Chris Newman Biography

Richmond assistant coach Xavier Clarke has emerged as a candidate in the hunt for the senior coaching vacancy at Punt Road.

Caretaker coach Andrew McQualter has also been shortlisted for the role, while AFL.com.au revealed former Richmond captain and current Hawthorn assistant coach Chris Newman is also in the process.

The coach of Box Hill Hawks' VFL premiership-winning side, Chris Newman, will be replaced by fellow Hawks assistant Max Bailey for 2019.

Newman will take up a role as an assistant as part of Alastair Clarkson's coaching group at Hawthorn.

"Chris and Max have been fantastic coaches for us over the last couple of years and we're rapt we've been able to promote from within our club and elevate both of them into new roles," Hawthorn football manager Graham Wright said.

"They are both exceptional people and coaches, who bring a great deal of knowledge and experience from their playing careers that has been vitally important in helping our players develop, both on and off the field."

Retired Richmond veteran Chris Newman joins Hawthorn as a development coach.

"I've been exposed a little bit to coaching, so I feel like the development side is a really good fit for me here, and I'm looking forward to working with the younger boys," Newman said.

"Everyone talks about Hawthorn as being the benchmark, not only on the field but off the field as well."

Chris Newman is set on entering AFL coaching ranks after completing the League's Level Two course and working closely with the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup last year, running a training session most weeks of the season.

Retiring Chris Newman is hoping for a fairytale finish to his career.

"It's what every player wants to do, they want to play in a premiership," Newman said.

"We've got a proud history with a lot of players who have done that.

"Although we've only got three weeks left in the season, it feels like we've got a lot of improvement left and a long way to go to even be in the mix to win a flag this year."

Chris Newman has announced he will retire from AFL football at the end of the 2015 season.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said Newman had made a huge impact at Punt Road.

"Chris has been an outstanding representative of the Richmond Football Club for 15 years, both on and off the field," Hardwick said.

"He has been a brilliant player, a strong and composed leader, and a magnificent role model.

"He took over as Richmond captain in a difficult time, and carried himself impressively as he helped build the strong culture which exists at Tigerland today."

Chris Newman says he is still uncertain whether he will play on into a 16th AFL season in 2016.

"I'm not sure yet. Obviously I'd like to play out the season. I'd have to be playing some pretty good football to go on again, but I'm not thinking about it too much," Newman said.

Chris Newman will be back in training in the coming weeks, but is unlikely to play in round one after a successful heart operation.

"We'll take that off the table at this stage and make sure we get him right and available for round two," Richmond Damien Hardwick said.

"It was a successful operation, so it's not a major concern for us.

"It's no so much the operation, it's the healing process of the wound that's the concern."

Chris Newman is in doubt for Richmond's round one clash with Carlton after suffering an abnormal heart rhythm at training.

The club revealed that the veteran defender had experienced "some discomfort" at training recently, which saw him have tests that confirmed a cardiac arrhythmia.

The 32-year-old has met with a specialist, and will have a procedure to correct the issue.

"Chris has seen a cardiologist specialising in this area, and he has confirmed that the diagnosis is a relatively benign one," Richmond's football manager Dan Richardson said.

"However, the decision has been made to rectify the situation with a procedure to eliminate the trigger of the abnormal cardiac rhythm."

As he prepares to play in his 250th game against Sydney, Chris Newman admits he thought his career was over when he tore his calf in round seven against Geelong.

"I didn't play a great game and I was probably at my lowest point there," Newman said.

"I thought that realistically, I probably wouldn't go around again."

Chris Newman's AFL career will enter its 15th season next year, after he penned a new one-year deal with the Tigers.

"I feel like I still have something to offer my team-mates, the Club and the fans," Newman said.

"I haven't had too many injuries along the journey, so the body is feeling good. Being able to string together 16 games this season so far has given me confidence that I have some good footy left in me.

"More importantly, I still love the game, mentally I'm up for the challenge, and I want to be part of what Richmond is building towards."

Chris Newman will miss between four to six weeks with a right calf strain.

Newman pulled up short late in the final term of his club's five-point loss to Geelong at the MCG on Sunday, with scans revealing the severity of the injury on Monday.

"This is the first soft-tissue injury Chris has had in his 12-year career. He's a good healer and is optimistic the injury won't keep him out of action for too long," Tigers elite performance manager Peter Burge said.

"Chris is currently walking without crutches and has already started his rehab, to ensure he can get back to contributing on-field."

Chris Newman says he feared for his career after landing awkwardly in Richmond's NAB Challenge match against North Melbourne.

"My career flashed before my eyes when I was on the deck there. It was a bit of a scary moment," Newman said.

"After about 30 seconds on the ground it felt OK and I was able to walk and almost run off the ground."

Chris Newman will be sidelined for up to a month after scans on his injured knee revealed bone bruising but no structural damage.

Newman landed awkwardly in a marking contest during the third quarter of Richmond's NAB Challenge loss to Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

It was initially feared that he might have suffered a season-ending injury, but the Tigers are now hoping he could be fit to line up in their home and away season opener against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

Chris Newman will finally lose the unwanted mantle of being the current AFL player with most games played without a final when the Tigers take on the Blues at the MCG.

Nick Vlastuin says he feels fortunate to be playing finals in his debut season when players such as teammate and veteran Chris Newman have had to wait much longer.

"Everyone has been saying how lucky I am, how fortunate," Vlastuin said on Wednesday.

"I followed Collingwood growing up, so there were plenty of finals with them.

"But then 'Newy' has waited 13 years, I think ... I couldn't imagine that."

Richmond has added Ivan Maric and Dylan Grimes to a leadership group that will be without former skipper Chris Newman.

"Both players fully deserve their inclusion in the leadership group, for the respect they have within the club and the way they conduct themselves, both on and off the field," Richmond's general manager of football Craig Cameron said.

"Dylan is an outstanding young leader and a fine example to the developing players on our list, and Ivan has made an enormous impact at the club in only 12 months."

Outgoing Tigers skipper Chris Newman says Trent Cotchin isn't a certainty to take over, but he's in the mix.

"Anyone of the boys in our leadership group could step into my shoes and lead the club forward," Newman said.

"'Cotchy' is certainly one of those; he leads naturally no doubt. Brett Deledio is another one who'd be keen to take that position too.

"But I think any of those boys could quite easily fill my shoes but not only do that but do a better job than I did."

Chris Newman will give up the Richmond captaincy after Richmond's last game for 2012 against Port Adelaide.

"It's probably something I've been thinking about for a little while. I think it's just the right time," Newman said in a statement issued by the Tigers.

"I've had the privilege of being captain for four years, and I think whoever takes over this role can lead the boys into the success that I think is coming.

"I still pinch myself a bit. To captain an AFL side, let alone the Richmond Football Club, is mind-blowing when I think of it.

"I don't think I'd step away from the role if I didn't think there would be players who could lead the way. Whoever that player is, I've got the utmost confidence that they'll do an even better job than I did."

Richmond skipper Chris Newman is closing in on Trevor Barker's unwanted record of most games played without a final.

"I'm up there, there's no doubt about that," Newman said.

"To be honest, I don't really care about (the record). I mean, definitely not playing finals the last 10 years has been challenging and frustrating at times. I'm really keen to get a taste of that, as everyone is."

Richmond skipper Chris Newman says he may have stints in the midfield this year in addition to his primary role in the Tigers' backlines.

"I've trained a little bit in the midfield and tried to work with a few of the structures, just in case I roll through there. It will be up to the coaching staff whether they want me to, but I'll certainly put my hand up if that's what's required," Newman said.

"I just thought it was pretty important just to change the role up a little bit - it gets fairly hard being stuck in the back pocket all the time. I love going up there and playing in the midfield and trying to adjust to the different structures and get amongst it."

Chris Newman has been reappointed Richmond's captain for the 2012 season, with Trent Cotchin to be his sole deputy.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has suggested that captain Chris Newman may be ruled out for the rest of the year.

"As we've said previously he's been touch-and-go to see whether he'd play this year which is really disappointing because he's had an outstanding year once again," Hardwick said.

"He's a quality leader also so he's a big loss for us.''

Richmond captain Chris Newman says he could make a surprise return from a potentially season-ending knee injury as early as next weekend.

"I was thinking that way early on. It has progressed really well and surprised a few. I did a bit of running yesterday and pulled up really well today, that was always going to be the test," Newman said.

"So hopefully, maybe, I can start playing from next weekend."

Tigers captain Chris Newman is the longest-serving AFL player to have not played a final and says he is keen to finally be part of September action.

"That's probably just circumstance and how long I've been at the club for. But that's also just that I want to play in a finals game and to be a part of the finals atmosphere," Newman said.

"I hear a lot of stories about the Tigers fans in finals games and I want to experience that."

Richmond captain Chris Newman says the club will try to fly under the radar this pre-season.

"It's a total revamp. We've turned the club into a really young club, and it certainly feels like that at this stage," he said.

"We're not going to make any bold statements, but we want to be able to set something up during summer and over time become a team that can mix it up with the best in the competition."

Despite straining a hamstring in the VFL, Tiger veteran Matthew Richardson was fit enough to participate in light drills with the rest of his teammates during training.

"It's really hard on him, he has been putting in so much effort to get out there and for it to tighten up a little bit," Richmond captain Newman said.

"He was really excited about the game, I know that and he was just really disappointed after the game."

Richmond captain Chris Newman has given cautious support to calls for a review of the priority pick system following the sensational claims made by former coach Terry Wallace who said that he did not proactively coach the team while they were a chance to snare a priority pick.

"I guess it needs to be looked at, but I think the idea behind it is genuine in making sure that the competition is as even as possible," Newman said.

"I think through the competition now it's fairly even and any team can win on any given day."

Richmond's skipper Chris Newman has had a baptism of fire in his new job.

Since he played his last game of last season, Chris Newman has been appointed club captain, welcomed the circus that was the arrival of Ben Cousins, endured a season of losses, seen off one coach, welcomed another and dealt with a raft of veteran players being axed from the side. And he has played a bit of football.

"It has been a year I have really learnt a lot about myself, and in a way has fast-tracked my development as a leader," he said.

"You would have to think it will get easier from here. But I do think I have grown from the experience. I guess I would rather have gone through what I have in the early stages so I am prepared for what is to come."

Kane Johnson who was publicly accused of helping plot Terry Wallace's demise as Richmond coach says his conscience is clear.

"I'm not going to go out there and play games and try to defend myself because I don't need to defend myself," Johnson said.

"Going forward, it's forgotten and we move on. We've got a new era at the football club.

"There's been a lot of people who thought they knew exactly what was going on, but all I'll say is I'm comfortable with my involvement, and more than happy with the way Chris Newman has handled himself."

Terry Wallace has refused to confirm or deny whether captain Chris Newman asked him to resign this week on behalf of a group of players.

A defiant Terry Wallace has strongly defended Tigers captain Chris Newman amid suggestions he should step down after delivering a message from players that they wanted Wallace removed as coach of Richmond.

"Whether they are private conversations after the game on Sunday, whether they are private conversations between me and my captain, whether it's private conversations at our team meeting on Tuesday ... they are private conversations," Wallace said.

"The week started with a non-story which became a story ... people have been reading things into everything all week."

Kane Johnson emerges as a key participant in the player push to have Terry Wallace removed as Richmond coach.

The Age reports that rookie skipper Chris Newman was heavily influenced by Johnson to approach Wallace.

Richmond skipper Chris Newman defends embattled coach Terry Wallace after Richmond loses its fourth straight game, this time against the Demons, to start 2009.

"I think that that the nature of the beast. They always point the finger at the coach, and I think it's unfair," Newman said after the loss.

"From my point of view, I'm the captain of the club, and it starts from me. I put my hand up and I say it's not good enough.

"The players are certainly taking responsibility."

Richmond captain Chris Newman says this weekend's clash with Melbourne is no bigger than any other despite the fact that neither team has won a game in 2009 yet.

Richmond captain Chris Newman has called for calm after his side's 0-3 start to the season.

"I guess everyone should just take a bit of a deep breath, and realise that we're only three rounds in. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," he said.

Richmond captain Chris Newman says a lack of consistency and confidence is really hurting his side.

"We haven't been consistent in our quarters â€" in round one we were awful, we know that," he said before training on Wednesday.

"In round two we showed some improvement, but it's still not good enough. We didn't get the result.

"And we were reasonably competitive against the Bulldogs, but the last-quarter effort wasn't good enough and the second-quarter effort wasn't good enough.

"So it's consistency. Our skill level has come under some scrutiny and that's something that's let us down. Our turnovers are costing us goals."

Richmond skipper Chris Newman says he's not contemplating what could happen if his side loses against Melbourne on Sunday after Richmond started season 2009 with three straight losses.

Richmond captain Chris Newman says talk of a premiership this year is premature, but believes the Tigers have the best list since 2001.

Richmond is expected to announce its new captain today, with Chris Newman the strong favourite to take over from midfielder Kane Johnson.

Defender Chris Newman has been appointed the new captain of Richmond.

Richmond announces their leadership group for 2008 consisting of Kane Johnson returning as captain with Chris Newman and Nathan Foley the vice-captains.

Rounding out the leadership group for 2008 will be Troy Simmonds, Nathan Brown, Joel Bowden and Kayne Pettifer.

"It's a great sign for the club to see some of our younger generation emerging as leaders and wanting to take on more responsibility," Tigers coach Terry Wallace said.

"Both Chris and Nathan are very hard working, set great examples, and are very much respected within the group. We look forward to them helping shape the future of our club".