Kane Cornes doesn’t expect Damien Hardwick to be coaching an AFL side in 2024.
The three-time premiership coach stepped away from the top job at Richmond late last month and Cornes expects that he’ll continue to sit out for at least another year.
While there’s no doubt clubs would be keen on Hardwick’s services, Cornes believes he’d be more likely to join the corporate world, an industry where he could have many offers in a leadership capacity.
“I think Hardwick sits out a year,” Cornes told SEN Breakfast.
“I can’t see a world in which he’s coaching an AFL team next year… can you imagine the offers he’d have in a consultancy way with business and leadership?
“He could take his pick of the business and corporate world, I think he’ll be ok, and that may be good for him if he wants to sit out and then he’ll be more in demand this time next year than what he is now.”
If Hardwick doesn’t put his hand up to coach in 2024, several out-of-contract coaches will breathe a sigh of relief including his 2004 Port Adelaide premiership teammate Stuart Dew and current Power coach Ken Hinkley.
With Hinkley still uncontracted beyond 2023 despite leading the Power to 10 straight wins – a club record – Cornes says he’d move now to sign the 56-year-old for another couple of years.
“I’d offer him a couple (years) with some triggers involved in that, and I think that would be enough to get him to sign,” Cornes said.
“It’s going to be really interesting to see how (Port Adelaide President) David Koch – who’s got a little bit more time on his hands – deals with that.”
Port Adelaide have previously stated that they won’t open up contract talks with Hinkley until August.
The Power will hope to pick up their 11th-straight win when they face Geelong at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.