Richmond triple-premiership captain Trent Cotchin has revealed Damien Hardwick’s extraordinary reaction to the Tigers’ loss to Essendon this season, that marked the great coach’s final game at the helm.
Just days after a thrilling one-point loss to the Bombers in May’s ‘Dreamtime at the ‘G’ match, Hardwick, who alongside Cotchin led the Tigers to three flags in four years between 2017 and 2020, shocked the football world by resigning from his post after more than 13 years effective immediately, before taking up the vacant Gold Coast senior coaching position later in the year.
Before departing the Tigers, however, Hardwick dished out an extraordinary last bake; according to Cotchin, he referred to the team as ‘putrid’ and dismissed their Bombers opponents as a ‘bunch of spuds’.
“He [Hardwick] was filthy and cutting with his comments to the group and about the opposition,” Cotchin wrote in new book From the Heart, as part of an excerpt released to the Herald Sun.
In an angry meeting in the rooms after the game, he referred to us as ‘putrid’ and said the way some of us had played meant he would just get ‘another c–t to replace us’.
“He pointed to the Essendon team that was displayed on the whiteboard and said, ‘To be honest with you, I reckon this team is a bunch of spuds, and you aren’t even as good as they are’.
“His spray had much more to do with us than his assessment of the Bombers. Upon reflection I’m not even sure he knew what he had said.
“He was quite rattled. I was thinking, ‘Well, this is different’.”
The Tigers had led by 18 points early in the final term, before the Bombers stormed home with four of the last five goals, taking the lead via a Sam Durham major in the final seconds.
For Cotchin, the post-match tirade was the moment he began to believe Hardwick was not long for his job – a feeling that proved prescient when Hardwick called him and Jack Riewoldt two days later to invite them to his house for a chat.
“Dimma asked me to grab Dusty [Dustin Martin] on my way to his house but I couldn’t get hold of him. In the car, I sensed what was coming,” Cotchin wrote.
“It was only a brief chat as Dimma had a lot of people to get to before the news would break that he was quitting the club immediately.
“I got to his place at 12.54pm; I left at 1.08pm. In between, we sat on the couch and talked about why he felt it was the right time for him to go.
“The one thing I will always remember was how much pressure seemed to have been released by him making that decision to leave. I can vividly remember how blue his eyes looked. He looked like he had more life back in his face.
“He had only told the club the night before that he was leaving, yet you could already see a huge burden had been lifted.”
Damien Hardwick. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Throughout the ordeal, Cotchin’s number one priority was, and remains, Hardwick’s wellbeing.
“For me, the main thing was that I hoped he would find his true happiness,” he wrote.
“Our relationship had been challenged but Dimma will be a friend for life. I hope he knows that if he ever needs a coffee or a chat, I will be there for him at the drop of a hat.”
Cotchin retired after 306 games, including three premierships as captain, in the second-last round of the 2023 home-and-away season.
His book will be released on November 1 by HarperCollins Publishers Australia.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
i am very happy with the Naismith pick up. was ranked higher than Nank when we took the Tank. almost a freebie. will be very keen and has played super well at VFL level,
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
He was in recruiting but I don’t think he was as prominent as he is now, I actually liked Camporeales time at the bombers but Sheedy needed to go and he needs to go now.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
And with a staffer as well :shocked:
PeteB
Roar Rookie
I recall them recruiting a number of ex Carlton duds - Camporeale, Murphy, Allan. But they were all over the hill at the Blues who were winning wooden spoons by that stage. Sheedys judgement was shot. Was Dumbdororo recruitment manager way back then ?
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
Nank looks sore and his lack of size starting to tell. Has been a club great and one of the astute value trades of the century. But I would have kept the younger, taller Soldo..: I love Tigha Vlastuin but he seems very patchy. Now I am willing to concede that that’s because our back half is no longer a machine (Rance Astbury Grimes Broad and he all with slightly different roles but able to cover each other). In comparison Balta is flaky and Grimes is busted and Gibcus came and went. And the midfield gets smashed and won’t chase so the ball comes in fast and clean - all of that granted. It feels like Vlastuin is now captain of the backs despite Grimes being club co-captain. Broad is still in some form. Young looks solid enough. Nick has those nights where he’s twice as good as Sicily, and nights where’s he’s terrible and his body language is meh. In some ways he’s the barometer for the club. I love him and I hope he proves me wrong.
Arges Tuft
Roar Rookie
with a bunch of new toys :laughing:
Arges Tuft
Roar Rookie
Yeah I see your point on Grimes, Prestia and Picket. Vlaus, Nank and Macca are still only 29 and we have a few years of recent draft picks playing pretty decent footy (games under the belt anyway). I recon Dusty at 32 would still get a game in any AFL team 2024 (finished top 5 JDM). Def need a reliable key back and back up ruck ASAP. If Lynch and Gibcus come good next season, I recon we will be refreshingly up and about again soonish :boxing: . Hopper needs to produce a much better season hey.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Haha he probably should’ve and we should have stuck with Matty Knights back in 2009 or better yet we should’ve hired Dimma
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
the stubborn old tiger should have gone 5 years earlier, hey? and if one of the northern clubs were joining then, he probably would have or he could have come to Richmond at end 2004...
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
It was a gamestyle issue. The bombers were stuck in 90s with a gamestyle built off of dominant key forwards but they could never deal with the flood even in 2000
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
01 of course
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
(I'd never really connected just how poorly the Bombers did after 2001 with how well placed they appeared to be on paper, after 3 years of serious contending: - average age just 25 - only one guy over 30 at 2001 GF - Barnes - 12 guys with 100+ games and less than 200 - most of them having played those games together - great backs, forwards, ruck and mids - great coach....! yes they had Port and the Lions emerging, but they tailed off pretty poorly. I knew, but didn't know, because richmond were rubbish and I like Sheedy.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
yes I remember being excited about getting Blumfield a year later, but we dragged him down to our level. if we hag got Carra instead of Huddo at end of 21, things might have ben different. probably not...
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
No I remember the 2000 flag and how the bombers were pulverised at the end of 2001 because they were dangerously close to violating the cap so they pushed out Carracella, Blumfield, Heffernan, but the main issue is after their flag in 2000 they refused to change and update to modern footy and they’ve been behind the eight ball ever since
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
Mmm. Less convinced by our list. Got some real quality and some mega gaps. And some patchy performers who we could carry when we were younger better coached and better connected eg Bolton Balta etc And some guys over the hill, at least in terms of being past their peak - Grimes Nank Dusty Prestia and Vlastuin seemingly, and the ones I would delist (Mac and Pickett) Will be a real good test for Yze. I think we are 2-4 stars emerging or 2/4 years from being proper contenders. Assuming our picks to date come good I’m ok with ALL of that
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Roar Rookie
Well they went hard at the draft at end 21 It’s just hard when your are winning flags. You get rubbish picks. You are prob too young to remember!!’ Jury still out on our 2020 and 21 picks. 22 trades, one excellent (TT) and one threatening to be Stranger Things 6 (JH)
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I think Richmond needed to begin redeveloping much earlier
Arges Tuft
Roar Rookie
Maybe he said that because we were playing very poorly (lost our identity!). He can add some of that blame on himself and in the end I think he did. Reality is both the Tiges and Dimma are better off within fresh starts. I know we will bounce back pretty quick and I hope he goes well because he gave us so much.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
you reap etc- daniel rioli with barely a defensive cell in his body, half asleep, not really guarding his player then reacting too little too late - but that was only the final nail in a Bunnings warehouse of minor errors
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
definitely. it was all about connection and then we weren't so connected. i think normally that stuff wouldn't matter but when you yourself make it part of your public persona and talk about the club being like family... that's not a moral position. it's a business position. the combination of premierships, wear and tear and that tremor in the universe all conspired against us. which is fine and unremarkable, and predictable. i said repeatedly through 21 he was gone and we were gone. the only mistake we made really was allowing the dead cat bounce in 22 (even then, we lost 4 or 5 games we never would have in 2019).