Triple-premiership coach Damien Hardwick is set to detail the reasons behind his decision to quit Richmond in a bombshell move that has sparked the prospect of change at rival AFL clubs.
Hardwick will front a press conference at 1030 AEST on Tuesday at Punt Rd alongside Tigers president John O'Rourke and CEO Brendon Gale, when he will address the most sensational mid-season coaching departure in recent memory.
He is expected to stand aside with immediate effect, rather than sticking around for a farewell game against Port Adelaide on Sunday.
It is believed burnout from the stress of senior coaching has been a factor in the 50-year-old's shock call after 307 games in charge over 14 seasons.
Hardwick is the longest-serving coach in Richmond's history and will go down as one of the club's all-time greats alongside Tom Hafey, having led the Tigers to premierships in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
There will be speculation about Hardwick's future and whether - or when - he could coach again at another club next year or beyond.
Richmond will also move quickly to assess the coaching marketplace, with assistant coach Andrew McQualter likely to take the reins on an interim basis.
Port Adelaide's Ken Hinkley is out of contract at the end of this season, West Coast's Adam Simpson is under mounting pressure after a horror run and Stuart Dew can hardly afford another year without September action at Gold Coast.
There is also a cloud hanging over North Melbourne, with Alastair Clarkson on indefinite leave from the club.
Hinkley, who rejected overtures from Essendon last year, was runner-up to Hardwick for the Richmond job in late 2009 before winning the Power role ahead of the 2013 season.
Hinkley and Port Adelaide have repeatedly stated they have put off contract talks until at least August, though that could now change.
The Power may be keen to lock in the 56-year-old after seven straight wins that have seen the club rocket into premiership contention.
McQualter is tipped to take charge for Richmond's clash with Port Adelaide on Sunday at the MCG.
Former senior coaches David Teague and Ben Rutten are also on the Tigers' panel of assistants and could take over if required.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae said he was "shocked" by Hardwick's decision to quit when the news broke on Monday night.
McRae worked as an assistant under Hardwick through the 2017-2020 glory years and said his former mentor had coached with "courage" in a job that grinds people down.
"You get tired. You've got to find energy sources," McRae told Fox Footy.
"You're constantly trying to find the right balance to find the right energy to give to your playing group.
"You find the energy for your players and then you get home and you're exhausted. Your wife and family want you to find energy too."
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley, who stepped down midway through the 2021 season, wondered whether Hardwick had lost the hunger to continue with Richmond sliding out of premiership contention.
The Tigers have won three and drawn one of 10 games this season, having failed to win a final since the 2020 premiership.
"This might be a sign that he doesn't feel like he has the energy to be able to put in, that he's not quite as hungry," Buckley told Fox Footy.
"It might only be one or two per cent off. Only he would know exactly what it is. He's the only one who knows how he feels internally."
