Dimma hopeful spluttering Tigers can 'flick the switch'Damien Hardwick hopes a series of 'challenging conversations' can spark a turnaround in form
By AAP
9 July 2021COACH Damien Hardwick remains confident the tide will turn for Richmond as the Tigers attempt to push past a form slump and extensive injury list.
Sunday's clash with Collingwood at the MCG is a must-win with Richmond sitting ninth after three losses on the bounce and unable to call on the likes of Shane Edwards, Dion Prestia, Bachar Houli, Kane Lambert, Noah Balta, Nathan Broad and Callum Coleman-Jones.
Despite suffering a shock loss to Gold Coast, Hardwick was confident the premiers would yet reap the rewards of the "challenging conversations" they'd had internally last week.
"We're about the journey. For us, those challenging conversations, we always talk about a lag effect," he said.
"They don't necessarily change in one week - it might take two, three or four.
"We're hoping it comes sooner rather than later. But the fact of the matter is we've got a really good understanding of when we play our best footy, what it looks like - we've just got to find that within ourselves.
"Confidence is an amazing thing in AFL footy - you can sometimes lose it really quickly, but you can also regain it with the flick of the switch."
Hardwick said Richmond needed to fix its trademark turnover game but also improve its clearance work, with Toby Nankervis' return from injury set to provide much-needed impetus at stoppages.
"He's a quality ruckman," Hardwick said.
"We've been really happy with what (Mabior Chol) and (Coleman-Jones) have brought to the table but when you've got Toby Nankervis out of your side, there's 10 contested balls (you're not winning where) the ball starts going your way."
https://www.afl.com.au/news/644253/dimma-hopeful-spluttering-tigers-can-flick-the-switch------------------------------------------------------------------
Not playing ‘anywhere near the level’: Hardwick urges Tigers to liftJon Pierik
The Age
July 10, 2021 Richmond coach Damien Hardwick admits the Tigers are not playing “anywhere near the level” they expect of themselves, as forgotten utility Sydney Stack prepares for a return to the senior line-up against Collingwood for the first time in more than a year.
The AFL’s best side in three of the past four years, the Tigers are battling injuries to key personnel, poor form, and fears their game plan has been deciphered by opponents.
The Tigers have slipped outside the top eight after three straight defeats, to West Coast, St Kilda and the Gold Coast Suns. The loss last week to the lowly Suns at Marvel Stadium was particularly stinging, as it came after Hardwick had labelled the week leading into that match as the most important of the Tigers’ year.
That opportunity wasted, the Tigers now hope to regain momentum against the Magpies at the MCG on Sunday.
“We are not playing anywhere near the level of expectation that we would like, so we have got to play a hell of a lot better,” Hardwick said before a spirited training session on Friday.
“The fact of the matter is, we are a forward half, turnover side. When you give up 62 entries inside 50 (to the Suns), you are attacking from the back half. It’s not the Richmond brand of footy. So, we spoke about that with the players.
“Our contest work wasn’t to the level we would like. Our pressure wasn’t there, but the fact of the matter was we didn’t get the ball inside 50.”
The Tigers were set to welcome back ruckman Toby Nankervis, who has not played since round 11 because of a sprained PCL, but he was withdrawn from the original squad after training.
The contested ball problems have left the Tigers on the back foot. The statistics show they are among the bottom sides in points against per inside 50, points against from turnovers, and points against from stoppages. They are also struggling in points from clearance differential and were ranked last for clearance differential.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/not-playing-anywhere-near-the-level-of-expectation-hardwick-urges-tigers-to-lift-20210709-p5888i.html
