Richmond veteran Trent Cotchin believes former coach Damien Hardwick will be coaching again as early as 2024, but sees his old mentor better suited to a footballer management role.
Hardwick has quickly emerged as the unbackable favourite to take on the vacant Gold Coast job in the wake of Stuart Dew's sacking. The Suns will have Steven King to hold down the fort on an interim basis for the remainder of this season before finding a new coach.
Despite leaving the Tigers in May, Hardwick has already flagged he could be open to a return to coaching in the future, with many tying the three-time premiership coach to the Suns in the past week.
Hardwick stood down from his duties at Punt Road after feeling burnt out from the job after 14 years with Richmond, where he built his name as one of the modern-day coaching greats.
Having shared the premiership dais on three occasions between 2017-2020 as captain and coach respectfully, Cotchin has moulded a trusted relationship with Hardwick since 2010, with the pair continuing to catch up since the coach's departure.
Speaking to Triple M on Monday, Cotchin said he believed the time was right for Hardwick to depart on his own terms, with the former Richmond captain backing his ex-coach to thrive wherever he lands next.
"Yeah I have (spoken to Hardwick). I caught up with 'Dimma' a couple of times, I know that he's away now gallivanting around Europe somewhere," Cotchin said.
"Sometimes it's just the right time. The moment I caught up with him the day after he caught up with the club to let them know (he was leaving), I could just see this colour in his eyes that I hadn't seen for a while. He just looked as relaxed as he's looked for a long period of time.
"All we want as a footy club is for people to be at their absolute best. I hope that that is the case for him moving forward. Who knows what he does in the future, but he'll be a great attribute to whatever football club (he joins) if that's the decision he makes."
Hardwick, who turns 51 next month, is seen likely to return to the coaching landscape in the near future, with the Suns vacancy viewed as a ripe role for the former Essendon and Port Adelaide backman.
When asked if he believes his old coach and close friend will be coaching as early as next year, Cotchin said he believed he would, but could even be better suited for a different role.
"I think so, but I think he would be a very good footy manager," Cotchin added.
After starting the year with just three wins in their first 10 games for 2023 prior to Hardwick's resignation, Richmond have since claimed five wins under caretaker coach Andrew McQualter, who has led the Tigers back into finals contention.
Richmond currently sit outside of the top eight by two premiership points thanks to the "fresh ideas" McQualter has brought to Tigerland since taking on the senior role.
Cotchin said while the club's season has faced its twists and turns, McQualter and the rest of Richmond's coaching staff have helped 'reinvigorate' the team as they set their sights on September.
"This year has been challenging in its own ways," the Brownlow Medal winner said.
"Your senior coach leaving the footy club halfway through the season is something that hasn't necessarily been (easy).
"But it's also been a really good thing for our footy club, Andrew McQualter has been amazing in the way that he's reinvigorated the group with some fresh ideas along with our assistant coaches.
"We're playing some good footy, we've won five of our last seven. I don't think we're playing our best footy, but we're definitely seeing signs that are going to hold us in good stead leading to the back part of the season."
Richmond could move into the finals frame this weekend with a win over Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
McQualter's continued success in his short time as an interim coach has led the long-serving assistant to be seen as the favourite to be named as Hardwick's successor.