Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick has kept on every assistant coach as the Tigers chase their third premiership in four seasons

While clubs have been gripped by enforced cuts to football departments, Richmond will go into the restart seemingly unscathed. And it is set to help them in their pursuit of a third flag in four years. In another boost as the Tigers’ chase their third premiership in four years, Richmond has refused to stand down any of senior coach Damien Hardwick’s prized assistants. The AFL has forced clubs to cut their football departments to just 25 employees, but the Tigers on Wednesday confirmed they had locked Hardwick’s eight lieutenants into their streamlined operation. “We’ve got the same players in the same team in the same competition, so we assume we need the same coaches,” Richmond’s senior adviser Neil Balme told the Herald Sun. “I’m not a supporter of less coaches is better footy, I think that’s absolute (rubbish). “I think it’s someone coming up with an answer based on what their agenda wants to be. I don’t think it’s real.” The heavy coaching investment means assistants Justin Leppitsch, Andrew McQualter, Adam Kingsley, Craig McRae, Xavier Clarke, Ryan Ferguson, Ivan Maric and Sam Lonergan will all be on hand to help plot Collingwood’s downfall in next Thursday’s Round 2 blockbuster. Balme was not included in the Tigers’ headcount, but will continue working remotely to help drive the club through the COVID-19 pandemic. Football performance boss Tim Livingstone and talent boss Blair Hartley are running the Tigers’ football department, with Livingstone included in the headcount and Hartley, like Balme, working offline. “Other people miss out. You’ve got to make the sacrifice somewhere and not all clubs will do it exactly the same way,” Balme said. “We’re not that happy to have to make them, but that’s been imposed on us by COVID-19, along with the AFL. “Hopefully we provide the right service for the players — that’s the challenge of the whole thing.” Balme said Hardwick was “very pleased — it’s obviously what he wanted”. Elsewhere, assistants including Luke Ball (Essendon), Brett Deledio (Hawthorn), Joel Corey, Jordan Russell and Dale Morris (all Western Bulldogs), Tadhg Kennelly and Stuart Maxfield (Sydney), Jared Rivers and Brendan Whitecross (North Melbourne) are all out of work. Dogs coach Luke Beveridge said the “gut-wrenching” cuts made him feel like he was back coaching in the VAFA. Magpies strategist Ash Collins and development coach Garry Hocking also remain stood down. But Collingwood continues to pay staff members that have been stood down in a sign of strength some clubs could only dream of. When AFL clubs stood down the majority of their workforces without pay when the season was suspended, the Magpies generously vowed to continue paying employees two days a week for April and May. Those part-time wages will continue in June to help Collingwood’s loyal servants navigate the pandemic. JobKeeper entitlements have broadly helped clubs keep their valued people afloat. The AFL has stood down 70 per cent of its work force and the rest is working on reduced hours and salary cuts. The league yesterday confirmed its employees stood down were not being paid by head office, but were also on JobKeeper and could access annual leave.