Damien Hardwick has been officially confirmed as the Gold Coast Suns' new coach following an official club release on Monday morning.
Hardwick recently returned to Melbourne after spending a number of weeks holidaying in Europe, where he is understood to have covertly met with senior Suns figures to put the finishing touches on an agreement to coach the fledgling expansion club.
After the initial expectation was a five-year deal, Hardwick finalised a bumper six-year Carrara contract, tying his future in Queensland until 2029.
"I'm very, very, very excited. I liken it to waking up on Christmas Day and walking out to a set of brand new toys," Hardwick joyfully explained to reporters during an introductory press conference on the Gold Coast on Monday.
"Once I started to get my head around that (coaching the Suns), I was thoroughly invested and I couldn't wait to get here," he said.
"What I do know is the quality of people here and the quality playing list we have, we're capable of doing some special things and I'm very excited to be a part of that journey."
Chairman Bob East expressed his pleasure at securing Hardwick's services in a Monday morning press release.
"It is with great excitement that we welcome Damien and his partner Alex to the Gold Coast Suns," East began in Monday's club release.
"We have been unequivocal in our desire to deliver success for our football club, for our loyal and growing group of members and fans, and to the wider Gold Coast community. This appointment is clearly a significant step in that direction.
"When we began the process to determine our Senior Coach, it was quickly apparent Damien was the best candidate available, with Premiership experience and the proven elite coaching skillset required for the job.
"We have high expectations for our club and firmly believe Damien can deliver on these to elevate the Gold Coast SUNS to achieve Premiership success in the AFL competition."
In Monday's statement, Hardwick expressed his excitement at starting a new journey with the Suns.
"I firmly believe this is the beginning of an incredible journey with a club and a community that has a burning desire to succeed," Hardwick stated.
"The Gold Coast deserves a successful team it can be proud of, and it's now my job to deliver that to our members, partners and wider community.
"I can see the tremendous potential we have in front of us, but understand it will take hard work from here to reach our goals.
"The foundations are in place for us to build this club into a contender for years to come and this is a challenge I am extremely excited to take on."
First reported by 7News' Mitch Cleary on Monday, an official announcement from Gold Coast came in the morning.
Damien Hardwick is officially Gold Coastโs new coach.
Announcement this morning.
More details throughout the day @7NewsMelbourne— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) August 20, 2023
Hardwick will front a media conference at Gold Coast's headquarters at 11:00 AM (AEST) on Monday, where he will be officially introduced as the club's new head man.
The former Richmond mentor, who coached the Tigers to three premierships in 2017, 2019, and 2020, had another year to run on his Richmond coaching deal but relinquished his position following a Round 10 defeat to Essendon, citing burnout and fatigue.
The 51-year-old will become the fourth full-time Suns coach, following in the footsteps of predecessors Guy McKenna, Rodney Eade, and Stuart Dew, who was sacked by the Carrara club in early July after a success-starved stint in charge.
The Gold Coast Suns have never qualified for the finals in their 12 AFL seasons.
…means nothing if the afl has not already “decided” they will make finals during his coaching tenure.