Damien Hardwick

Essendon

Beginning his AFL career with the Essendon Football Club in 1994, Hardwick was known as a tough, solid defender. His aggressive nature sometimes got him into trouble at the AFL Tribunal. He was a crucial member of Essendon's 2000 premiership side.^[4][5] Hardwick played for Essendon from 1994 until 2001 for a total of 153 games and 13 goals.^[6]

Port Adelaide

Hardwick was traded from Essendon to the Port Adelaide Football Club at the end of the 2001 season,^[5] and he played with the side from 2002 until his retirement at the end of the 2004 season for a total of 54 games and one goal.^[4] He was part of Port's premiership win in 2004. In the 2004 Grand Final, he won three free kicks at crucial times, including a reversal against Jason Akermanis which cost the Brisbane Lions a shot at goal.^[5]

Hawthorn Football Club assistant coach (2005–2009)

In 2005, Hardwick began working as an assistant coach under senior coach Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn.^[7] In 2007, he was shortlisted for the senior coaching job at Melbourne Football Club. However, he was unsuccessful, with the position going to Dean Bailey. Following this application, he was also shortlisted for the senior coaching job at Essendon Football Club to replace the outgoing Kevin Sheedy. However, he was overlooked in favour of former Richmond captain Matthew Knights.^[7]

Richmond Football Club senior coach (2010–2023)

On August 25, 2009, Hardwick received his first senior coaching job when he was appointed as the senior coach of Richmond Football Club for three years.^[8][7] Hardwick replaced Richmond Football Club caretaker senior coach Jade Rawlings, who replaced Terry Wallace, after Wallace resigned during the middle of the 2009 season, when the Tigers were struggling.^[9][10] In March 2012, Hardwick agreed to a two-year contract extension.^[11]

On 11 December 2013, club president, Peggy O'Neal, announced that Hardwick had accepted a two-year contract extension that tied him to the club at least until the end of the 2016 season.^[12] In 2016, Hardwick agreed to a two-year contract extension to the end of the 2018 season. In 2017, Hardwick coached Richmond to their first premiership since 1980 and their 11th overall with a 48-point victory over the Adelaide Crows. In 2019, Hardwick coached Richmond to another premiership and their 12th overall. Richmond beat GWS Giants by 89 points. In 2020, Hardwick coached Richmond to their third premiership in four years, and 13th overall. He also coached the Victoria State of Origin side in the one-off 2020 State of Origin match that was played on 28 February 2020 at Marvel Stadium.^[13]

Hardwick's first season at Richmond as senior coach in the 2010 season did not begin well, with nine straight losses to start the season as well as a few disciplinary problems arising at the club. However, in round 10, the Tigers had a breakthrough win, defeating Port Adelaide by 47 points in extremely wet conditions in Adelaide. They also set a new record for the most tackles ever made in an AFL match (142) since records began in 1987,^[14] and kept Port Adelaide to their lowest ever score.^[15] The club went on to win five more games making a total of six in Hardwick's first season. They finished the season in 15th position.^[16] Richmond under Hardwick over the next two seasons continue to show improvement, with eight wins and a draw in the 2011 season, bettering that with 10 wins and a draw in the 2012 season. In the 2013 season, Hardwick coached Richmond to its first finals series since 2001, and only its third since 1982. Carlton defeated Richmond by 20 points in the elimination final after the Tigers led by 26 points at half-time, eliminating Richmond from the finals series.^[17][18] In the 2014 season, Hardwick's team started the year very poorly, having a win–loss record of 3–10 at one stage. But remarkably, the Tigers went on to win their last nine matches of the home and away season to just make it into the finals. Richmond were, however, beaten convincingly by Port Adelaide by 57 points in the Elimination Final, finishing the season in eighth place.

Hardwick began the 2015 season under pressure to make amends for the past two failures in the Elimination Final. The team didn't start well, losing four out of the first six, before recovering to finish the season in fifth place with 15 wins, the same ladder position and win–loss record as 2013. Richmond came up against North Melbourne in the Elimination Final, but Hardwick's team suffered their third consecutive first week finals exit. The 2016 season was not a successful year for Hardwick as the Tigers finished the season with just eight wins from 22 games. The highlight was the round 8 win against the Sydney Swans when Sam Lloyd kicked a goal after the siren. They finished 13th on the premiership ladder, their worst ladder position in four seasons.

In the 2017 season, Hardwick coached Richmond to their eleventh VFL/AFL premiership, defeating the Adelaide Crows by 48 points. After becoming the first coach in 37 years to guide Richmond to a grand final win in the 2017 AFL Grand Final, Hardwick was chosen as the AFLCA Coach of the Year.^[19][20] He joined a very small group to win three AFL premierships with three clubs as player and coach, ending Richmond's 37-year drought in the process.

In the 2018 season, Hardwick followed his successful 2017 season by coaching Richmond to their first minor premiership since 1982 and to the finals. Richmond were, however, eliminated by eventual runners-up Collingwood by 39 points in the Preliminary Final.

In the 2019 season, Hardwick became a two-time premiership coach, guiding Richmond to their second premiership in three years and twelfth overall, with a resounding 89 point win over GWS Giants in the 2019 AFL Grand Final.^[21] It was the third-highest margin of victory in a grand final.^[22]

In the 2020 season, which was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Hardwick coached Richmond to their third premiership in four years and became a three-time premiership coach. Richmond finished third on the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season (with a record of 12 wins, four losses, and a draw).^[23] They lost to the Brisbane Lions (10.9.69 to 8.6.54) in their qualifying final, defeated the St Kilda Saints (12.8.80 to 6.13.49) in their semi-final, and defeated Port Adelaide (6.10.46 to 6.4.40) in their preliminary final. They defeated the Geelong Cats by 31 points (12.9.81 to 7.8.50) in the grand final at The Gabba – the first grand final to be played outside Victoria and the first night-time grand final. Hardwick was heavily featured in the Prime Video web-series Making Their Mark which documented the 2020 AFL season.^{[24][25][26][27]}

Despite aiming to become the seventh team to win three consecutive premierships, the 2021 season was not a successful year for Hardwick, and the Tigers finished the season with just nine wins from 22 games. With a combination of many injured players and a lack of consistent form, Richmond finished 12th on the ladder, their worst ladder position since 2016, and failed to make finals for the first time in five years.^[28]

On 22 May 2023, after Round 10 in mid season, Hardwick unexpectedly announced his immediate resignation from his role as Richmond senior coach. The reason given was burnout and the stress involved as being a senior coach.^{[29][30][31][32][33][34]} Hardwick was replaced by assistant coach Andrew McQualter, who was named caretaker senior coach for the remainder of the 2023 season.^[34][35]

Gold Coast Suns senior coach (2024–present)

On 21 August 2023, Hardwick was announced as the senior coach of the Gold Coast Suns on a six-year contract, starting from the 2024 season.^{[1][36][37][38][39]} Hardwick replaced Gold Coast Suns caretaker senior coach Steven King, who replaced Stuart Dew after Dew was sacked in the middle of the 2023 season.^[40]

In the 2025 season, Hardwick guided the club in not only its first top-8 finish with 7th place but also earning the club's first final series berth in its 15-year history. They won their elimination final and progressed to a semi-final.

Playing statistics

^[41]

Coaching statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of Semi Final, 2025.^[42]

*Ladder position after Hardwick's final match