Richmond announced on Wednesday afternoon that coach Damien Hardwick’s contract has been extended until the end of the 2016 season.
This decision by the club came as now surprise and was a very simple decision in my eyes.
Since Hardwick has been at the helm, the Tigers have transformed from a weak club in disarray to a powerhouse of the AFL.
They have become a powerhouse because of Hardwick and the decisions he has made.
Hardwick never took shortcuts, unlike previous coaches who failed at Tigerland, Danny Frawley and Terry Wallace, are just a couple of names that come to mind.
Hardwick had a very tough initiation, losing his first nine games as coach in 2010, before finally breaking through for a win against Port Adelaide on a very wet Saturday afternoon.
He has never wavered from his game plan which could’ve resulted in short term gain.
He resisted this temptation and always had an eye on the future in his first couple of seasons in charge.
Now the focus is solely on the present and getting Richmond their first finals win since 2001.
Richmond was able to take a huge step forward in season 2013.
At times throughout the season they looked like a top four team, especially when they played against Hawthorn and Fremantle.
But in somewhat typical Richmond style, they were unable to beat a team that hardly earned their spot in the Finals.
Although the season ended in disappointing fashion for the Tigers, they provided a very solid building block for the future.
Now that Hardwick’s future at Richmond is solidified he can keep his focus on the job at hand without having to worry that his job is on the line.
What may just be the most impressive part of Hardwick’s tenure thus far at Tigerland is his ability to turn average (at best) players into vital cogs of the Richmond line-up.
Bachar Houli, Shaun Grigg, Ivan Maric, and Aaron Edwards all arrived at Richmond with big question marks hanging over their heads as to if they could be valuable members to an AFL team.
All of those players were regulars in Richmond’s team in 2013, and should be there again in 2014.
Hardwick has a knack of getting the most out of his players. He does this by outlining a role for each player and also giving them the confidence that they can fulfil that role for the benefit of the team.
With the Tigers roaring off the field – already over 40,000 members have signed up for 2014, and now Hardwick’s contract extension – next season might just be a hugely memorable one for Richmond fans.
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