Richmond has further boosted its football development department, securing the services of recently-retired Hawthorn premiership ruckman Max Bailey.

The Tigers have appointed Bailey as a development coach, just five days after he announced his retirement, following an eight-year career with the Hawks, where he bravely fought back from three knee reconstructions and was able to go out as a premiership player.

“Throughout his playing career, Max showed great courage, resilience and motivation to overcome his injuries and contribute to his team’s performance. While his game time was limited through injury, Max has had great experience as a premiership player with Hawthorn, and we look forward to him working with our developing players,” said Richmond’s General Manager of Football, Dan Richardson.

Bailey, 27, was recruited by Hawthorn from WAFL club West Perth at pick 18 overall in the 2005 National Draft.

He suffered those three knee reconstructions within his first four seasons of AFL football and managed just 43 of a possible 174 matches for the Hawks during his league career.

Throughout all his injury battles, however, Bailey remained a great source of inspiration to his Hawthorn teammates.

They were buoyed by his mere presence in their line-up for this year’s Grand Final against Fremantle, and he was a solid contributor on the day.

The Hawks’ star midfielder, Sam Mitchell, described Bailey jogging to the dais to collect his premiership medal as “the greatest story of the 2013 Grand Final”.

Bailey joins recently-appointed former St Kilda multi-Grand Final player, Andrew McQualter, in a beefed-up Richmond development department, under the astute guidance of highly-successful, experienced, ex-AFL senior coach Mark Williams.