Richmond chief Brendon Gale won't talk about coach Damien Hardwick's contractCaroline Wilson
Chief Football Writer for The Age
April 28, 2015Richmond chief Brendon Gale has refused to elaborate on coach Damien Hardwick's contractual status after the club's dismal start to 2015 which sees the Tigers at break-even after the round four loss to Melbourne, described by the coach as "as poor an effort as I've seen from our footy club in a long time".
Working to convince all-Australian defender Alex Rance to remain in the game, Gale said he planned to become involved in the Rance issue soon but would not comment on the Hardwick deal.
When asked whether Hardwick's most recent two-year contract extension had performance clauses which could trigger the final season, Gale responded: "My answer to that is no comment. It's an inappropriate subject to discuss in public and I don't as a rule discuss contracts."
While it is generally accepted that the popular Richmond coach, who has taken the club to successive finals for the first time in more than four decades, has a non-conditional deal with the Tigers until the end of 2016, the realities of football now place him under pressure to improve his team.
Club president Peggy O'Neal said before the loss to Melbourne that Hardwick's benchmark was to improve the team. O'Neal said extenuating circumstances such as injuries would be part of a post-season review but added the expectation was for Richmond to make the eight in 2015.
"We'll just wait and see what happens," she told 3AW.
Hardwick is coaching his sixth season at Richmond and appeared shattered during his frank assessment of the Friday night performance — the first of seven showcase games for the club in that time slot.
"We didn't come to play," he said. "We weren't tough enough, the opposition outhunted us, outmuscled us."
Gale said he planned to talk to Rance who has been in talks with Tigers football boss Daniel Richardson following the revelation he was considering walking away from the game.
Scoffing at suggestions Richmond had bungled its player payments, allowing Rance to fall out of the club's top 10 money-earners, Gale pointed out that the star defender's existing contract had been signed with the club three seasons ago before he had cemented his current standing in the game.
Despite the sensitivity around Rance's current thought process the club remains confident he has no intention of moving to another club and Gale said he also believed the Tigers could successfully work to persuade the player to remain at Richmond.
Richmond captain Trent Cotchin believes it is up to him to get the best out of his teammates as the Tigers look to redress their stuttering start to the year.
"You never want to disappoint your coach, especially on behaviours that we respect really highly within our club," he said on Monday. "We'll challenge each other as a playing group, whether that be on track or in game next week."
The Tigers were uncharacteristically beaten in the contested ball stakes, and managed to kick just one goal after half time as the Demons ran away with the game in slippery conditions. Cochin said the team was well aware of the issues.
"We'd fumble, or let it spill outside the contest and then Melbourne were really clean in comparison to us and then got the ball in their forward half which gave them scoring opportunities. Again, they capitalised on their scoring opportunities where we didn't."
"You look back at the game and there'll be examples where guys either weren't clean enough, [and] didn't play exactly how we wanted to. It's just about reviewing them, working out how to do it better next time, and making sure that when you do get your opportunity that you do grab it, because the game's becoming harder and harder." The captain had 24 disposals to be a solid if not spectacular contributor, but said the team's performance as a whole was one of his responsibilities. "I need to get the best out of my teammates, and that's also me performing my role."
The next assignment comes in the form of a Geelong side who themselves are struggling.
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