Hardwick's post-match media conference

[one-eyed]

Dimma with Astbury in the post-match presser:

* Match was different. The guys aren't where they are at when they come back from preseason. The dew was an enormous factor tonight. The ground was incredibly wet. I'm not sure why we haven't found the dew formula they have at the Adelaide Oval. Someone might want to ask the MCC that. A difficult game.

* Ball is going to be on the ground a lot due to the dew. The just 3 weeks of training was a major factor. Training in groups in 8 - we know why but it makes things difficult.

* Second to the ball early on. Collingwood's contested numbers in the first quarter would show that. Stepped in more and got our system going after 1/4 time. Forward connection wasn't there. Defence got on top. Lots of positive but lots to still work on.

* Spoke to Bucks after the game and both agreed it would be a difficult game to review.

* With the shortened quarters we went with one ruck. Nank is a talent player and we have CCJ coming through as well but we decided on the one ruck tonight. Interesting to see what other sides do.

* Astbury hopes with time they get better collaboration. Game went very quickly with 22 min quarters in total. Expected to feel tired but felt pretty good.

* Dave also said Higgo an important player to us. Had some good moments tonight. Good to have him back.

[one-eyed]

'Bizarre' game leaves coaches scratching their heads

Greg Baum, Michael Gleeson
The Age
12 June 2020

"We're both very good sides, but we're both a fair bit off our best at the moment," said reigning premiership coach Hardwick.

"It was different. You come off eight weeks off, three week pre-season, training in groups of eight ... it's going to take some time. The guys aren't where they were at when they came back from the pre-season for round one. And the dew was an enormous factor tonight. The ground was incredibly wet."

Buckley said the absence of a crowd where there would normally be 80,000 and the fact that the game finished in a low-scoring draw compounded the weird effect.

"Draws are a hollow feeling at the best of times, but draws in front of no crowd is an interesting feeling," he said.

"It was that bizarre. 'Dimma' and I ended up walking side by side through the empty car park basically talking about how crap that feeling is and how we probably are not going to review it and go straight to round three."

Both expected improvement, but slowly. "Three weeks pre-season, a pretty hard game to play," said Hardwick. "We've got to be a little bit patient."

Hardwick rejoiced in a lively return for small forward Jack Higgins and was pleased with Ivan Soldo's contribution and that the one-ruckman-only ploy worked. "The shortened quarters … they were going about 22 minutes tonight … which is really short. Soldo can do the majority and we can pinch-hit," he said.

But Hardwick cautioned against the mooted idea of reducing bench rotations further to tire out players and create a more open game. "Ever since we've reduced rotations, scoring's gone down," he said. "You can reduce them again, but you've got to be careful. You've got to give the game time to work it out."

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/bizarre-game-leaves-coaches-scratching-their-heads-20200611-p551u8.html

[tdy]

So how much "time" should we give it. Like ten years maybe since 2010 when the press was invented. Wow what a total and utter stuff up by Gil and the AFL dumbarse trust.

[Tigeritis™©®]

But Hardwick cautioned against the mooted idea of reducing bench rotations further to tire out players and create a more open game. "Ever since we've reduced rotations, scoring's gone down," he said. "You can reduce them again, but you've got to be careful. You've got to give the game time to work it out."

I think Dimma is talking rubbish.
Why don’t we look at history before rotations ruined the game.
Let’s go back say to the 1995 season and have a look at how many interchange rotations their were and see if the scoring was this low. I think you’ll find that’s when players on the bench actually wore jackets and had a blanket on their legs. And late in the third when they got their chance the player they were replacing would put on his jacket and put a blanket on his legs too.

[Willy]

Rotations won't do squat IMO.

Need to reduce the players on the ground by 2 for each team.