After 13 seasons and 215 games with Port Adelaide and Richmond, the ex-Maryborough Rovers player announced his immediate retirement in July after struggling with his body and was unable to work his way back into the Richmond line-up after playing eight games in the first half of the year. Chaplin spent the remainder of the season in a coaching role with the club, working closely with the defensive group. Following Richmond’s substandard season where it missed the finals, after three consecutive years in the finals, winning just eight games and falling to 13^th the club has cleared out its coaching staff. The end-of-season clean-out saw former Port Adelaide premiership coach Mark Williams axed as well as backline coach Ross Smith and forwards coach Greg Mellor.

Damien Hardwick is contracted until the end of 2018 and the only remaining assistant coach from this year will be backline coach Ben Rutten. As the Tigers look to breath new life into its coaching ranks, Chaplin this week interviewed for a position on the panel. Chaplin has long been interested in the coaching side of the game, having worked with TAC Cup side Oakleigh Chargers this season.