Hardwick's media conference - June 7 / Tigers on the defensive

[one-eyed]

Tigers on the defensive
By Paul Daffey
12:24 PM Thu 07 Jun, 2012


RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers are prepared for a tough battle against the team he rates as the best defensive side in the competition when they play against Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday.
 
Champion Data statistics only partially confirm Hardwick's claim about Fremantle, but the coach said the indicators that the Tigers look at within the club support his claim.
 
"Defensively they're the best in the AFL," he said.
 
"If we don't control the game they way we want to control it, they'll certainly do some damage and stifle us offensively.
 
"We've got our work cut out for us."
 
Both teams are 5-5, with Richmond in 10th place and Fremantle 11th.
 
Fremantle is the second hardest team to score against once the ball is inside its defensive 50, and it has conceded the second fewest marks inside defensive 50.
 
Its record of stifling opposition forward lines is excellent even in a season in which its record is patchy.
 
Freo will need to be on its guard against Richmond, which over the past five weeks has recorded the second highest average of points for, with 110 a game.
 
According to Champion Data, its statistics during the past five weeks are those of a top-four team.
 
Hardwick, who took over as Richmond coach before the 2010 season, is trying for his first victory against a team with Ross Lyon as coach.
 
He described Lyon, who was at the helm at St Kilda during Hardwick's first two seasons at Punt Road, as a fantastic coach whose teams were highly disciplined and methodical.
 
"He's a great student of the game, he's a great coach, and we've just to hope we get the job done against a very good, experienced side," Hardwick said.
 
The Tigers are surging with confidence following victories over Port Adelaide, the Sydney Swans, Hawthorn and St Kilda over the past five weeks.
 
The only loss has been to Essendon, which held out a late surge from the Tigers.
 
Hardwick likened his team to Adelaide, which was brimming with confidence after an unexpectedly strong start to the season.
 
The Crows are in third place, equal with West Coast and Essendon with an 8-2 record.
 
"They're playing some outstanding footy that probably no one saw coming, apart from them internally," Hardwick said.
 
"We're probably a little bit the same.
 
"We know it's there. We've just got to keep building on what we do well, eradicate some deficiencies, and we'll keep getting the result we're after."
 
Hardwick said the Tigers would be wary of those he described as Fremantle's game-changers, players such as Matthew Pavlich and Chris Mayne.
 
He also noted that midfielder David Mundy was running into a bit of form.
 
"They're on the march, they're starting to tick over, so we've got our work cut out for us," Hardwick said.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/138016/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Richmond has AFL finals core: Hardwick
Guy Hand
June 7, 2012
AAP

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick believes he has assembled the core of a team ready to take the club to its next AFL finals series.

Whether that's this year Hardwick doesn't know, but the Tigers coach is confident a side growing in confidence, scalps and admirers is on the verge of great things.

Poised at 5-5 and 10th despite the plaudits from two outstanding victories in a row, the Tigers are likely to need 13 wins for the season to make the top eight.
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That would require eight wins from their remaining 12 home-and-away games.

A difficult early-season draw is clearing, with Fremantle - struggling for wins and consistency and historically poor in Melbourne - next at the MCG on Saturday.

But as Hardwick attempts to keep his players on the right side of the line between growing confidence and over-confidence, he believes they are strong enough to focus on their weekly jobs and remain so despite hype from outside.

"We've got the players to take us wherever we need to go," Hardwick said on Thursday.

"The core group is here that's going to take Richmond, I think, to its next finals campaign.

"That group's here. We've just got to keep adding players along the way. I've got no doubt they'll get there at some stage."

Hardwick likens the Tigers to 2012 surprise packets Adelaide, inside the top four at 8-2 and channeling their confidence into on-field results.

"It's amazing when the confidence of a group grows - and we're probably no different - you probably play a little bit outside yourself at stages," he said.

"And Adelaide are showing that at the moment. They're playing some outstanding footy that no one saw coming, apart from them internally.

"We're probably a little bit the same. We know it's there.

"We've just got to keep building on what we do well, eradicate some deficiencies that we know are there, and we'll keep getting the results we're after.

"We're 5-5 sitting 10th. We're not even in the eight. We're a long way short of where we want to go and a long way short of where we want to be."

Hardwick is wary of Fremantle's players - affected by early-season injuries - starting to find their rhythm, especially in last weekend's loss to Adelaide in which the Dockers launched a big comeback only to fall short.

"They're starting to get their players back and playing to a standard (coach) Ross (Lyon) would like.

"We've got no doubt they're going to be a tough ask."

The Tigers this week have taken their membership beyond 50,000 - believing it is a critical step in reaching their ambitious target of 75,000 members by 2014.

http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-sport/richmond-has-afl-finals-core-hardwick-20120607-1zxy1.html#ixzz1x4n5QMyv

[one-eyed]

Richmond is wary of a Fremantle side looking to snap losing streak at the MCG: coach Damien Hardwick

    Brendan Lucas
    Herald Sun
    June 07, 2012 1:36PM

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick is not buying into the idea that Fremantle can be taken lightly this weekend.

With impressive wins against Hawthorn and St Kilda in the past two weeks, the Tigers are one game outside the top eight.

Fremantle also sit on five wins and pushed a highly-rated Adelaide side last week. But the Tigers are remaining on high alert of their potential.

The Tigers have won the past two contests against the Dockers, but Hardwick said it would be a big task for his young developing side.

"We have got another enormous challenge this week obviously against Fremantle who are one of the best defensive sides in the competition, so it will be a really good game.''

"If we don't control the game the way we want to control it, they will certainly do some damage and stifle us offensively.''

Hardwick said his side had to be wary of some key Dockers players, who if left unchecked, could influence the outcome.

"They have got some game changers; you know Pavlich, Maine when he gets up and going. Some of their on-ballers also, I think Mundy is starting to play his best games in a little while. I think Hill as well, and whether or not Morabito comes in we are not too sure.''

"They are certainly starting to get their players back playing to a standard I think Ross would like.''

Fremantle however have lost their past 10 games at the MCG with its last win against Melbourne in round four 2007, and will be looking to snap the poor record.

With in-form ruckman Ivan Maric expected to line up on the giant Sandilands, Hardwick said it would be a fascinating battle.

He said preparation this week had not changed, and that despite the positives off-field with the Tigers Fighting Fund, reaching 50,000 members, and the scheduled Punt Road ground development, the club had been remaining level-headed on a weekly basis.

"With the ground done in the not too distant future it will allow us to bring in more coaches, spend more resources on our football departments, so it certainly helps us to compete.''

"Those sort of things are what makes good clubs great and that is where we need to get to. We have got to increase our spending to be able to beef up our department so we can play with the big boys.''

Richmond faces Fremantle on Saturday at the MCG.

http://www.news.com.au/news/richmond-is-way-of-a-fremantle-side-looking-to-snap-losing-streak-at-the-mcg-coach-damian-hardwick/story-fndv7pj3-1226387510595

[one-eyed]

Tigers ready to embrace the growing hype
MARTIN BLAKE
07 Jun, 2012 02:52 PM

Richmond has 50,000 members for the first time in its history and a growing bandwagon, but coach Damien Hardwick is not trying to apply the brakes.

Hardwick said the Tigers were embracing all the excitement about their 2012 improvement, and dismissed any thought that the wheels might fall off soon. He compared Richmond's current form to Adelaide's improvement from 2011.

"It's relatively easy because nothing changes for us," he said. "Inside these four walls we go about our preparation and our review process, we speak about the way we're going to the attack the game. Nothing changes. There'll always be build-up to big games and certain situations, but in here we control what we do. We keep doing the same things on a week-to-week basis."

The Tigers have a winnable game against Fremantle at the MCG this weekend, and Hardwick said a new mindset had made all the difference. "When wins come the guys grow in belief. You've just got to look at Adelaide that finished 14th or I can't remember. They get the wind in their sails, they win the NAB Cup and they've been outstanding. They've only lost one or two games.

"It's amazing when the confidence of a group grows, and we're probably no different, that you probably play a little bit outside yourself at stages. Adelaide are showing that at the moment. They're playing some outstanding footy that probably nobody saw coming, outside of them internally. We're probably a bit the same. We know it's there. We've just got to keep building on what we do well."

The Tigers reached the 50,000 membership mark earlier this week, and Hardwick praised the passion and loyalty of the club's supporters. "We've had a really dry spell and for 50,000 members to jump on board a club that we know is improving is an enormous leap of faith by them. They've been enormous in our games thus far. I think we've got the second-highest attendance out of all sides, which is really important also. They've done it tough for a long period of time and we're hoping to reward them in the not too distant future."

http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/sport/tigers-ready-to-embrace-the-growing-hype/2583461.aspx

[Penelope]

Geez, those pin heads in the media ask some mindless questions.

Harwick seems to humour them as you would a simple child and you get the impression he only endures them because he has to, and cant wait to get the eff out of there.

He just about bolts from every media conference he does not stuck behind a table.