Tigers coach Damien Hardwick has been caught on camera delivering a tearful message on the importance of family to his players all the while having an affair with a staffer.
Hardwick had been trapped in the Queensland hub during last season’s COVID-19 interrupted season when an Amazon Prime Video documentary crew captured the emotional speech.
The Richmond coach would later split from his wife of 30 years and mother of his child before hooking up with Tigers sales representative Alexandra Crow.
The relationship is believed to have started during the club’s quarantine bubble in Queensland during the 2020 season.
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick chokes up as he speaks of the importance of family to his players during the 2020 season
Hardwick (second from left) appears throughout the Amazon Prime Video series
Alexandra Crow (pictured) was later revealed to have been in an affair with Hardwick throughout the 2020 season
The Tigers, who went onto win the premiership, had just come-off a heart breaking loss to GWS in July when Hardwick used the importance of family to motivate his side.
At the time, Victorians were enduring Stage Four lockdown conditions, which saw Hardwick’s wife trapped at home in Melbourne.
‘Put yourself in a situation where, we’re away from home and it’s tough,’ Hardwick said while seemingly choking back tears.
‘You sit there and our families are sitting there back watching the game. That’s who we’re playing for.’
The speech features in episode four of Amazon Prime Video’s Making Their Mark, which was filmed during last season.
The makers were given inside access to Hardwick and the Tigers during the year while they played out of the ‘Queensland bubble’.
It was later revealed Hardwick had been having an affair at the time with Ms Crow, who spent time in the hub with Hardwick throughout the season.
‘Understand, it’s about everyone else,’ Hardwick preached.
‘So understand who we are and what we do, but understand the importance we play in everyone that we’ve left behind. You’re playing for them. You’re playing for your family, you’re playing for our supporters.’
The series, which runs over seven episodes, shows Hardwick battle through the COVID-19 lockdown, which in his own words, he did not initially handle well.
‘I had a horrible, I think, first two weeks – taking away the health and safety of our society, all I could see was how this was going to heavily affect how we were going to perform on the field and I as a leader failed miserably in that two weeks,’ he said.
‘You know, I really struggled and I thought our side reflected my leadership in that part of the game, heavily questioned everything, weren’t prepared to buy into it all or just thinking about how this is designed to tear us apart and not bring us together.
‘So straight away we’re automatically on the back foot because I’m being a jack ass really and our players didn’t respond well either.’
Trent Cotchin and Damien Hardwick celebrate victory as they hold up the premiership cup after the 2020 AFL Grand Final match between the Richmond Tigers and the Geelong Cats
Damien and Danielle Hardwick in happier times. Hardwick had called on commitment to family to inspire his players last year
Alexandra Crow was in a relationship with Hardwick while he was still married last season
The three-time premiership coach rocked the sporting world in December when it was revealed he had dumped his wife.
Last month, a reluctant Hardwick was forced to publicly discuss his marriage split for the first time when he was grilled about the matter on Melbourne breakfast radio.
‘These things happen in all walks of life and they’re not easy on anyone, but all we ask is for the respect for both myself and Danielle so we can move forward,’ Hardwick told SEN radio at the time.
‘I’m very much of the opinion that people’s private lives should be just that, private.
‘I know sections of the media won’t treat it that way, but that’s how I’m treating it first and foremost.
‘Danielle and I’s priority is our three beautiful kids… to finish the topic off really, it’s been a difficult time for everyone and out of respect it’s something I’m not comfortable speaking about.’
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick and wife Danielle on the red carpet at the Brownlow Medal awards in Melbourne in 2014
Alexandra Crow was found to be a long time admirer of Hardwick
Hardwick chocked back tears as he addressed his team on the importance of family and the support they provided
Hardwick addressed the matter with Tigers players on the first day of pre-season training so it wouldn’t become a distraction or affect his relationship with the team in lead up to the first round this month.
He admitted it was an ‘open and honest’ discussion as the Tigers strive for their third AFL premiership in a row, and fourth in five seasons.
Hardwick had famously previously referred to his wife in media interviews as ‘Mrs Hardwick’.
He revealed how he was convinced by his wife to select Marlion Pickett to make his AFL debut in the 2019 grand final.
Pickett became an integral part of the Tigers line-up with 19 games in the 2020 season, including a second victorious grand final.
‘I must admit, she was pushing Marlion harder than anyone,’ Hardwick told Channel Nine’s AFL Footy Show the day after Pickett’s memorable debut in 2019.
‘She goes, ‘You’ve just got to play him he’s too good’.
‘She’s been a terrific supporter of mine and behind every man is a great woman and I’m very fortunate.’
The Tigers take on Carlton in the Round 1 opener at the MCG on Thursday.
You can watch the documentary at Amazon Prime which has an extensive back catalogue of sports documentaries, including The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team.