Richmond's 'compost' brigade certainly aren't rubbish: HardwickRonny Lerner
The Age
2 May 2019Usually, when a footy player is likened to fertiliser, it is naturally taken as an insult.
The Richmond Football Club has had a chequered history with the promoter of plant growth. Who could forget when a disillusioned fan dumped five tonnes of chicken manure outside Punt Road Oval in 2001 after the Tigers suffered a seven-goal loss to Geelong? A creative way to express how he felt his side was playing at the time, no doubt.
But fast forward 18 years, and Richmond have come full circle on the matter, with coach Damien Hardwick enthusiastically comparing the batch of new faces who have revitalised his side this year to decaying, organic material.
“Any time a new player comes in and makes an immediate impact, whether that’s an experienced player like Tom [Lynch] or some younger talent like Shai Bolton, Sydney Stack, Jack Ross, those type of players, it improves you and reinvigorates your side,” Hardwick said on Thursday.
“It’s like adding a bit of compost to a rose garden – you get an immediate response, so that’s really exciting.
“Not that those players are compost,” he said with a smile, sending reporters into fits of laughter.
“They might be a little better than that but the fact of the matter is it adds to the mix of your playing group.”
With Alex Rance (knee), Trent Cotchin (hamstring), Jack Riewoldt (knee) and Shaun Grigg (knee/hip) having already been ruled out this week against the Western Bulldogs, Hardwick will have to call on his "compost" brigade more than ever having all but ruled out key defender David Astbury (ankle) as well. Ryan Garthwaite looms as his logical replacement.
“I love the look of our VFL side, once again we lose a magnet along the way but we’ve got adequate replacements,” Hardwick said.
“Our VFL development squad under [coach] Craig [McRae] have done a terrific job of allowing us to develop players the way we want them to play and so we’re really confident that if we lose one, we’ll bring in another player who’ll be able to fulfil that role.”
Hardwick was hopeful of snaring another Stack-type player in the mid-season draft later this month.
“I watch local footy with my son most weeks and there’s some incredibly talented players around there that are craving for an opportunity so I think it’s a great concept,” he said.
“I love the fact that we’re talking about bringing new players into an AFL environment which is really exciting and for every Sydney Stack that is on an AFL list, I guarantee you there’s 25 that aren’t.
“So there’s certainly players out there if you look hard enough and we’ll certainly be doing that.”
Hardwick admitted Cotchin was "hurting on the inside" at facing a long stint on the sidelines but saw the positive side of his captain’s lay-off.
“The way he plays the game is incredibly volatile and violent, so it’s going to do him a little bit of short-term harm for long-term good,” he said.
Hardwick was comfortable with his medical department’s decision to opt against surgery for Riewoldt’s PCL knee injury.
“With rehab, he’ll be able to get back probably just after the bye because I think with surgery if you have that it’s probably end-of-season stuff,” Hardwick said.
The Bulldogs have lost their last four games, but have proven to be something of a bogey side for the Tigers in recent times, having won four and lost one by three points in their last five meetings.
“They’ve troubled most sides,” he said. “They’re always in the game ... I look at them at their best and they’re a scary side.”
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-s-compost-brigade-certainly-aren-t-rubbish-hardwick-20190502-p51jck.html
