ON THE day Brandon Ellis announced his retirement, an emotional Damien Hardwick opened up about the impact the veteran wingman had on the entire Richmond Football Club ahead of its premiership dynasty.
Hardwick was the Tigers coach when Ellis walked into the AFL late in 2011 and was there again at Gold Coast on Wednesday as the 30-year-old called time on his 251-game career.
WHO’S CALLED IT QUITS 2024’s retirements and delistings
He described Ellis as a "poster boy" for what sport could do for someone's life, recalling in early 2017 when Ellis shared his journey as part of the Tigers' 'Hardship, highlight, hero' sessions.
"There's a lot of great stories in AFL footy, but I don't think there's any that have touched me more than Brandon, where he started and where he's finished," Hardwick told media on Wednesday morning.
"He's open about his mum and dad who fought tooth and nail to give him everything and then, he'll tell it at some stage, what he gave back to his parents.
"There was a period at the start of 2017, the Triple H story … the one that signified where we were going to get to was the story of Brandon.
"That brought together a football club.
"It probably resonated with me because I was embarrassed that I knew Brandon on a superficial level, I didn't actually know Brandon deep down.
"He's played in two premierships, 251 games, got a lot of businesses … he is the poster boy for what sport can do, and more importantly with hard work and dedication, the type of man you can become."
Ellis, who came from "commission flats" in Melbourne, won two premierships with Richmond in 2017 and 2019 before taking a five-year free agent deal to head to the battling Suns.
It would set up the rest of his life.
He now part owns two gyms in Melbourne and four pilates studios, including one in Bali, to have life after footy well and truly established.
"I was probably one of the only young guys that listened to the PDMs (professional development meetings) at Richmond when they said we needed to have a life outside football because it wasn't going to last forever," Ellis laughed.
"'Dimma' was huge on that when I first got to Richmond.
"He basically had a rule that if you weren't studying or doing something after your first year, you weren't allowed to play.
"I don't know if he was doing that to scare us, but I definitely listened to that. I'm glad I put in the hard work off the field when I was a bit younger."
Hard work was something Ellis said he never had an issue with – it's what got him to the AFL.
One of the strongest runners at the Suns since walking through their Carrara doors, the former Calder Cannon said the time was right to call it quits.
His last game came against Fremantle in round 15, tearing his calf, but staying on to kick a goal and give his team a fighting chance to win.
Ellis said he knew at the time, with the likely severity of the injury, it could have been his last game, so he soaked it in.
But his final words should be on Hardwick, a man he clearly has a lot of admiration for.
"'Dimma' means the world to me," Ellis said.
"He gave me a new chance at life, took me as an 18-year-old out of the commission flats and brought me into an AFL environment where I was able to thrive.
"Hard work was never going to be an issue for me because I had to fight tooth and nail to get to the AFL level.
"I continued that when I got into the system. The harder you work the luckier you get.
"I'm very lucky and privileged and grateful to play 13 years … I'd love to have squeezed a few more out but physically and mentally I'm just done. I'm tired. I'm exhausted."