Damien Hardwick quits Richmond: Jon Ralph analyses impact on other coaches, Ken Hinkley, Stuart Dew

Nothing stimulates a coaching market quicker than a coaching vacancy. And there is no bigger vacancy than at a powerhouse club like Richmond. So what happens next?

Damien Hardwick.

Damien Hardwick’s shock decision to move on from Richmond just 10 rounds into the AFL season will send the coaching merry-go-round spinning into overdrive just when it seemed football might enjoy a period of calm.

At 6pm on Monday Ken Hinkley’s coaching future was still being decided in August, Stuart Dew was on solid ground and Adam Simpson’s deal to 2025 at least gave him some measure of security.

Now all bets are off.

Nothing stimulates a senior coaching market quicker than a coaching vacancy.

And there is no bigger vacancy than at a powerhouse club like Richmond.

Damien Hardwick and Dustin Martin.

Say what you want about their list and imminent exits for Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin, who will retire at year’s end.

But who wouldn’t want to coach at a financially secure club on the edge of the CBD with stars of the calibre of Shai Bolton, Tom Lynch, Daniel Rioli, Dion Prestia and Liam Baker.

As recently as this weekend Port Adelaide was privately contemplating whether Ken Hinkley would be swayed by a mega-deal from a rival club when they might only offer him a two-year extension.

The firm view was that he was so entrenched in the city of Adelaide with his wider family — and invested in the young list — that talks could wait until August where he would reject rival offers like he did Essendon’s overtures last year.

Ken Hinkley embraces Sam Powell-Pepper after a win.

Now the Power will have to consider escalating that timeline given he would be the perfect candidate to fill Hardwick’s boots.

A superb communicator, great relationships with kids, strong tactician, able to lead a club as well as a list of 40 men.

And ready to inherit a list for immediate success instead of putting the training wheels on.

Richmond would have to ask Nathan Buckley if he was interested, while running a process that would involve Justin Leppitsch (back for a third stint!), Adem Yze and their own highly-rated Andrew McQualter.

Hardwick’s own future is one for him to detail on Tuesday given he might declare he needs a long stretch out of the game.

But the chatter in recent weeks has strongly linked him to clubs like Gold Coast, and yet it seemed so preposterous it was hard to believe.

Stuart Dew chats to David Swallow.

Andrew McQualter is highly-rated at Richmond.

Only he would know whether four months out of the game will be long enough for him to be a contender for a new challenge out of Melbourne.

Especially if he is keen to get out of the Victorian fishbowl with his new partner Alexandra.

Dew’s future was seen to be in his own hands given his 4-6 side is building slowly but Gold Coast will not be infinitely patient if there is another second-half slide.

His contract for 2024 won’t save him if Hardwick is available, and is believed to have all the get-out clauses that it should given the club’s leap of faith to re-sign him and financial reliance on the AFL.

Put it this way - how much would the AFL pay Hardwick as an ambassador to spread the gospel given its determination to cement the vast recent gains in junior participation.

So Hardwick is gone with an extraordinary legacy as the man who helped save modern Richmond alongside Brendon Gale, Peggy O’Neal and Dustin Martin

And he just turned the coaching landscape on its head.