Dimma's aftermatch media conference / Terrible game & not hard enough: Hardwick

[one-eyed]

VIDEO: Hardwick and Newman at the aftermatch press conference

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/roar%20vision%20archive/tabid/11454/contentid/458054/default.aspx


Not hard enough: Hardwick
By Paul Daffey
Sat 09 Jun, 2012

FRUSTRATED Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers let themselves down during their 12-point loss to Fremantle by playing nowhere near as well as they had in previous matches.

The Tigers had won four games in five weeks — against Port Adelaide, Sydney Swans, Hawthorn and St Kilda — before returning to earth against Fremantle.

"We didn't play anywhere near the standard we can," Hardwick said.

"We just didn't go in hard enough.

"They were smashing into packs; we were sifting off.

"On a day like today that's not going to cut it."

Richmond earned the points in the first quarter, kicking five goals to four, but Fremantle became the better team when it began raining harder during the second quarter.

The rain eased off after half-time, but Fremantle still had slightly the better of the conditions.

Richmond's high possession game appeared to let it down against the close-checking Fremantle side, but Hardwick said the problem was more to do with ball use.

He noted that the Tigers had had 15 more inside 50s.

"We just didn't use it well enough going inside 50," he said. "We didn't capitalise."

With a score of 12.6 (78) to 9.12 (66), the Tigers had 21 scoring shots to Fremantle's 18.

The Tigers also struggled to break through Fremantle's defensive zones.

"We had a truckload of blokes in our defensive half and we just didn't work through them well enough," Hardwick said.

"Fremantle to their credit are a tough, resilient unit.

"They just played a hell of a lot tougher than us today."

Hardwick acknowledged that midfielder Brett Deledio had had a poor game, with Fremantle stopper Ryan Crowley limiting him to 15 disposals.

The coach said Deledio's teammates could have done a better job in blocking for him.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/138177/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Richmond fails to handle to Fremantle's tactics

    Bruce Matthews
    From: Sunday Herald Sun
    June 09, 2012 8:30PM

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick marked it as a fail against tactics that will confront the Tigers if they're still alive in September.

Hardwick bluntly emphasised to his players after the 12-point loss to Fremantle that finals tests are varied and require another level of effort and efficiency.

"We spoke to our players, last week was a finals-like intensity and today was a finals-like intensity of a different matter," he said.

"We ticked off last week and we didn't this week. Two different game styles for two different atmospheres. Two different intensity levels, one in close, last week was a free-flowing game, and we failed today's test.

"We just didn't capitalise on opportunities. We had more inside-50s, more scoring shots, and didn't use the ball near well enough."

Hardwick said the Tigers knew what was coming long before Dockers coach Ross Lyon dropped an extra player back in defence at the opening bounce in steady rain at the MCG.

"There were a truckload of blokes in our defensive half and we didn't work our way through it well enough," the Tigers' coach said.

"It was a terrible game of footy. Look, we knew we were in for a tough game, there's no doubt about that. But the way we attacked the ball wasn't hard enough.

''We didn't tackle well enough, we gave away some undisciplined free kicks. It was just a really, really poor performance that we're disappointed with.

"You look back on games and you lose this one by a couple of kicks when you have more inside- 50s. But we just didn't play anywhere near the standard that we know we can.

"I didn't think we went hard enough early. They were smashing into packs and we were shifting off and in a nutshell, on a day like today, that's not going to cut it.

"It shouldn't happen, we're a better side than that. Look, Fremantle, to their credit, are a tough resilient unit. They're an experienced side and they just played a hell of a lot tougher than us today which is disappointing."

On combating the loose man who often double-teamed Tiger spearhead Jack Riewoldt, Hardwick said: "We started off with five forwards, then we went to six, but then one comes back from the wing. Most sides will do it these days, very rarely do you get one-on-one contests forward of the ball.

"We knew it was coming, we just had to use the ball better. Probably what didn't help us was the 12mm of rain that came down prior to the bounce. It is really hard to use the ball to the level you would like.

"They kicked 12.6 and I think we had four really bad turnovers that opened the game up at various stages. When we did try to open up the game towards the end, we made a couple of blues that gave them easy goals.

"It was always going to be a scrap. A scrap is always won by the guy who goes in harder and lower and Fremantle were that today."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/richmond-fails-to-handle-to-fremantles-tactics/story-e6frf9jf-1226389984891