AFL News: Hardwick to quit Richmond job, Champion Data overturns Moore's incredible record, Dees brace for Oliver blow

Triple premiership Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has decided to quit the club and is expected to announce his decision as early as Tuesday.

Tom Morris reported the news on SEN on Monday night.

Morris said it was unclear why Hardwick had made the decision with 36 games left on his contract but added sources believed burnout was a factor.

The players had a day off on Monday and Morris reported Hardwick was expected to inform the playing group on Tuesday morning.

The Tigers have won three of 10 matches this season to be off pace for the finals.

SEN reported Hardwick’s resignation could set off a chain of events around the country, with Stuart Dew’s position at Gold Coast not secure despite holding a contract for 2024.

Moore is less

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore thought he had broken an AFL record, after claiming 11 intercept marks in the Magpies’ win over Carlton.

Moore was impassable on Sunday at the MCG, gathering 25 disposals in addition to his aerial feats in the Pies’ 28-point victory, while helping contain Blues forward pair Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow.

But Champion Data have retroactively stripped the star defender of one of the marks, bringing him back to 10 – still the equal-record, but now tied with seven others including current players Liam Jones (Western Bulldogs), Steven May (Melbourne), Tom Stewart (Geelong), Aliir Aliir (Port Adelaide) and Charlie Ballard (Gold Coast).

The reason? One of the marks was incorrectly awarded to Moore despite being taken moments after the quarter time siren.

While no longer a record, Moore’s remarkable afternoon didn’t escape the attention of his fellow Magpies, with teammate Steele Sidebottom admitting he was ‘laughing’ at the Blues’ unsuccessful attempts to get past him, while coach Craig McRae said the captain had a ‘day out’.

“At times you’d just think he’s the forward. He just outreads the opposition,” McRae said post-match.

“He’s playing on incredible players … he just out-positioned them. He just had a day out, didn’t he?

“The way he’s playing right now, he’s at the top of his game.”

Dees bracing for Oliver injury blow

Melbourne could be without star on-baller Clayton Oliver for up to a month after he injured a hamstring in Friday night’s AFL loss to Port Adelaide.

While Oliver played out the game, scans taken on the weekend are expected to confirm the Brownlow Medal contender will be sidelined for several weeks.

The Demons have a big month ahead, with games against resurgent Fremantle, then Carlton, then the King’s Birthday clash against Collingwood before taking on Geelong.

Oliver is fifth in the coaches’ association voting and is a proven Brownlow poller, finishing equal-fourth last year, third in 2021 and equal-10th in 2020.

The gun midfielder has missed only one game through injury in the past six seasons.

The 2021 premiership player is one of Melbourne’s biggest stars, winning their best and fairest award four times as well as three All-Australian selections.

Also on the weekend, in-form Western Bulldogs defender Jason Johannisen suffered a serious hamstring injury that could sideline him for up to two months.

St Kilda’s win over GWS on Sunday was marred by a heavy head knock for Mitch Owens, with play held up for five minutes as he was helped from the field.

(AAP)

Clayton Oliver of the Demons and Jy Simpkin of the Kangaroos look on. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

Dees vow to support Gawn after Power working-over

Ruckman Brodie Grundy is adamant Port Adelaide’s successful body-checking of skipper Max Gawn is a one-off and Melbourne won’t allow a player to be physically targeted the same way again.

The Power made a point of checking Gawn’s runs to stop him getting back in time to make intercept marks and attempted to work the star ruckman over physically in Friday’s four-point win.

Gawn had 30 hitouts but collected just 12 disposals and didn’t take a mark.

Grundy wouldn’t buy in to comments from North Melbourne great David King that the Demons had “disrespected” Gawn in failing to remonstrate with Power players.

He believed Gawn “rises to the occasion” when physically targeted.

“Well you get that when you’re Max Gawn, because you’re a superstar,” Grundy told reporters on Monday.

“I think he sees that as a badge of honour in many ways, they’re trying to go after our captain and he’s a quality player. 

“So in one part you tip your cap but in another part it can be a little bit frustrating. 

“We spoke about that at half-time, how can we support Max? I suppose when it happens this week or next week, not just to Max, we want to be a side that really is galvanised and we just see it as an opportunity going forward.

“I don’t think that this is a long-standing trait of the Melbourne Football Club. I think this is just an event that happened on the weekend and we’ll learn from it.”

Melbourne next face in-form Fremantle, whose ruck pairing of Sean Darcy and former Demon Luke Jackson have been crucial to their season-reviving run of three consecutive wins.

Grundy, Jackson’s replacement, batted away the suggestion the Demons would physically target the 21-year-old, but acknowledged the ruck contest would be crucial at the MCG on Saturday.

“They’re a great duo and hopefully me and Max can help combat that,” he said.

Grundy has relished spending more time forward, kicking seven goals, as part of his partnership with Gawn and noted it was easier on his body.

“When I have my opportunities forward I really feel confident in my goal kicking and my preparation,” he said.

“We’re both mature-aged bodies so we need to get that balance right.

“It’s not a finished project but after 10 rounds … as a player, I think it’s (the partnership) been pretty good.”

(AAP)

‘Unacceptable’: Simpson blasts Eagles after humiliating loss

West Coast coach Adam Simpson has lashed a lack of effort after his side was humiliated in a 116-point AFL thrashing at the hands of fellow strugglers Hawthorn.

The injury-hit Eagles didn’t score a goal in the second half on Sunday in Launceston, as the Hawks ran riot with Mitch Lewis kicking a career-high six goals.

The 22.10 (142) to 4.2 (26) result, dubbed pre-round as the battle for the wooden spoon, leaves the Eagles last with one win and a percentage of 55.

“Extremely disappointing. Not good enough. Unacceptable. We’re going to have to do a lot of work in a short space of time,” West Coast coach Adam Simpson said.

“We didn’t bring the pressure. We got beaten on the inside, they were too quick. We got beaten on the outside.

“The effort wasn’t the same as it had been in the past when we’ve put up reasonable performances. It wasn’t there.”

It was West Coast’s lowest score against Hawthorn and their heaviest loss of the season, surpassing a 108-point defeat at the hands of Carlton in round seven.

It was the first time the Hawks had scored more than 20 goals since 2016.

Remarkably, it was the second biggest winning margin in a match between sides at the bottom of the ladder in VFL and AFL history.

There was further injury to insult for the Eagles, with Jamaine Jones leaving the field in the second quarter with an ankle problem that could keep him out for weeks.

Liam Duggan had a knock to the neck while Oscar Allen had a hit to the knee.

West Coast were already missing Tom Barrass, Jack Darling, Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Jamie Cripps, Liam Ryan, Shannon Hurn, Jeremy McGovern and Tom Cole. 

“We’re hoping to get players back in the next month that might help,” Simpson said. 

“I don’t think we can point the finger at the 18-year-olds (for the loss) but collectively we weren’t good enough.”

Hawthorn set the tone early in their second win this season, opening a 43-12 lead at the first break on the back of winning the inside 50s 19-5.

Luke Bruest kicked three for the match, while Josh Weddle, Cam Mackenzie, Jacob Koschitzke and Tyler Brockman got doubles.

“Really proud of the boys. As the coach of a club that is going through a learning phase, you need wins to build good culture,” Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said.

“It was a challenging game to scout. Obviously they’ve got some significant injuries. But that is out of our control.

Hawthorn have jumped up to 16th spot on the ladder but have some headaches ahead of meeting St Kilda next round with Sam Frost on report for striking.

Ruckman Ned Reeves was subbed out in the third quarter with an ankle problem.

Dom Sheed was tireless in a losing side, picking up two goals and an equal game-high 30 disposals.

(AAP)