RICHMOND has turned its focus to Yartapuulti on Sunday after its emotional week farewelling Damien Hardwick, with interim coach Andrew McQualter saying the Tigers would be ready to face the in-form Power.
Hardwick's 14-year, 307-game and three-premiership era ended abruptly on Monday when he quit the club effective immediately, with the Tigers installing experienced assistant McQualter as their stand-in coach for the rest of the season.
McQualter, who will be a contender for the long-term position after a strong coaching CV over the past decade at the Tigers, said Hardwick called him to inform him of his shock decision following Richmond’s last-gasp one-point loss to Essendon on Saturday night.
"It was a crazy 48 hours. We made that whole day about him and as footy clubs do they move on pretty quickly. We got back to work and started planning for Port Adelaide," he said.
"It's a little bit bittersweet. We never like to see Dimma leave in these circumstances but I'm grateful for the opportunity. We've got an incredible coaching group so it's not just about me. We've got a group that's really experienced and we're going to batten down the hatches and do it together."
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The former St Kilda and Gold Coast player said Hardwick had told him to 'be yourself' in the position, adding his time at Punt Road had made for a more straightforward transition in recent days.
"The energy from the group has been outstanding. We're really fortunate to have a great group of leaders and players. In a way I've had relationships with these guys, particularly the older ones, for 10 years and they've been incredibly supportive of me and the program," he said.
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon spoke this week of trying to poach McQualter for his coaching panel at the Saints last week, but the 36-year-old knocked back the advance. McQualter, who ran deep in Carlton's coaching process in 2021, said he was intent on staying at Richmond when his former coach came calling.
"I've spent so much time with this footy club, I love the players, I thought we still had a great chance of being really competitive which I still believe, and I was contracted to the footy club so there was no way I was leaving at the end of last year," he said.
"He can be quite firm and I have a lot of respect for him but he was completely understanding."
McQualter said he hadn't yet considered whether he will throw his hat into the ring to stay on as Richmond’s long-term coach as the club begins to embark on its process to find Hardwick's successor.
"I haven't even had time to think about it. At the moment we're just dealing with this week and trying to prepare the players for the game," he said.
The Tigers host the Power on Sunday at the MCG, with Yartapuulti on a seven-game winning streak. Richmond defender Nick Vlastuin has to prove his fitness after receiving a cork last week.
"We've still got main training to get through today so we'll see how Nick gets through today. He's still a chance and hopefully he'll be able to get up," he said.
