Damien Hardwick has clarified his “tongue in cheek” comment after the AFL moved to distance itself from the Richmond coach’s words from his press conference on Sunday.
Speaking after Richmond's loss to St Kilda, Hardwick lamented the COVID close contact rules that left Sydney Stack unavailable for a VFL match earlier on Sunday, calling on Victorian Premier Dan Andrews to ease the restrictions.
"If we could just get rid of the close contact rule, Dan, that would be terrific, would make everyone's life a hell of a lot easier," Hardwick said,
However, the AFL on Monday reaffirmed its position in supporting state government restrictions, in an apparent sign that it did not agree with Hardwick’s comments.
“We maintain the same position as we have for the last two years that the health and safety of everyone in the community is paramount and we are led by the relevant state governments regarding the protocols that are required to continue to keep the community safe and well," the league said.
“The work of everyone on the front line of the ongoing COVID pandemic – nurses, doctors, healthcare workers - has been nothing short of incredible and we thank them for their continued dedication and sacrifice, and we will continue to play our role in doing what we can to support their efforts in keeping the community safe.”
We maintain the same position as we have for the last two years that the health and safety of everyone in the community is paramount and we are led by the relevant state governments regarding the protocols that are required to continue to keep the community safe and well. 1/3
— AFL House (@AFL_House) April 4, 2022
The three-time premiership coach released a statement via Twitter a bit under 24 hours after he made the original comment, suggesting it had been taken out of context while adding his respect for public health experts.
“To clarify, my comments post-match regarding rules around close contacts were a tongue in cheek reference to the fact we missed Sydney Stack on the wknd. Nothing more. People far better placed than myself put these rules in place to support the efforts of our health care workers,” Hardwick posted.
To clarify, my comments post-match regarding rules around close contacts were a tongue in cheek reference to the fact we missed Sydney Stack on the wknd. Nothing more. People far better placed than myself put these rules in place to support the efforts of our health care workers.
— Damien Hardwick (@hardwick_damien) April 4, 2022
Richmond lost to the Saints by 33 points after being overrun in the final quarter, Hardwick’s men now sitting with a record of 1-2 after three games.