So what will coach Hardwick make of our 30+ year olds?

[one-eyed]

When Hardwick applied for the Essendon gig it was rumoured axing a number of the older players on their list was part of his presentation. What do you think he'll make of our 4 remaining 30+ year olds - Richo, Cousins, Simmonds and Browny? Would he have a licence to cut them all?

[Hellenic Tiger]

Cousins will definentely stay. In a young team developing team such as St Kilda 2001-05 Cuz could play the equivalent of a Robert Harvey role. Would be crazy to give up Cuz at this stage. Minimum of two years left for Cuz.

Richo???? I think he'll have one more year but will understand fully if Damian thinks otherwise sad as that might be, but those are the breaks I guess.

Brown Simmonds are definentely gone. Thanks and see yas fellas.

[Stripes]

This will show us if he is a crowd pleaser or he is willing to take risks - Cuz will stay but the rest, including Richo, will go. 

[TigerTimeII]

This will show us if he is a crowd pleaser or he is willing to take risks - Cuz will stay but the rest, including Richo, will go. 

and thats how it should be, cuz is the only true winner and true champiuon of that group so his age does not matter, richo and the rest must be dropped

its time to start fresh

as they say, u have to be cruel to be kind

[Rodgerramjet]

The only person he should keep is Ben Cousins.

[Moi]

The only person he should keep is Ben Cousins.

Pretty much.  Sadly I think Richo is gone and Brown hasn't done enough this year to prove he still wants to play for us.  Wouldn't be surprised if we dropped him he'd pop up on some other list and star a la Akermanis 

[Go Richo 12]

Richo and Cuz will stay! If Hardwick coaches like he played then he will keep those 2 as they are the only ones who try (it seems from the outside! I hate saying players dont try as they just may not be good enough.) The rest are gorn, gawn, gone!

[WilliamPowell]

I reckon Cuz and Richo will stay and the other 2 are gawn

I suppose we will find out this morning, you can guarantee that it will be one of the questions he is asked in his press conference "What about Richo Damien? Are you going to keep him"

Will have the wireless tuned to SEN at 10.30 

[mightytiges]

Well we know Cuz is safe from what Hardwick said.

Richo if his body is okay looks safe as well according to March.

 

[one-eyed]

No decision on Cuz and Richo
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen 11:57 AM Wed 26 August, 2009

NEW RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says the club will decide in the next few weeks on the futures of Matthew Richardson and Ben Cousins.

Hardwick was appointed as senior coach of the Tigers on Tuesday night, and at Wednesday morning's media conference he said he was starting at the Tigers immediately.

The 37-year-old said many decisions needed to me made in the next few weeks, with many players' futures under the microscope, but he was unstinting in his praise of Richardson, without guaranteeing his future.

"He [Richardson] is an outstanding talent – I still probably think he's in the top two to three players at this club, and he's 34," Hardwick said.

"I know when Hawthorn plays against him our first thing is 'what the hell are we going to do with Richo?'

"We'll make decisions on that in the coming weeks, but he's still a very talented player."

While he was effusive in his praise for Richardson, Hardwick said there was no room for sentimentality at football clubs.

Hardwick was similarly impressed with Cousins, saying he had been very good for Richmond.

When Cousins was selected by Richmond last year, Hardwick admitted he had his doubts, but was pleased to be proved wrong throughout this year.

Despite the opinions expressed on two of the club and competition's older players, the new coach said hard decisions would not be avoided on either them or the list as a whole, although he said he wouldn't be rushed into any decision.

"Will I shy away from them? No," he said. "I think it was John Kennedy who said there was no sentiment in football.

"Over the next couple of weeks, we'll have to make some decisions about which way we're going to go.

"Obviously, just getting here I'd like to have a bit of time to go over those decisions, and then we'll see how we go from there."

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/83506/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

All six 30 year olds (Cuz, Richo, Simmo, Bowden, Cogs, Browny) now gone within the first 12 months of Hardwick taking over. It didn't take long to move into new era and the two seemingly most difficult decisions - Richo (last year) and Cuz - were made by the player themselves for the Club in the end.