Mark Williams, the other final shortlisted candidate for the job, spoke with St Kilda on Wednesday, although it is understood the Saints had not yet informed the Richmond senior assistant of their decision. As reported in Fairfax Media on Wednesday, Richardson had indicated he was not prepared to undergo a lengthy interview process with St Kilda having done so two years earlier and missed the job, which went to Scott Watters. Richardson and Hinkley together contacted Port boss Keith Thomas shortly before midnight Tuesday and the trio met again at 7am on Wednesday, where Thomas made no secret of his displeasure at the process and the timing of the Saints' power play. ''It's a bit deflating,'' Thomas told The Age. ''I am genuinely dismayed about the lateness of the process and the position it now puts us in.

''We will now get on with it and ultimately let it go. He (Richardson) understands that, he doesn't feel good about it but it's an opportunity he felt he had to pursue. ''Something clearly changed. He has assured us he was not talking to St Kilda prior to yesterday although his manager had been in regular contact and I think what it showed us is that he harboured ambitions to be a senior coach and that is something we could not compete with.'' The Saints never gave up on Richardson despite their genuine interest in Williams. Richardson is one year into a three-year contract at Alberton and three weeks ago began negotiations with the club to extend his deal by a further two years. He recently returned from a Port Adelaide-sponsored leadership conference in London and had been planning to relocate his family to Adelaide for 2014 – including booking his children into new schools. ''Today I'm not happy,'' said Thomas, ''but I can't be too critical. He's made his decision with his eyes wide open and St Kilda have got a good man.'' Richardson is expected to front the Saints group at next week's national draft on the Gold Coast and the following week fly with the players to train in Colorado.

He was first contacted by Pelchen shortly after Watters was sacked. On that occasion Richardson is understood to have knocked back an informal request from Pelchen to place his hat in the ring for the coaching position. Port's displeasure on Wednesday mirrored that of Richmond's last week when chief executive Brendon Gale said he it would not be unreasonable to hold Williams to his contract at Tigerland. Richardson had contacted the club on Tuesday and requested it release a statement refuting reports he was being interviewed by St Kilda. The statement said Richardson had ''no interest'' and was placed on Port's website after senior club officials had asked Richardson if he was ''absolutely sure'' he wanted to make such a definitive denial. Loading Richardson, who played 114 games with Collingwood, is 48, one year older than Hinkley and like his Port Adelaide colleague has missed on a number of senior coaching roles in recent years having worked as an assistant at Richmond, Collingwood, Essendon, the Western Bulldogs and Carlton.