New Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has spoken glowingly of Matthew Richardson and Ben Cousins, whose playing futures are immediate priorities at the AFL club.

While Hardwick stressed that decisions on the playing list and his assistant coaches will be made in the next few weeks, his comments have further strengthened the belief that the star pair will continue next season.

Richardson, 34, is the AFL's oldest current player and is coming off an injury-riddled season.

The Tigers legend is keen to continue next season.

Cousins, 31, has been a rare shining light in Richmond's dismal season, successfully returning from his AFL suspension.

"Richo - it's a good question, he's an outstanding talent," said Hardwick, formerly an assistant coach at Hawthorn.

"I still think he's probably in the top two to three players at this club.

"I know when Hawthorn play against him, he's our first thing - `what the hell are we going to do with Richo?'

"We'll make decisions on that in the coming weeks, but he's still a very talented player."

When asked about Cousins, Hardwick confessed he had been sceptical as to whether the self-confessed drug addict could successfully return to the game.

"He's been very good for this footy club," Hardwick said.

"I, probably like everyone else, initially thought `gee, not sure'.

"Watching him play against us before `Buddy' ironed him up - he's become a very, very good player for this football club."

The Hawks are appealing against the two-match suspension handed to their star Lance "Buddy" Franklin for concussing Cousins with a bump last weekend.

Nathan Brown and Troy Simmonds are two other 30-plus players whose futures are uncertain at Richmond.

Hardwick knows he has plenty of work ahead in improving the Richmond list, especially given the draft concessions that the new Gold Coast club will soon enjoy.

He is prepared to make hard calls, using the line from coaching great John Kennedy that there is no sentiment in football.

Hardwick, 37, was told on Tuesday afternoon that he had won the three-year Richmond contract ahead of Geelong assistant Ken Hinkley.

Hardwick played in premiership teams at Essendon and Port Adelaide and spent five years under Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn, including last year when they won the flag.

His extensive experience at successful clubs was a key attraction for the Tigers, who have not won a premiership since 1980.

They have been in the finals only once this decade and that was in 2001.

"He comes to the club with great experience and, importantly, experience (in) some successful cultures ... that was really important for our football club as we embark on a new era," said Tigers president Gary March.

There was speculation last week that Hardwick might go to Port as part of a succession plan with current coach Mark Williams, but Hardwick said there were only "conversations".

He clearly wanted a senior job of his own, now.

Hardwick looked fidgety at Wednesday morning's media conference - partly because he was fronting a large group of journalists, but also because he is impatient to start.

"I think I can deliver a blueprint for success that's going to take Richmond to their 11th premiership in the not-too-distant future, hopefully," he said.

Typically of Hardwick's football career, which featured 207 games as a player at Essendon and Port Adelaide, his first senior coaching job did not come easily.

He missed out on the Melbourne and Essendon jobs two years ago.

"There are going to be players who go through their whole career and get success wherever they go, but probably the greatest thing I've found is I have had a lot of kicks in the arse," he said.

"I've been at three football clubs, I've been overlooked for two to three jobs, but you learn a lot about yourself.

"You become a better person and I think you become a better coach."

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