Hardwick tipped for Richmond jobCameron Noakes | August 23, 2009
RICHMOND Football Club is expected to offer Hawthorn assistant Damien Hardwick its senior coaching job this week, according to former club great and radio host Kevin Bartlett.
Hardwick is now the bookies' favourite to be offered the position, despite rumours last week that Geelong assistant Ken Hinkley was in the box seat. Hinkley was backed into favouritism with bookmaker Sportingbet Australia, but Richmond officials were apparently bemused by the speculation and unsure why or what punters had heard to presume Hinkley would secure the job.
Bartlett said yesterday he understood Hardwick was currently the favourite to take the reins at Tigerland in 2010.
"I understand it is a photo finish … and Damien Hardwick's head has just bobbed up into the frame," Bartlett said.
He said there were rumours that the Richmond committee had already voted and Hardwick was the unanimous choice, but "it is not as clearcut as that". "It's a bob of the head and Hardwick is in the picture," he said.
Betstar's Alan Eskander, who has been running a market on the position, said he understood the successful candidate would be revealed tomorrow, however Richmond president Gary March said that was not likely and would not indicate when the decision would be announced.
The Betstar market was taken down over the weekend, but prior to that Hardwick was at $2.55 and the "any other person option" [Hinkley is in this market] was at $1.70.
"We took the market down because we were worried some people might already know the result," Eskander said.
Meanwhile, North Melbourne president James Brayshaw denied suggestions Hardwick was not given a fair hearing when he was interviewed for his club's senior coaching position.
Brayshaw confirmed that he did not meet with Hardwick, but said he had never intended to and it was the job of the selection panel to conduct the interview.
"The fact that I didn't meet with him is totally and utterly irrelevant," Brayshaw said.
The Sunday Age understands that Hardwick - who was overlooked for the job - was not entirely happy with the interview, which went for only an hour.
It is believed Hardwick was surprised that the process was not more in-depth and that the selection panel did not ask him to present a game plan.
Brayshaw, speaking on Triple M, said he was not privy to what was discussed at the interview, but believed the panel considered Hardwick "an extraordinarily good" candidate.
"I don't know how long the interview went for, [but] it was definitely more than an hour," Brayshaw said.
"I understand [the interview] was comprehensive [and] I understand Hardwick's presentation was extraordinarily good.
"I don't know how his personality came across [during the interview because] … I was not privy to it. But Brad Scott was by far and away the best fit for our club at the moment."
Since then, Hardwick has spoken to Port Adelaide about an assistant coaching position that is expected to lead to a senior coaching role when current coach Mark Williams' contact expires at the end of 2011.
March congratulated caretaker coach Jade Rawlings at last night's pre-match function, saying he had made an outstanding presentation to the selection committee.
''It was a really hard decision to say to Jade he wasn't successful, but I've got no doubt Jade Rawlings, at age 31, will be a senior coach of AFL football.''
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