Richmond president Peggy O’Neal defends under-siege coach Damien Hardwick

RICHMOND president Peggy O’Neal has launched an impassioned and emphatic defence of under-siege coach Damien Hardwick.

Damien Hardwick. Picture: Getty Images

RICHMOND president Peggy O’Neal has launched an impassioned and emphatic defence of under-siege coach Damien Hardwick.

O’Neal, who re-signed the coach earlier this season, is adamant that the Tigers will not be bowing to the “external noise” that Hardwick referenced continuously this week.

She declared that Hardwick remains the coach for the club going forward, despite 70 and 88-point back-to-back losses prior to Friday’s clash with Collingwood, and flatly rejected the suggestion that the decision to re-sign Hardwick with so much of the season still to play out was a mistake.

“We made our decision based on performance through the past three years and we still think it was the right decision to make,” she said on 3AW.

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“This (season) has been a downturn nobody wanted to have, but it’s not always up, up, up.

“We still think the fundamentals of why we extended Damien’s contract are true.

“We think he is the man for us.

Damien Hardwick is under serious pressure to keep his job. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“We went through a rigorous and difficult approach ... we were pretty thorough. It doesn’t guarantee that things will be positive.

“What we want is a premiership and if we have to make tough decisions to get there ... we’re prepared to do that.”

Rumours of board ructions have dominated discussion this week, but O’Neal said she is “absolutely” sure that board member Malcolm Speed is not involved in such a push.

“Malcolm has assured the board that he has nothing to do with it, and he was rather upset that his name was associated with it,” she said.

“He contacted all the board members to say that.”

Hardwick recently labelled the current Richmond list as the best he has had the reins to in his time at the club.

And O’Neal said the club is determined to take the next step towards the top eight and, eventually, the top four.

The Tigers have won just seven games this season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“I think you have to put it in context. I know what he said about the list most recently ... the potential for the list is what he meant, and starting to blood the new talent and having the experienced elite players there,” she said.

“We’re looking for a side that will take us into finals and win finals. After arriving at finals three years in a row and not winning any, it became apparent early in the season that we needed to change some things around — that’s what he was prepared to do.

“We’re confident it will hold us in good stead for the next step we have to take.

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“We all take responsibility for what has happened (this year).”

O’Neal, who has been at the helm of the club since 2013 and has been criticised for her low-profile approach to the role, also said she is keen for another term in the job.

“I can’t believe this topic of governance at football clubs is front page news,” she said.

“I have nothing but the club’s best interests at heart. My job is to guide ... if they want me to be president again, I’d be more than happy to go ahead.”