubs don’t fracture when things go bad. They hang tough,” Hardwick said at the Tigers best-and-fairest.

“They identify the change and what needs to be made and they make those changes and they move forward. That’s exactly what we’re doing.

“We won’t be rushed, we won’t be pushed. We’ve done everything in our power at the moment to make sure things are done right. You need to trust our leaders in Brendon and Peggy and make sure we back them up at every opportunity.”

Damien Hardwick spoke with passion at the Richmond best-and-fairest. Pictue: Wayne Ludbey

Hardwick described O’Neal and Gale as “two of the best administrators I’ve seen in my time” and said Richmond is “an outstandingly-run football club”, despite claims by the rival group that the on-field performance is not up to standard.

O’Neal didn’t address the challenge directly, with only one member of the “Focus on Football” ticket believed to be in the room, but delivered another passionate indication that she is not going anywhere.

It still hurts me at this moment. The coaching staff and players take full responsibility.

- Damien Hardwick

“Performances didn’t match expectation and that hurts. So what’s the answer? Should we fracture as a club? Should we start making reactionary decisions based purely on emotion? Clearly not,” O’Neal said.

“We surely have matured as a club and we can’t let anger and finger-pointing define our future. We must be in this together — it’s the only way.

“We have been taking sure and steady steps and everyone acknowledges that we have made enormous progress in so many areas.

“But the answer isn’t to say ‘It’s too hard’. The answer is not to forget how far we’ve come and tear down what we’ve built, so that the club is faced with starting again.

“We ask our players to be strong when challenges arise. We ask our fans to do the same and you respond. Your loyalty and passion are second to none.

“Nothing less should be expected from boards and management, and because this is a fiercely competitive market, challenges arise every day and it’s our responsibility to meet them.”

Richmond CEO Brendon Gale and president Peggy O’Neal face the media this week.

She said the club’s review into 2016 will be shared “very shortly” and will bring “informed change”.

“The changes required have never been in question, but this will be well-informed change,” she said.

“Change that is properly considered and the result of a very thorough process. Change that comes from addressing the real issues — not perceived issues.”

Hardwick was the first to admit that he is still hurting when reflecting on the disappointing season.

“There’s absolutely no hiding from the fact that season 2016 was an incredible disappointment on so many levels,” he said.

“It still hurts me at this moment. The coaching staff and players take full responsibility. We expected much better and we failed you as a fraternity of fans and family.

“We feel that pain every day, and we look forward to having the opportunity to respond. “Unfortunately, that opportunity to respond is some six months away, so that disappointment turns into anger. And that anger has got to turn into something all the more important to go with. Because we are a good football club that needs to become great.”