AFL 2021

[Lightning McQueen]

Port 15-7

Reasonable draw, can't really complain.

[Jim05]

Sick of these tough draws every year

You know we are going to a garbage year when they are even sending us down to the Cattery this year

[stan]

Sydney Stack breaches Covid Lockdown (numerous times) and ends up in a brawl outside a nightclub in Perth.

Faces court tomorrow.

I havent read anywhere that he was in a brawl, just covid breaches

Yeah, I only heard he was given a move along order by the police but was too pissed so they checked his ID and it all unfolded.

Bet some prick messed up his burrito.

That's probably when the fight started.

[Wedgie]

Sick of these tough draws every year

You know we are going to a garbage year when they are even sending us down to the Cattery this year

93 I think was the last time?
We've even played Fitzroy down there since then!

[Lightning McQueen]

Yeah, I only heard he was given a move along order by the police but was too pissed so they checked his ID and it all unfolded.

Bet some prick messed up his burrito.

That's probably when the fight started.

He was at KFC with his brother, they got a double stack zinger burger.

[Brodlach]

I heard he was so drunk he Stacked it

[Trader]

Yeah, I only heard he was given a move along order by the police but was too pissed so they checked his ID and it all unfolded.

Bet some prick messed up his burrito.

That's probably when the fight started.

He was at KFC with his brother, they got a double stack zinger burger.

C'mon mate, you're normally good with the witt, but KFC sponsor Port, not his mob.

[Booney]

Rhyce Shaw will join Gold Coast as Head of Development in 2021, reuniting with Stuart Dew after they spent 8 years together at Sydney.

Excellent news for Rhyce.

[Dutchy]

Great news

[Booney]

Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick’s new relationship with a younger staff member is causing growing tensions within the club.

It’s understood senior figures have raised concern about the relationship after it was confirmed last month that Hardwick split from wife Danielle, with whom he shares three children.

Hardwick has been seen with his new partner, a member of the Tigers’ commercial sales team, on holiday in Queensland and around Melbourne recently.

It’s believed the relationship has rocked staff within the club and could affect the playing group.

Danielle Hardwick, who was often referred to affectionately as Mrs Hardwick, is a much loved figure around Tigerland.

She and their two daughters spent Christmas morning with the family of Tigers captain Trent Cotchin.

Cotchin’s wife Brooke posted a picture of the Hardwick girls with their children calling them “second fam”.

On the post Danielle commented: “What a special Christmas morning. Our hearts are full. Love you Cotchins.”

Sources say it also raised eyebrows when Hardwick’s new love interest quarantined via Darwin and then stayed on the Gold Coast in the lead up to the Grand Final.

Some senior members of the club are understood to have raised concerns that Hardwick’s relationship with the staff member has similarities to the AFL’s situation with executives Simon Lethlean and Richard Simkiss’s relationships with younger employees in 2017.

Both resigned acknowledging the relationships were inappropriate.

But other senior figures at the club have defended the Hardwick relationship saying that he’s never had direct authority over his partner.

The issue is even understood to have been raised among members of the board.

When contacted the club gave a statement to the Herald Sun:

“The Club is aware that coach Damien Hardwick is currently in a relationship with a member of the Club’s administration staff. The Club has no concerns with this under Club policy. Beyond this, it is a private matter and we ask that privacy be respected.”

Hardwick, the Tigers’ three time premiership coach, has been granted leave until February after an intense season.

“I’m going to take a bit of a longer break this year over summer,” Hardwick told 3AW in October.

“It’s been a pretty full on 3-4 years and we’ve done a hell of a lot of work and had a lot of success along the way but sometimes you need to step back.

“I’m very lucky that I’ve got some terrific assistants, and a couple of those guys will move on, but the coaching group and the people I have around me do a large amount of work and the reality is I sit at the top and manage those guys.”

Hardwick has won a premiership with the Tigers in 2017, 2019 and 2020 and has coached 252 games with the club.

It was a year of turmoil for many involved in the AFL, with Richmond facing some off-field issues in the hub, yet still achieving ultimate success.

Hardwick had often discussed his long-time partner Danielle and her influence. He credited her with the stunning selection of Marlion Pickett, who played his first game in the 2019 grand final.

“I must admit, she was pushing Marlion harder than anyone,’’ Hardwick said after the win.

“She goes, ‘You’ve just got to play him he’s too good’. She was in the VFL coaches box watching me and she kept smiling at me looking at him as he was playing.

“She’s been a terrific supporter of mine and behind every man is a great woman and I’m very fortunate.”

“(Mrs Hardwick) wasn’t overly happy with the press conference. She gave me a dressing down after it. That was a good result,’’ he said at the time.

[Trader]

Some senior members of the club are understood to have raised concerns that Hardwick’s relationship with the staff member has similarities to the AFL’s situation with executives Simon Lethlean and Richard Simkiss’s relationships with younger employees in 2017.

Both resigned acknowledging the relationships were inappropriate.

I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this line of thinking (in society as a whole) that any relationship within a work environment must involve people of the same ranking in the hierarchy otherwise its automatically considered predatory.

I think its an unnecessary slur against the senior member of the relationship, not to mention degrading to the junior to imply he/she isn't able to make up their own mind and decide if they want to date someone or not.

[Booney]

Some senior members of the club are understood to have raised concerns that Hardwick’s relationship with the staff member has similarities to the AFL’s situation with executives Simon Lethlean and Richard Simkiss’s relationships with younger employees in 2017.

Both resigned acknowledging the relationships were inappropriate.

I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this line of thinking (in society as a whole) that any relationship within a work environment must involve people of the same ranking in the hierarchy otherwise its automatically considered predatory.

I think its an unnecessary slur against the senior member of the relationship, not to mention degrading to the junior to imply he/she isn't able to make up their own mind and decide if they want to date someone or not.

Agreed, a fairly judgemental stance to take.

[heater31]

Some senior members of the club are understood to have raised concerns that Hardwick’s relationship with the staff member has similarities to the AFL’s situation with executives Simon Lethlean and Richard Simkiss’s relationships with younger employees in 2017.

Both resigned acknowledging the relationships were inappropriate.

I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this line of thinking (in society as a whole) that any relationship within a work environment must involve people of the same ranking in the hierarchy otherwise its automatically considered predatory.

I think its an unnecessary slur against the senior member of the relationship, not to mention degrading to the junior to imply he/she isn't able to make up their own mind and decide if they want to date someone or not.

Difference here is the senior employee's now ex partner is involved in the workplace in I assume unpaid capacity. It might force staff to pick sides and resent the other party.

[Trader]

Difference here is the senior employee's now ex partner is involved in the workplace in I assume unpaid capacity. It might force staff to pick sides and resent the other party.

Yeah, nothing wrong with a ban on all workplace relationships cause they get messy, and if that's all the article spoke about then I wouldn't have commented.

However the section I quoted, specifically implying an imbalance of power and predatory behaviour is what I have an issue with.

We are not talking about a person under the age of 16 here, or even if Hardwick was a in a position of trust (cop, school teacher, etc) where his partner would then need to be 18.
He's dating an adult and for that to lead to suggestions that he's a sexual predator abusing his authority to force her into an unwanted relationship is gutter journalism IMO.

[Booney]

Difference here is the senior employee's now ex partner is involved in the workplace in I assume unpaid capacity. It might force staff to pick sides and resent the other party.

Yeah, nothing wrong with a ban on all workplace relationships cause they get messy, and if that's all the article spoke about then I wouldn't have commented.

However the section I quoted, specifically implying an imbalance of power and predatory behaviour is what I have an issue with.

We are not talking about a person under the age of 16 here, or even if Hardwick was a in a position of trust (cop, school teacher, etc) where his partner would then need to be 18.
He's dating an adult and for that to lead to suggestions that he's a sexual predator abusing his authority to force her into an unwanted relationship is gutter journalism IMO.

The Lethlean/Simkiss affairs were looked upon so poorly as the younger staffer was ( no pun ) directly below the two people mentioned. It seems Hardwick ( pun here - or Wickhard ) isn't the staffer who oversees the person in questions role.

I can see the difference between an affair within an organisation and an affair within a chain of command.

[goddy11]

The AFC will get blamed for this. A Crow involved.

[Booney]

The AFC will get blamed for this. A Crow involved.

Hardwick has been f*cking them since 2017.

[goddy11]

The AFC will get blamed for this. A Crow involved.

Hardwick has been f*cking them since 2017.

Good one.

You could say a Crow is F^^king Hardwick this time.

I wonder who Caro will blame.

[cracka]

Just saw a photo of Buddy on the track. Looking as lean as he's ever been. Really hope he can play most of the season

[amber_fluid]

Just saw a photo of Buddy on the track. Looking as lean as he's ever been. Really hope he can play most of the season

They’ll get 6 average games out of him and still claim it’s been a success!