Richmond senior Adviser Neil Balme says Andrew McQualter’s performance demands the Tigers consider him “very seriously” for the full-time coaching role as the caretaker declared he wanted to “have a crack”.
The club has yet to settle on the process to replace Damien Hardwick in 2024, but McQualter’s efforts since taking over have elevated him significantly in the conversation.
Richmond has won three of the four games since McQualter took over in Round 11, a resurgence which has put the Tigers on the verge of the top eight having lost six of 10 games before the coaching change.
Balme said the club was not even at the stage of considering candidates but McQualter had impressed everyone with his capacity to engage with the players, and to get such a positive response.
“Having watched him, we will take him very seriously (for the role),” Balme told RSN on Thursday ahead of Richmond’s clash with the Brisbane Lions.
“Whether he really wants to do it yet we haven’t gone in to. But he’s been terrific, he’s certainly telling a good story for himself.”
In Brisbane on Wednesday, McQualter declared he would put his hand up to take on the job full-time.
“Right now I’m just loving the opportunity, really enjoying it,” he said.
“If there’s a process to go through I’ll be happy to put hat forward and have a crack at it.”
Balme said Richmond was taking it’s time to formulate what sort of coach it was after, as well as the process, given the magnitude of replacing a three-time premiership coach like Hardwick.
“The club is in a position to decide, longer term, what we need. None of that is certain at the minute,” Balme said.
“We’ve had a couple of talks about what type of person we need, it’s more philosophical and big picture stuff.
“It hasn’t yet been decided what we’ll do and who we will look at. Fortunately there is plenty of time to do that. We haven’t put any timelines around that.”
