Dual Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick showing similar traits to Tiger great Tom Hafey
Damien Hardwick will pass Tom Hafey’s coaching games record next year and the Tigers believe his close relationship with his players has all the hallmarks of the Richmond immortal.
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Richmond president Peggy O’Neal says Damien Hardwick is on track to realise the club’s grand predictions as a legendary Tommy Hafey-style figure at Punt Road.
Hafey not only achieved vast premiership success as a four-time premiership coach, his “disciples” still worship him as a father figure decades later.
Former president Gary March was mocked when the club re-signed Hardwick in 2012, saying he hoped Hardwick was a “Tommy Hafey-type who coaches for 10-plus years and coaches us to premierships”.
But since the club stuck with Hardwick through a disastrous 2016 campaign he has put the club on track for vast off-field wealth as well as the chance at more premierships ahead.
Hafey coached Richmond for 248 games and ended up a Richmond “Immortal”, with Hardwick set to pass his coaching games record next year after 231 games in charge.
O’Neal said both Damien and Danielle Hardwick deserved credit for the culture they had created, after Maureen Hardwick presented Hardwick with Saturday’s premiership cup.
“You hear all the stories about how Maureen and Tommy had everyone to their house for dinner. And everyone went to everyone’s weddings and parties and birthdays and I think you can see the close connection these guys have,” she told the Herald Sun.
“We know how much the Hardwicks have put into this and how Daniel Rioli lived with him and Sydney Stack lived with him and they regularly have everyone over too. That closeness is how you build teams. It’s a similar story off field and how everyone feels and the respect they pay each other.
“There is a bit of that and it was wonderful to have Maureen present the cup yesterday and she did us all proud, she was fantastic. Our coach is himself and maybe there are parallels in successful coaches.”
Richmond defender Nathan Broad said Hardwick had backed him in times when everyone else had doubted him.
“I had two touches in the final against Brisbane and everyone was saying, “Broad is going to get dropped”.
“He rang me and said, “Eric Hipwood was goalless and had five touches, I would put you in our top 10 and we are going to play you next week. It’s what we love about you, who gives an “F” what the outside world thinks’. He reassures you and he sticks to his word and he’s a true man.”
Kane Lambert was recruited from footy’s scrapheap when constantly overlooked by 18 clubs and paid tribute to Hardwick on Sunday.
“At the end of 2016 he reflected on the way he was coaching and stripped himself back. He was vulnerable and it set the scene for the start of what we have done. At the start of 2017 onwards, we saw the real Damien Hardwick.”
Originally published as Dual Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick showing similar traits to Tiger great Tom Hafey
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