Damien Hardwick gives his players weekly gifts and last week hand wrote them personalised letters

At the front of every player’s locker is a present. It might be a hockey puck, a vinyl record or a hammer. Jay Clark unwraps the weekly ritual driving the special connection at Tigerland.

Every week, there is a gift waiting for each Richmond player.

Tigers coach Damien Hardwick leaves the trinkets and presents in front of all of his players’ lockers before each game.

In some way, the gifts represent the theme or are cleverly woven into the message Hardwick is spruiking that week in the lead-up to the game.

There’s been hammers, NFL balls and hockey pucks, vinyl records and cassettes, movies and different tops and singlets representing various sporting teams from around the world.

And before last week’s preliminary final win over Geelong, Hardwick went to another level, personally handwriting a letter to each Tigers’ player.

Richmond players have revealed that only moments before the Tigers ran out to face the Cats, they opened envelopes containing heart-felt messages about their own personal journeys from their senior coach.

Defender Nathan Broad put his letter on his fridge and has revisited it often this week, while ruckman Toby Nankervis said it would be something he cherished forever.

“I read mine before the game, and it was pretty amazing, something I’ll remember and keep forever, to be honest,” said Nankervis.

“Just how personal he makes it for us is something pretty special

“Everyone has their own journey and for him to recognise that (in writing) is pretty personal and to me and everyone, I think it really means a lot.

“And all of the gifts that he gives, it is something you will be able to look back on and be really proud.”

Replay the 2019 Toyota AFL Grand Final in full on KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14 day free trial and start streaming instantly >

Damien Hardwick gives his players a final rev-up before the preliminary final.

For youngster Jayden Short, the letter had a big impact.

“You do get emotional, reading it before the game,” Short said.

“It is something that gives you great confidence out there and shows you how much he cares for all of us.

“He always gives us some sort of present every week and there is always a back story, or a story before the game, and every week is different, there has been all sorts of things.”

Speedster Jason Castagna, who keeps all of his gifts in his top cupboard in his bedroom, added: “Reading that before the game I definitely know it gave all of us a lift. He put in so much time and effort into it, because he has such a strong connection with each and every one of us.”

This connectivity has been Richmond’s trump card, helping encourage openness, vulnerability and authenticity which ignited its premiership tilt at the start of 2017.

When the players gathered at the club before the Grand Final parade, Hardwick fought back tears as he told his troops how proud he was, regardless of the result.

Last year, the day before the preliminary final loss to Collingwood Hardwick had a Freddie Mercury impersonator sing at the club, which he admitted went down “like a lead balloon”.

Not everything is perfect, he said laughing, upon reflection.

Damien Hardwick joins Tom Lynch in the Grand Final parade.

But today was more emotional, Broad said.

“This morning Dimma got up in front of the group and it did get a bit emotional, and it does make you all feel emotional because you ride the highs and the lows together,” Broad said.

“We are such a tight-knit group.”

For some, the gifts aren’t that practical. Captain Trent Cotchin hasn’t got a record player so the vinyls are all stacked in an unused pile.

But others are. Bachar Houli’s hammer is now in his camping set while Ivan Soldo wears his Tampa Bay Buccaneers hoodie most days.

Cotchin said Hardwick “had become an amazing storyteller” and “that’s why we can relate to him so easily”.

“I love it about him,” Cotchin said.

Shai Bolton added: “I have never had a coach like him, the way he cares about you and speaks to you, it is unreal.”

Damien Hardwick has a special bond with his players.

Teammate Kane Lambert said Hardwick delegated a lot of work to his assistants so that he could focus on the emotional layers of coaching.

“It is quite amazing to think he comes up with a theme or something that is relevant every week,” Lambert said.

“Last week was obviously a really good one, the way he wrote the personalised letters and gave a record that was relevant to each story.

“It was a personal letter which reflected on my journey and was about backing myself in and knowing that I have the trust of my teammates and my coaches and that gives me great confidence.

“It just shows you how much he is invested into the footy club and us as individuals.”

HARDWICK BACKS GRAND FINAL DEBUT

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers are not expecting September bolter Marlion Pickett to be the matchwinner against the Giants.

The Tigers made the massive call to select Pickett for his first AFL game in the Grand Final as they target their second flag in three seasons.

The mature-age mid-season recruit becomes the first player since 1952 to make his debut in a VFL/AFL Grand Final and said on Friday he was willing to do the hard stuff required to help his team tackle the hard-edge Giants.

Hardwick was confident 27-year-old Pickett would not be overawed by the occasion, but did not expect him to be the difference for the Tigers.

“He is just unfazed. Every challenge he has played at this year he has sort of raised the bat,” Hardwick said.

“Don’t get me wrong, Marlion is an important player, but he is not going to be the difference in the game.

“We have got some really good players that we expect to play a great brand of footy against a formidable opponent in GWS.

“We just expect him to play his role, we don’t expect him to be a matchwinner, but we look forward to him bringing his strengths in the big game.”

Marlion Pickett holds his daughter Shaniqua as Sydney Stack holds Pickett’s son Levi in the Grand Final parade.

The door opened for Pickett to make his debut when Jack Graham was ruled out during the week after suffering a dislocated shoulder in last week’s preliminary final against Geelong.

But while Pickett was elated with his elevation — which prompted his parents Thomas and Angela fly across the country from Perth yesterday to see him play — he was sparing a thought for Jack Ross and Kamdyn McIntosh, who were overlooked.

“It’s mixed emotions … I still can’t believe it,” Pickett said. “I was really happy (but) felt for Jack Ross and Kamdyn McIntosh. I didn’t really know what to think yesterday.”

He has been shocked by the number of wellwishers who have had contacted him, including his South Fremantle coach Todd Curley and former Tiger and Magpie Andrew Krakouer, who also went to prison before resurrecting his football career.

“My story is a good story, but it is life, I guess,” said Pickett, who spent two-and-a-half years in jail as a teenager for minor burglary offences.

This goal celebration was to people in a similar position to me, things can change, keep faith and with a positive mindset, hard work and great support..anything is possible..Marlion Pickett has a similar journey to mine....mistakes made, jail now in an AFL Grand Final! 👏🏾👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/MIjUDmchQI

— Andrew Krakouer (@andrewkrakouer) September 26, 2019

“(Krakouer’s) is a good story … I am just looking to change for the better for my kids.”

Pickett’s four children — Marlion Jr (9), Latrelle (7), Shaniqua (4) and Levi (2) — carpooled with him and three other teammates at the Grand Final parade.

Hardwick said Pickett had earned his chance to show what he could do on the finals stage.

“We thought if it was Round 16 we would be picking the kid to play so we backed in our gut,” Hardwick said.

“It’s a great story and a lot of people will tell you that but the reality is that this kid can play, so we are excited to give him an opportunity.”

Hardwick admitted the Tigers had wanted to select Pickett for some time, but the team’s form had made it hard for him to break in.

But Pickett’s performance in the VFL Grand Final last week could not be ignored.

“You look as these sorts of players and he’s 27 years of age and obviously he’s had a couple of years out of the system but he looks a ready-made AFL player.”

Pickett said: “Hopefully, as the game goes on, I will get a touch, but if not, I will be happy to just put the pressure on.”

— Rebecca Williams and Glenn McFarlane