Coach Operation Get Hardwick

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If Hardwick ends up at GC, it's because the AFL has backed up a truck full of cash in his direction.
They need someone to finally make their pet project competitive and it may aswell be him.
Money aside when you've got options it's not the easy sell people probably think, does Damien want to coach in empty stadiums for five to ten years.. I doubt it tbh.

It'd feel like coaching SMOSH after Richmond.
 
Money aside when you've got options it's not the easy sell people probably think, does Damien want to coach in empty stadiums for five to ten years.. I doubt it tbh.

It'd feel like coaching SMOSH after Richmond.

But you've already said he doesn't have the hunger left in him to chase premierships.
Maybe the comfortable QLD life with zero scrutiny would suit him.
 

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When I think of Hardwick, I think of a guy whoif he wants to coach again, he will want to win and needs a list ready or close to ready to go. That is Port Adelaide.

He just doesn't strike me as the type of guy who will chillax coach up at the Gold Coast.

I just think it is in his DNA to want to win.
 
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Hardwick needs downtime, I would appoint Carr as Head coach, and pay whatever it takes to appoint Hardwick in a oversight / mentor / assistant coach role at a capacity he feels he can contribute at.

Nowhere near as much pressure, which he clearly isn't ready for, he might enjoy a couple of years back at port with a reduced profile before he takes on another lead role. We win two premierships in that time and I'm a happy camper
 
When I think of Hardwick, I think of a guy who he wants to coach again, he will want to win and needs a list ready or close to ready to go. That is Port Adelaide.

He just doesn't strike me as the type of guy who will chillax coach up at the Gold Coast.

I just think it is in his DNA to want to win.
Pretty sure similar posts went around last year about Clarkson.

If you're Hardwick and get offer $750-800k/yr to coach someone decent with expectations of Premierships and fully funded football department or

$1m+/yr for a side with expectations just to make finals.

The extra coin and lower expectations could be tempting to a 50+ year old, especially when you've got nothing left to prove.

Will be interesting to see how this one plays out.
 
My tip is Hardwick will get the GC job in October 2024. He aint knifing Stuie Dew in a few months time. Dew's contract runs out in October 2024.

He aint saying yes to another job in 3 or 4 months time based on what he said at his presser and his body language. He is burnt out.

And the stars will align. Benny Gale will get the 2IC job at the AFL. He has run his race at Richmond. His remit will be to fix the footy department at the AFL, maybe get the CBA done, fix the GC and set up Tassie. Thats a 6 or 7 year job and he wont get the CEOs job at the end of that period.

Hardwick is the successful and abrasive sort of coach an AFL needs in Rugby League heartland that has just expanded in Qld successfully with the Dolphins and there is talk of another Qld NRL team in the next decade to get back to an even number of teams.

The coaches / footy soft cap will finally be restored in 2025 or 2026 once the new TV monies start flowing for the 2025-31 media deal. The AFL will prop up GC and will allow Hardwick the ability to get better assistants.

If the Carr succession plan has been seriously discussed at board level and with Carr and his manager then Koch and co wont go after Hardwick.
 
If Hardwick ends up at GC, it's because the AFL has backed up a truck full of cash in his direction.
They need someone to finally make their pet project competitive and it may aswell be him.
That’s my tip and the afl can be pretty persuasive with underhanded ambassadorial payments like they did getting Lockett to Sydney at the time. Your biggest hope is If you believed Caro , she always said that the afl didn’t like dimma in which case would they really back the truck up to him !
 
My tip is Hardwick will get the GC job in October 2024. He aint knifing Stuie Dew in a few months time. Dew's contract runs out in October 2024.

He aint saying yes to another job in 3 or 4 months time based on what he said at his presser and his body language. He is burnt out.

And the stars will align. Benny Gale will get the 2IC job at the AFL. He has run his race at Richmond. His remit will be to fix the footy department at the AFL, maybe get the CBA done, fix the GC and set up Tassie. Thats a 6 or 7 year job and he wont get the CEOs job at the end of that period.

Hardwick is the successful and abrasive sort of coach an AFL needs in Rugby League heartland that has just expanded in Qld successfully with the Dolphins and there is talk of another Qld NRL team in the next decade to get back to an even number of teams.

The coaches / footy soft cap will finally be restored in 2025 or 2026 once the new TV monies start flowing for the 2025-31 media deal. The AFL will prop up GC and will allow Hardwick the ability to get better assistants.

If the Carr succession plan has been seriously discussed at board level and with Carr and his manager then Koch and co wont go after Hardwick.
If we go after Hardwick, we have become Carlton.
 
Why the hell would Hardwick go the gold coast???? Seriously it is gods waiting room for good coaches. Stu Dew is not a bad coach, he just hasn't been able to pull together a long term plan because no player wanting success will stay there. Hardwick has coached and won at a top club. dont think any amount of money will entice him to coach a nothing team in rugby territory with zero chance of success - he will want more
 

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Why the hell would Hardwick go the gold coast????

Retire at 55 with multi-generational wealth and choose which cushy media appearances you make to pass the time between ****ing around with your property portfolio and your much younger girlfriend/s.

Yeah people hate that.
 
Retire at 55 with multi-generational wealth and choose which cushy media appearances you make to pass the time between ******* around with your property portfolio and your much younger girlfriend/s.

Yeah people hate that.

I could do that too , I just have a puzzle to finish which I can't move 😆
 
Caro said on 5AA last night that she's convinced Hardwick will be coaching Goldcoast next season.

She's not often wrong and has great contacts but we'll see i guess.

lol she is constantly wrong.
 
Why the hell would Hardwick go the gold coast???? Seriously it is gods waiting room for good coaches. Stu Dew is not a bad coach, he just hasn't been able to pull together a long term plan because no player wanting success will stay there. Hardwick has coached and won at a top club. dont think any amount of money will entice him to coach a nothing team in rugby territory with zero chance of success - he will want more

You could have said all the same things about Clarkson going to North Melbourne, minus the bit about it being rugby territory.
 
Why the hell would Hardwick go the gold coast???? Seriously it is gods waiting room for good coaches. Stu Dew is not a bad coach, he just hasn't been able to pull together a long term plan because no player wanting success will stay there. Hardwick has coached and won at a top club. dont think any amount of money will entice him to coach a nothing team in rugby territory with zero chance of success - he will want more

You've never taken a holiday on the Gold Coast?
 

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Coach Operation Get Hardwick

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