Hardwick's post-match presser

[one-eyed]

Dimma's post-match presser:

* 45 point turnaround?  2 - 17 clearances in the last quarter that's why. That's the game!

* Game was like that all night. Who controlled the clearances won the ball on the night.

* Eight 50m penalties . That obviously hurts. You're giving the opposition eight inside 50s. We'll look at it. Sometimes you're just unlucky (Graham thinking it's our free).

* Prestia - big loss. He had 10 possies in the first and we were up and about. Just feel for the kid.

* Graham - we pushed the envelope. We've had him for 6 seasons and he's been relatively robust. We've done it before for round 1 and it's paid off. It didn't tonight. Prestia going down compounded it.

* Carlton mids are big boys - Cripps, Kennedy, etc. Their midfield dominated ours. They were clean and we weren't. We just couldn't get clean hands on the ball to get the footy moving our way.

* Only 4 goals kicked to Punt Road end. Gusty wind to the right. We didn't defend well at the other end.

* Balta - he'll get better as a swingman. Kicked 2 goals.

* Gibcus - solid. Their key forwards only kicked one goal. Goes to show their midfield dominance.

* Tarrant - good on McKay. Two frees against that were strong [ed. translate that as Dimma believing they weren't frees].

* Saw similarities in Carlton adding Cerra and Hewett plus Kennedy becoming the player people thought he'd be with our additions leading into 2017. When you add players like that you naturally get better.

[pmac21]

Not sure what he means that losing Prestia impacted Graham's selection. Still had 4:on the bench.  Shouldn't have played end of story.

[one-eyed]

From The Age:

Hardwick said the Tigers were dominated by Carlton in the midfield. “(Matthew) Kennedy’s of a sudden become the player everyone thought he would be and their midfield has completely dominated ours because I think they all had close to 30 ... but we just couldn’t stop once they got out and going. They’re clean, their hands were very clean. We had our opportunities, we just weren’t as clean at various stages.”

Hardwick said they had taken “a calculated risk” by playing Jack Graham after a limited pre-season. “Did it pay off tonight? Probably not. We’re paid to make those decisions and sometimes they come off and sometimes they don’t.”

He said it had been difficult for defender and recruit Robbie Tarrant because of the weight of entries they were defending. Tarrant and draftee Josh Gibcus would get better as they adjusted to the Tigers’ system, he said.

“We just didn’t defend that well, it was hard because we were the back foot through (losing) clearances, especially in that last quarter.

“It’s a step forward, players come in (to) new clubs, it takes a little bit of time system-wise to understand how that goes. That goes for him and Josh (Gibcus). They’ll just get better as the season goes on. But we’ve got a bit of work to do.

Hardwick also declared that Carlton’s recruits Adam Cerra and George Hewett could have a similar impact to Richmond’s recruitment of Prestia, Josh Caddy and Toby Nankervis before the 2017 premiership. He had spoken to his wistful new assistant, Carlton’s just removed senior coach David Teague, about the impact of Carlton’s recruits.

“I was speaking to Teaguey about it all. All of a sudden they bring in Cerra. They bring in ... Hewett - you know, incredible athletes, can cover the ground really well. It’s similar to the re-emergence of bringing in Caddy, Prestia and Nankervis, all of a sudden, you bring in a whole new midfield, really.”

Hardwick said there was “no question” Cerra, traded from Fremantle, and ex-Swan midfielder Hewett, could equal the impact of Richmond’s three recruits before 2017.

“No question. Teaguey was a bit flat because he recruited those guys ... I said ‘well any chance of clearing them over to us.’ It’s amazing what a spark can do. You know look, don’t get me wrong, new coach, new game plan, some things they’ve done, but bringing in talented players like that, it helps.”

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-hard-hit-by-injuries-to-riewoldt-prestia-in-loss-to-carlton-20220317-p5a5p1.html

[Francois Jackson]

Teague is flat cause he was a rubbish recruit and if that is the best we got then you expect more of these performances.

If Hardwick was worried about the midfield then why didn’t he recruit any?

Did he mention the fact that his team who had the longest Pre season only laid what 25 tackles?

All round it was a dirty night and I can see many more of these with this ageing midfield

[one-eyed]

Here's the video of Dimma's presser:

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/1080098/round-1-hardwick-post-match

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More from Dimma on our key backs:

“Most of their goals came through their midfield. I think only one of their (key) forwards kicked one goal,” Hardwick said.

“Gibcus, I thought, played a pretty solid game tonight as a first-game player . . .

“I thought Tarrant was good. He controlled the contest pretty well.

“I just thought we were on the back foot, especially in that last quarter where the ball’s played predominantly in Carlton’s half.

“So, it was challenging. But it’s a step forward.

“Players come to a new club, it takes a little bit of time, system-wise, to understand how that goes . . .

“They’ll both just get better as the season goes on."

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1080185/new-tiger-backs-stand-tall

[the claw]

Its one thing to talk about being belted at clearances and contested ball but talk is cheap you have to at least attempt to do something about it. How many times have we heard this sort of stuff from Hardwick.
 

We just had a huge draft hand and had an opportunity to draft some quality mids and only drafted the one with pick 28.