Gold Coast CEO Mark Evans is reportedly flying to Europe to offer former Richmond mentor Damien Hardwick a five-year deal to become their next senior coach.
Hardwick and the Suns have been linked ever since he stepped down from the Tigers job back in May, less than midway through the 2023 AFL season.
Those links only intensified when the Suns sacked Stuart Dew after Round 17’s loss to Port Adelaide.
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The Age reports the Suns have since reached out to Hardwick via phone, asking whether he would be interested in restarting his coaching career at the Queensland football club.
They have since devised plans to send Evans across to Europe to meet the three-time premiership coach face-to-face.
Ironically Dew has also been in Europe, spotted with the Australian men’s cricket team during their Ashes campaign.
Gold Coast is reportedly not considering any other candidates for its senior coaching role.
Hardwick stepped down from the Tigers job citing burnout, but just a few weeks later went on the Dyl & Friends podcast saying he already missed the role.
“I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t see myself doing it,” Hardwick replied when asked if he could see himself coaching again.
“I love it, I miss it. I’ve been out for two weeks and I wanted to miss it, if that makes sense?
“I need to decompress for a while, I need to go away, I need to reflect. And figure out things that make me good and things that I can sit there and put me in a dark place, as well.”
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