The facts about Hardwickrichmondfc.com.au
1:38 PM Mon 31 August, 2009
New Richmond coach Damien Hardwick this week begins the job of leading the Tigers back up the ladder. Here are some facts about his playing and coaching career:1. He made his AFL playing debut with Essendon in Round 5 of the 1994 season against Collingwood at the MCG at age 21 years and 248 days, gathering 18 possessions in the Bombers’ four-point win.
2. He played his first game against Richmond in Round 11, 1994 at Princes Park and was one of the Bombers’ best with 26 possessions in their 46-point victory. New Richmond CEO Brendon Gale, Club football director Tony Free and current assistant coach Wayne Campbell were members of the Tiger side that day.
3. He had a 69% winning ratio throughout his 207-game league playing career at Essendon and Port Adelaide (144 wins, 1 draw, 62 losses).
4. He had an 82% winning ratio as a player in 17 games against Richmond (14 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses).
5. He polled a combined total of 15 Brownlow Medal votes throughout his league career, with nine of those coming in the 1998 season, when he was best-on-ground in matches against St Kilda, Brisbane and Richmond.
6. He started his career at Essendon in the No. 39 guernsey and wore that for four seasons, before changing to the No. 11 guernsey for a further four seasons. His three seasons at Port Adelaide were spent in the No. 11 jumper.
7. He had 16 possessions in Essendon’s 2000 Grand Final victory over Melbourne (11 kicks, 5 handballs and 4 marks) and 12 possessions in Port Adelaide’s 2004 premiership triumph against Brisbane (7 kicks, 5 handballs, 3 marks).
8. He becomes the 37th coach in Richmond’s league football history.
9. He is just the third man to play for Essendon and then go on to coach Richmond, joining Alex Hall (19 VFL games with the Dons 1898-1900, and Tiger coach in 1910) and Paul Sproule (60 games with the Bombers 1968-71, and Tiger coach in 1985).
10. He is the first man to take over the coaching reins at Tigerland having experienced premiership success with three different league clubs – Essendon and Port Adelaide as a player, and Hawthorn as an assistant coach.
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/83879/default.aspx