Hardwick's media conference 23-8-19 / 'We just have to win': Dimma

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Dimma's presser today:

Watch here: https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2019-08-23/hardwick-previews-brisbane

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'We just have to win': Hardwick keeps it simple for Lions

AFL.com.au
Sarah Black
Aug 23, 2019 10:47AM

A TOP-FOUR spot is on the line in Richmond's final home and away game of the season, and coach Damien Hardwick has one simple message – "we just have to win".

Richmond is coming up against a rampaging Brisbane sitting in first position, with the combination of a loss and a Collingwood win over Essendon on Friday night set to consign the Tigers to fifth spot.

Last week's win over West Coast was Richmond's eighth straight victory. Picture: AFL Photos

When asked if he would be closely watching the match between the Magpies and Bombers closely, given the importance of the game, Hardwick had a surprising answer.

"I'll be watching with my six-pack of Mountain Goat and having a few beers," Hardwick said.

"I do enjoy Friday night footy and watching it, but I like to relax at the same time.

"But the fact of the matter is, we just have to win. That's Richmond footy at its best; we just worry about what we can control and get the job done and go from there."

Skipper Trent Cotchin is a "certain starter", and is expected to get through Friday's main training session unscathed after three weeks on the sidelines with his third hamstring injury this year.

"It's just important for him to get some match practice," Hardwick said.

"I'm not exactly sure how many games he's played, probably not to the level both he and I would like at this stage, but he's such an important player the way he plays."

Integral defender Dylan Grimes is also expected to be cleared to play after rolling his ankle in last week's last-gasp victory over West Coast.

"We're very confident he'll play. It's a testament to Dylan, he's a thorough professional, he would have been up icing around the clock, it's the sort of guy he is," Hardwick said.

"He's got his winery up there, and it'd be freezing in Woodend. He'd just stick his leg out the front door, I'd say."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-08-23/we-just-have-to-win-hardwick-keeps-it-simple-for-lions

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Hardwick said he would be watching the Friday night blockbuster between fellow finalists Collingwood and Essendon  “with a six-pack of Mountain Goat and having a few beers” and instead focus on what his players could control.

“I’d like to think one of the strengths of our football club is our mindset,” he said.

“Our guys work incredibly hard and we do power work in that space - and as a coach I … am quite confident the players are well-controlled in that area. We just worry about what we can control and what we can do.”

He also pointed to a rampaging Western Bulldogs in 2016 to demonstrate that ladder position at this stage wasn’t imperative, and that the Tigers were confident with their game style.

“The Bulldogs in 2016 showed us that the best side won [and that] you’ve just got to be playing your best footy at the best time,” he said.

“I think the competition is now at the stage where you don’t necessarily have to be in the top four to win.”

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/cotchin-a-certain-starter-for-richmond-in-blockbuster-against-the-lions-20190823-p52k0m.html