| Damien Hardwick | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Hardwick in February 2020 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Damien Patrick Hardwick | ||
| Nickname | Dimma | ||
| Born | (1972-08-18)18 August 1972 (age 53) | ||
| Original team | North Melbourne U19's/Springvale F.C | ||
| Draft | No. 87,1992 national draft | ||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | ||
| Position | Wingman/Defender | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1993–2001 | Essendon | 153 (13) | |
| 2002–2004 | Port Adelaide | 54 (1) | |
| Total | 207 (14) | ||
| International team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2000–2001 | Australia | 4 (1) | |
| Coaching career3 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
| 2010–2023 | Richmond | 307 (170–131–6) | |
| 2024– | Gold Coast | 48(27–21–0) | |
2020 | Representative Victoria | 1 (1–0–0) | |
| Total | 356 (198–152–6) | ||
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2004. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2025 season. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
Playing
Coaching | |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Damien Patrick Hardwick (born 18 August 1972) is a currentAustralian rules football coach and former player who is the head coach of theGold Coast Suns in theAustralian Football League.[1] He is the former senior coach of theRichmond Football Club, serving in the role between 2010 and mid-2023 inclusive and winning three premierships (2017, 2019, 2020).[2]
Hardwick played 207 AFL games as a defender, comprising 153 games forEssendon (1993–2001) and 54 games forPort Adelaide (2002–2004). He won premierships with each club—in2000 and2004, respectively.
Hardwick was appointed head coach of Richmond at the end of the2009 season, in which the club had placed second-last. In 2013, Hardwick's fourth season in charge, Richmond returned to the finals after an eleven-year absence, and in 2017 they defeatedAdelaide inthe Grand Final to claim their first premiership since 1980. Hardwick also coached Richmond to the2019 and2020 premierships and is the longest-tenured coach in the club's history.
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He attendedSt Joseph's College inFerntree Gully. Hardwick was a key player in the school's football side, which was highly competitive against other private schools in the EIS sports program. In football, Hardwick was usually on the field for most of the game and known to be a tough, hard working, and versatile player who kept stability in play for his side. Although he was often outclassed by others on field,[citation needed] his all-round abilities were vital to the side.
He got his nicknameDimma due to his habit as a young man getting a deal at a local fish and chip shop where he could buy threedim sims for 60 cents.[3]
Beginning his AFL career with theEssendon Football Club in 1994, Hardwick was known as a tough, solid defender. His aggressive nature sometimes got him into trouble at theAFL Tribunal. He was a crucial member of Essendon's2000 premiership side.[4][5] Hardwick played for Essendon from 1994 until 2001 for a total of 153 games and 13 goals.[6]
Hardwick was traded from Essendon to thePort Adelaide Football Club at the end of the 2001 season,[5] and he played with the side from 2002 until his retirement at the end of the 2004 season for a total of 54 games and one goal.[4] He was part of Port's premiership win in 2004. In the2004 Grand Final, he won three free kicks at crucial times, including a reversal againstJason Akermanis which cost theBrisbane Lions a shot at goal.[5]
In 2005, Hardwick began working as an assistant coach under senior coachAlastair Clarkson atHawthorn.[7] In 2007, he was shortlisted for the senior coaching job atMelbourne Football Club. However, he was unsuccessful, with the position going toDean Bailey. Following this application, he was also shortlisted for the senior coaching job at Essendon Football Club to replace the outgoingKevin Sheedy. However, he was overlooked in favour of former Richmond captainMatthew Knights.[7]
On August 25, 2009, Hardwick received his first senior coaching job when he was appointed as the senior coach ofRichmond Football Club for three years.[8][7] Hardwick replaced Richmond Football Club caretaker senior coachJade Rawlings, who replacedTerry Wallace, after Wallace resigned during the middle of the2009 season, when the Tigers were struggling.[9][10] In March 2012, Hardwick agreed to a two-year contract extension.[11] On 11 December 2013, club president,Peggy O'Neal, announced that Hardwick had accepted a two-year contract extension that tied him to the club at least until the end of the 2016 season.[12] In 2016, Hardwick agreed to a two-year contract extension to the end of the 2018 season. In 2017, Hardwick coached Richmond to their first premiership since 1980 and their 11th overall with a 48-point victory over theAdelaide Crows. In 2019, Hardwick coached Richmond to another premiership and their 12th overall. Richmond beatGWS Giants by 89 points. In 2020, Hardwick coached Richmond to their third premiership in four years, and 13th overall. He also coached theVictoriaState of Origin side in the one-off2020 State of Origin match that was played on 28 February 2020 atMarvel Stadium.[13]
Hardwick's first season at Richmond as senior coach in the2010 season did not begin well, with nine straight losses to start the season as well as a few disciplinary issues arising at the club. However, in round 10 the Tigers had a breakthrough win, defeating Port Adelaide by 47 points in extremely wet conditions in Adelaide. They also set a new record for the most tackles ever made in an AFL match (142) since records began in 1987,[14] and kept Port Adelaide to their lowest ever score.[15] The club went on to win five more games making a total of six in Hardwick's first season. They finished the season in 15th position.[16] Richmond under Hardwick over the next 2 seasons continue to show improvement winning 8 games and a draw in the2011 season, improving that to 10 wins and a draw in the2012 season. In the2013 season, Hardwick coached Richmond to its first finals series since2001, and only its third since 1982.Carlton defeated Richmond by 20 points in the elimination final after the Tigers led by 26 points at half-time, eliminating Richmond from the finals series.[17][18] In the2014 season, Hardwick's team started the year very poorly, having a win–loss record of 3–10 at one stage. But remarkably, the Tigers went on to win their last nine matches of the home and away season to just make it into the finals. Richmond were, however, beaten convincingly by Port Adelaide by 57 points in the Elimination Final, finishing the season in eighth place.
Hardwick began the2015 season under pressure to make amends for their past two failed Elimination Finals. It didn't start well, losing 4 out of the first 6 before recovering to finish the season in 5th place with 15 wins, same ladder position and win–loss record as 2013. Richmond came up against North Melbourne in the Elimination Final, but once again failed and Hardwick's team suffered their third consecutive first week finals exit. The2016 season was not a successful year for Hardwick as the Tigers finished the season with just 8 wins from 22 games. The highlight was the round 8 win against the Sydney Swans when Sam Lloyd kicked a goal after the siren. They finished 13th on the premiership ladder, their worst ladder position in four seasons.
In the2017 season, Hardwick coached Richmond to their eleventh VFL/AFL premiership, defeating the Adelaide Crows by 48 points. After becoming the first coach in 37 years to guideRichmond to a grand final win in the2017 AFL Grand Final, Hardwick was chosen as theAFLCA Coach of the Year.[19][20] He joined a very small group to win three AFL premierships with three clubs as player and coach, ending Richmond's 37-year drought in the process.
In the2018 season, Hardwick followed up his successful 2017 season by coaching Richmond to their first minor premiership since 1982 and to the finals. Richmond were however eliminated by eventual runners-upCollingwood by 39 points in the Preliminary Final.
In the2019 season, Hardwick became a two-time premiership coach, guiding Richmond to their second premiership in three years and twelfth overall with a resounding 89 point win overGWS Giants in the2019 AFL Grand Final.[21] It was the third-highest margin of victory in a grand final.[22]
In the2020 season, which was significantly affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Hardwick coached Richmond to their third premiership in four years and became a three-time premiership coach. Richmond finished third on the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season (with a record of 12 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw).[23] They lost to theBrisbane Lions (10.9.69 to 8.6.54) in their qualifying final, defeated theSt Kilda Saints (12.8.80 to 6.13.49) in their semi-final, and defeatedPort Adelaide (6.10.46 to 6.4.40) in their preliminary final. They defeated theGeelong Cats by 31 points (12.9.81 to 7.8.50) in thegrand final atThe Gabba – the first grand final to be played outside Victoria and the first night-time grand final. Hardwick was heavily featured in thePrime Video web-seriesMaking Their Mark which documented the2020 AFL season.[24][25][26][27]
Despite aiming to become the seventh team to win three consecutive premierships, the2021 season was not a successful year for Hardwick, as the Tigers finished the season with just 9 wins from 22 games. With a combination of multiple injured players and a lack of consistent form, Richmond finished 12th on the premiership ladder, their worst ladder position since 2016 and failed to make finals for the first time in five years.[28]
On 22 May 2023, Hardwick unexpectedly announced his immediate resignation from his role as senior coach of the Richmond Football Club, mid-season after Round 10, 2023 . The reason for his resignation was given due toburnout and the stress involved as being a senior coach.[29][30][31][32][33][34] Hardwick was then replaced by assistant coachAndrew McQualter as caretaker senior coach of Richmond Football Club for the remainder of the 2023 season.[34][35]
On 21 August 2023, Hardwick was announced as the senior coach of theGold Coast Suns on a six-year contract, starting from the 2024 season.[1][36][37][38][39] Hardwick replaced Gold Coast Suns caretaker senior coachSteven King, who replacedStuart Dew after Dew was sacked in the middle of the2023 season.[40]
In the2025 season, Hardwick guided the club in not only its first top-8 finish with 7th place but also earning the club's first final series berth in its 15-year history. They won their elimination final and progressed to a semi-final.
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks | ||
# | Played in that season's premiership team |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 1994 | Essendon | 39 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 176 | 107 | 283 | 62 | 29 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 10.4 | 6.3 | 16.6 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 3 |
| 1995 | Essendon | 39 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 123 | 97 | 220 | 38 | 31 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 7.7 | 6.1 | 13.8 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0 |
| 1996 | Essendon | 39 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 170 | 102 | 272 | 60 | 22 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 10.0 | 6.0 | 16.0 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 0 |
| 1997 | Essendon | 39 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 177 | 87 | 264 | 55 | 26 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 11.8 | 5.8 | 17.6 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 3 |
| 1998 | Essendon | 11 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 325 | 117 | 442 | 87 | 43 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14.1 | 5.1 | 19.2 | 3.8 | 1.9 | 9 |
| 1999 | Essendon | 11 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 246 | 108 | 354 | 51 | 32 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.3 | 5.4 | 17.7 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0 |
| 2000# | Essendon | 11 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 270 | 172 | 442 | 71 | 55 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.3 | 7.2 | 18.4 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 0 |
| 2001 | Essendon | 11 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 203 | 155 | 358 | 72 | 41 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.7 | 7.4 | 17.0 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 2002 | Port Adelaide | 11 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 182 | 121 | 303 | 58 | 50 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 9.1 | 6.1 | 15.2 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 0 |
| 2003 | Port Adelaide | 11 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 154 | 111 | 265 | 57 | 42 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 7.7 | 5.6 | 13.3 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 0 |
| 2004# | Port Adelaide | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 80 | 86 | 166 | 34 | 27 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 5.7 | 6.1 | 11.9 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0 |
| Career | 207 | 14 | 13 | 2106 | 1263 | 3369 | 645 | 398 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 10.2 | 6.1 | 16.3 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 15 | ||
| Team | Year | Home and Away Season | Finals | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Drew | Win % | Position | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| RIC | 2010 | 6 | 16 | 0 | .273 | 15th out of 16 | - | - | - | - |
| RIC | 2011 | 8 | 13 | 1 | .364 | 12th out of 17 | - | - | - | - |
| RIC | 2012 | 10 | 11 | 1 | .456 | 12th out of 18 | - | - | - | - |
| RIC | 2013 | 15 | 7 | 0 | .682 | 5th out of 18 | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toCarlton inElimination Final |
| RIC | 2014 | 12 | 10 | 0 | .545 | 8th out of 18 | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toPort Adelaide inElimination Final |
| RIC | 2015 | 15 | 7 | 0 | .682 | 5th out of 18 | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toNorth Melbourne inElimination Final |
| RIC | 2016 | 8 | 14 | 0 | .364 | 13th out of 18 | - | - | - | - |
| RIC | 2017 | 15 | 7 | 0 | .682 | 3rd out of 18 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | DefeatedAdelaide inGrand Final |
| RIC | 2018 | 18 | 4 | 0 | .818 | 1st out of 18 | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toCollingwood inPreliminary Final |
| RIC | 2019 | 16 | 6 | 0 | .727 | 3rd out of 18 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | DefeatedGWS inGrand Final |
| RIC | 2020 | 12 | 4 | 1 | .706 | 3rd out of 18 | 3 | 1 | .750 | DefeatedGeelong inGrand Final |
| RIC | 2021 | 9 | 12 | 1 | .409 | 12th out of 18 | - | - | - | - |
| RIC | 2022 | 13 | 8 | 1 | .591 | 7th out of 18 | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toBrisbane inElimination Final |
| RIC | 2023 | 3 | 6 | 1 | .300 | 15th out of 18* | - | - | - | Resigned after round 10 |
| RIC Total | 170 | 131 | 6 | 0.553 | 10 | 6 | ||||
| GC | 2024 | 11 | 12 | 0 | .478 | 13th out of 18 | - | - | - | - |
| GC | 2025 | 15 | 8 | 0 | .652 | 7th out of 18 | - | - | - | - |
| GC Total | 26 | 20 | 0 | .565 | - | - | - | |||
| Total | 196 | 151 | 6 | .563 | 10 | 6 | ||||
*Ladder position after Hardwick's final match
 | ||
Coach:Brereton | ||