Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has spoken out about his marriage breakdown and new relationship with a club staffer and the impact it has had at Tigerland.
Reports emerged in January of Hardwick's new romance with a staff member at the football club after splitting with wife Danielle, with the triple-premiership coach needing the Tigers' human resources department to tick off the relationship.
There were questions over how the players dealt with the news, but veteran forward Jack Riewoldt moved to back Hardwick earlier in the pre-season.
โDamienโs a good enough character to separate his personal life and professional life, heโs shown in the last four years that heโs arguably the best coach in the land,โ Riewoldt said.
โHeโll continue to support us and weโll continue to support him.โ
โObviously itโs sad that Dimma and Danielleโs marriage has come to an end, the whole Hardwick family has been a massive support network for us and theyโll continue to be and we will for them as well.โ
Speaking to SEN on Monday morning, Hardwick said the issue had been knocked on the head day one of pre-season.
โThe reality was the first day back I had to speak to the players about it. Thatโs something we do at the club and itโs important we did so to get on with the business of preparing for Round 1.
โWe just finished a terrific pre-season camp, we always speak about things that are distractions in our lives and distractions and the demise of great teams, thatโs the reality of competition.
โSides will always continually deal with those distractions, but itโs the side that deals with them the best that comes out on top and weโre now fully focused on preparing for Round 1."
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Hardwick said he felt the support of his players for not only himself but his family, including Danielle.
โMy players are understanding of my situation and where weโre at, but what Iโve also got to understand is thereโs a lot of staff and players that are incredibly close to Danielle and my family.
โThe fact of the matter is my entire family has been a massive part and will continue to be a massive part of the Richmond Football Club and Iโm glad theyโre supporting her (Danielle).
โThis isnโt about taking sides, itโs just about making sure whatโs best for everyone.
โIt was important that the first time they saw me, I spoke about it openly and honestly. That was the reality of the situation and until I did that we couldnโt really move forward.โ
Richmond have been very prominent in the public eye for a spate of off-field issues over the past 12 months and Hardwick is now hoping normality can resume.
Hardwick said he is hopeful he can now keep his relationship out of the media and move forward with the Tigers' premiership defence.
โThese things happen in all walks of life and theyโre not easy on anyone, but all we ask is for the respect for both myself and Danielle so we can move forward,โ he said.
โIโm very much of the opinion that peopleโs private lives should be just that, private.
โI know sections of the media wonโt treat it that way, but thatโs how Iโm treating it.
โDanielle and I's priority is our three beautiful kids โฆ to finish the topic off really, itโs been a difficult time for everyone and itโs something Iโm not comfortable speaking about.โ
