Tigers AFL coach Damien Hardwick ‘picks a battle’ with Seven weather queen Jane Bunn – and loses

Tigers coach Damien Hardwick has been sacked after firing a shot at Melbourne’s Channel Seven weather presenter Jane Bunn.

The Richmond boss took a cheeky swipe at the popular meteorologist at a press conference on Thursday when asked about his team’s strategy for deploying two ruckmen, Toby Nankervis and Samson Ryan, who were dragged off the field in their final game against Collingwood when they played in the rain.

“Circumstances must have conspired against him,” Hardwick said, referring to Ryan’s fight against the Magpies.

“Jane Bunn let us down with the weather forecast, I thought, but no pressure, Jane, this week.

“But from our point of view, we were forced to take him out because the conditions weren’t right.”

Bunn hit back in style in a short video a few hours later, returning to the three-time premiership-winning coach.

“If you don’t like playing in the rain, maybe you should come to Marvel Stadium, it’s always lovely under that roof there,” she said.

Bunn then tipped off Hardwick about the prospects for his side’s game against the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon.

“But on Saturday there will be a lot of showers and so it will be a bit wet at the MCG.”

The meteorologist’s reference to the conditions being “wonderful” under Marvel’s roof had a bit of a stab in the tail, as Hardwick famously said he’s not a fan of the venue after a poorly attended match in 2021.

“If you want a big crowd, play our home games in the G,” he said.

‘I hate coming here. I probably shouldn’t say that. The MCG has a soul, there are people from Richmond. Our people don’t come here [Marvel].’

Hardwick picked up the video and admitted defeat in a kind-hearted tweet on Thursday night.

Richmond coach pulled Bunn up for not predicting rain during the Tigers’ loss to Collingwood last Friday

After Bunn hilariously shot him, Hardwick admitted defeat in a benign tweet (pictured)

“Choose your battles. Jane wins!’ he wrote in a post featuring Bunn’s video and a popular clip of Simpsons character Homer Simpson hiding in a bush, usually used to show someone being embarrassed or wanting to get out of an awkward situation.

Hardwick have decided to rest flag winning veterans Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt for the match against the Dogs.

“Our older players, we’ve talked openly about the fact that they won’t play every game,” the coach explained.

“There will be opportunities throughout the year where we sit there and go ‘This is a game where we’re going to manage a particular player or two’.”

“We have a long-term plan in mind and we need to make sure we’re consistent with that plan.”