8 months ago
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Damien Hardwick has added a Richmond premiership subordinate to his expanding arsenal astatine the Gold Coast Suns.
The erstwhile Tigers premiership manager pulled disconnected a monolithic determination by poaching erstwhile premiership subordinate Shaun Grigg out of his declaration astatine Geelong to articulation him astatine the Suns connected Monday.
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But helium wasn’t done determination arsenic helium looks to grow his Richmond stocks by adding superstar erstwhile defender Alex Rance.
“I caught up with Alex Rance, we’re trying to get Alex to bash immoderate enactment astatine our footy nine successful the enactment abstraction and conscionable immoderate enactment with our defenders arsenic well,” Hardwick told Seven’s Talking Finals.
“He looks similar helium could inactive play.”
Hardwick was pressed connected if helium would beryllium pushing the five-time All Australian to enactment the boots backmost connected and instrumentality to the tract and gave a noncommittal answer.
The 33-year-old Rance nevertheless unopen down those suggestions aft being inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame connected Monday.
“I volition beryllium astatine the Suns adjacent year, yea for sure,” Rance said, arsenic reported by The West Australian.
“I won’t beryllium playing. I volition bash thing astatine the Suns, I americium moving with ‘Dimma’ and the absorption unit connected what that looks similar and I deliberation it astir apt lends itself much to the key-position craft, taste stuff, which I truly enjoyed.
“That is inactive a spot much ‘TBC’, but (we are) moving done the finer details.
“Dimma is gathering his small set up determination and I deliberation it is going to beryllium truly breathtaking times.”
The coaching unit moves travel connected the heels of bombshell rumours that Hardwick is attempting to lure Dustin Martin north.
Martin was spotted catching up with Hardwick past week portion holidaying connected the Gold Coast, adding substance to the rumours the triple Norm Smith medallist is earnestly considering leaving the Tigers to reunite with his premiership coach.
Despite the rumour mill spinning itself into overdrive, Hardwick unopen it down connected Wednesday night.
“Dustin’s going to enactment astatine Richmond,” helium said connected Talking Finals.
“Personally, my sentiment is that is perfectly the close happening for him to bash – and he’s going to enactment astatine Richmond, which is an tremendous affirmative for that footy club.
“Me, similar 17 different coaches, would emotion to person him connected my side. But the information of the substance is it’s large he’s going to play his 300th crippled astatine the Richmond Football Club adjacent year.”
Hardwick joined the Suns connected a monster six-year woody having departed Richmond midway done the 2023 play citing burnout.
The triple-premiership manager was officially unveiled successful mid-August aft Gold Coast president Bob East and main enforcement Mark Evans flew to Milan to transportation him to articulation the club.
Hardwick said helium was excited to play with a “great caller clump of toys”, with lone “little bits” needed arsenic additions to propel the Suns to an inaugural emblem during his tenure.
“I deliberation 80 per cent of our archetypal premiership broadside is sitting successful this country close now,” Hardwick said.
“There’ll beryllium a fewer bits added on the way, but the information of the substance is this nine is precise susceptible of saluting successful the not excessively distant future.
“I’m not putting a ceiling connected this radical … I’m precise excited astir the playing list. I likened it to waking up connected Christmas Day and walking retired to a acceptable of marque caller toys, which is precise exciting.”
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