DANIEL Connors has had an interesting 2010. Averaging over 20 possessions a game for the first three rounds, he was sitting pretty in a turbulent Richmond team, but then came the Sydney post-match.

The Tigers had travelled to the harbour city and were on the wrong end of a 55-point belting at the hands of the (then) high-flying Swans, which was bad enough, but then a late-night drinking expedition - which came to a halt when Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins explained to Connors via a well-placed punch that his behaviour was out of line - was worse.

The Tigers sent Connors to alcohol counselling and suspended him for eight weeks, during which time he wasn't allowed to train with the Tigers for the first six, and gave Cousins, Luke McGuane and Dean Polo one-match bans.

But his dedication to the cause of showing coach Damien Hardwick that he had turned his life around was such that he was immediately back into the side once his ban ended, and has played both games since, again averaging over 20 touches.

Hardwick agreed that Connors' had had a topsy-turvy year.

"The man we don't speak of - Voldemort. He's back!" told richmondfc.com.au with a laugh.

"The important thing for us with Dan was that one: he could play footy; but two: he just needed to get his life a little bit in order.

"To his credit, the eight weeks that he had off he put some parameters in place and some safety nets in his life that are going to take him forward."

Hardwick said any improvements in Connor's football as a result of his time off were really only a secondary concern.

"It was a massive eye-opener for him - whether it makes him as a footballer I don't know or I don't care, really, but as a bloke, it's going to improve him.

"He's realised the error off his ways, and going forward it's going to reap benefits.

"On a football note, we think he's going to be a good player - he's still got some issues and makes a few schoolboy mistakes every now and then, but with good training through Leppa (Justin Leppitsch) and the other coaches, he'll become a good player for the footy club."

Read the full interview with Damien Hardwick at richmondfc.com.au on Wednesday morning.