Hardwick on SEN - Wed morning

[one-eyed]

"Stiffy" will be on SEN's MorningGlory sometime tomorrow morning.

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/9dmtq2

[wayne]

http://www.sen.com.au/audioplayer/Audio/Richmond-Coach-Damien-Hardwick/2027

Summary:

Feeling little nervous, little excited. Can't wait to get it underway. Looking forward to the game.

We were at a heavy training stage when we played Adelaide. We were flat. We've adjusted a few things, training has tapered and players have freshened up.

There was a little extra work after the Adelaide practice match, Time Watson mentioned a 10k run, Dimma laughed and said no comment.

Dimma can handle a loss, but the body language was all wrong. The demeanour was bad. Told the players it was unacceptable, 100% all the time is the expectation.

Winning behaviours. Andy Maher said about beating a dog and it expects to get beaten, when opposition get on a roll, the players roll over. Act like winners, celebrate every goal, pick teammates up off the ground, it has been addressed and hopefully rectified.

Has Connors learnt his lesson. Dan has grown up, taken the next step. For too long the club has been mediocre. We're getting our act together off field, we have to transfer that to on field.

Foley. He adds another quality player to midfield mix, knows how to play the game. We missed his leadership. Hopes he plays 22+ games for us this year.

Why will we be better. Stopping the blowouts. Usually one quarter would really cost us in 2010 when we had a significant loss. Last year we were reluctant to throw players behind the ball, from a development point of view. We'll look to rectify this in 2011. Talent has improved, a number of players feel they can contribute to us getting more wins.

Turnovers. Wants to improve decision making more than anything. Players understanding the game plan more will see less turnovers and better decision making.

[tony_montana]

Just get the feeling our players will be mentally switched on and hungry tomorrow night which will be an improvement.


However i fear we still have too many dumb footballers in our side to improve decision making much. Interesting year coming up BRING IT ON!!! 

[Tigeritis™©®]

Hardwick is impressive isn't he?  

It's all quite simple though,

just "FIGHT & FIGHT TO WIN"

Eat 'em Alive!!

[one-eyed]

Here's Dimma's press conference as well:

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/roar%20vision%20archive/tabid/11454/contentid/340974/default.aspx

[gerkin greg]

I <3 Hardwick

[Damo]

Foley. He adds another quality player to midfield mix, knows how to play the game. We missed his leadership. Hopes he plays 22+ games for us this year.

22+, LOL.

Finals would be nice

[Hellenic Tiger]

He is just so down to earth and impressive.

[one-eyed]

Richmond Tigers' tyros on long march
Stephen Rielly
The Australian
March 24, 2011

THE earth, as the Chinese say, is patient. So, it seems, is Richmond coach Damien Hardwick.

He has selected five Tiger debutants for the AFL season-opener against Carlton at the MCG tonight, knowing that inexperience may tell against his side as a consequence but that he, and they, are on a long march.

Three of the debutants, Reece Conca, Jake Batchelor and Brad Helbig, are teenagers who have been at the club only months. The other two, former Blue Shaun Grigg and ex-Bomber Bachar Houli, are both 22 and have played only 69 games between them.

But the point is, Hardwick said yesterday, that if the experience of playing before 70,000-80,000 on opening night happens to overwhelm any of them, they still will be a stride closer to a more prosperous time.

"Look, my job as coach of Richmond - with where we are at the moment - is to get as many games into the core group of players who I think can take us forward," Hardwick said.

"So if that's putting five guys into the thrust of a round-one encounter that is going to have 80,000 people there, then that's what we'll do.

"It's about a long-term focus . . . and if we think those kids can play and have got the ability to play, they'll play. At the end of the day, round one is only a small step to where we need to go, so we're willing to put faith into those young kids so that they can go at a quicker rate."

Hardwick argued that he was not accepting the possibility of defeat too easily, conditioning the fans in the event the side takes another heavy first-round defeat. Richmond has lost its last two first-round matches against the Blues by a combined margin of 145 points.

He acknowledging that winning was important but, for Richmond, other things were even more important, given the scale of the reconstruction taking place at Punt Road.

Indeed, in Hardwick's two off-seasons, 24 players have been released and tonight's side will feature 11 players who did not line up in the corresponding game last year.

"The round-one expectation . . . every side is looking to win every game and we're no different.

"We want to win as many games as humanly possible," Hardwick said. "We look for a great result but at the end of the day it's a long-term focus for us. We've just got to keep developing that (contested) style of play, get the players playing together for a long period of time and the wheel will turn."

It is not only in selection that Hardwick appears to be maintaining his philosophy. A minor tactical retreat in the pre-season aside, he worked the players especially hard in training even as the NAB Cup arrived - they were duly hammered - to have them light on their feet tonight.

Equally, he is standing by his aim to draw attention away from his best forward, Jack Riewoldt, who kicked 78 goals last year.

As an assistant coach at Hawthorn when Alastair Clarkson began a rebuild in 2005 that culminated in the 2008 premiership, Hardwick saw the Hawks then leading forward Mark Williams relieved of the burden of heading up the attack so a more varied forward line could be built.

"Once again, we have to take a long-term focus," Hardwick said.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/richmond-tigers-tyros-on-long-march/story-e6frg7mf-1226027030016

[one-eyed]

Richmond to debut first round draft pick Reece Conca
Mark Robinson
Herald Sun
March 24, 2011

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick remembers his first game well while Reece Conca, who will make his AFL debut for the Tigers, is full of expectation.

Hardwick is 38. Conca is 18. The game has changed a lot, but the emotions surrounding AFL debuts have not.

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited," Conca said.

"I'm nervous but not as nervous as I thought I would be."

Hardwick said his first game was a "great experience", adding he learned of his debut while watching The Footy Show on Thursday night when the Essendon team was read out.

"It was '94, Round 4 or Round 5 against Collingwood and I was 20," Hardwick said.

"I finally got my go after the Bombers had lost three of their first four. I sat on the bench in the first quarter and Tony Shaw was tearing us a new one, so I got the call that I was going on to Tony Shaw.

"I remember walking out to Shawy and he said something like: 'You're kidding yourself, aren't you?'

"There was 95,000 people there at the 'G and we won by four points.

"It is a fantastic experience and one you never forget and hopefully it will also be one for our boys."

"Our boys" is not a slip of the tongue.

Since Round 1 last year, when the Tigers lost to Carlton by 56 points, there have been 11 changes to their 22.

In two years, Hardwick has turned over 24 players.

Hardwick, and Conca, said they could feel the sense of rejuvenation at Punt Rd.

"It's a great time to start with the club, perfect," Conca said.

Hardwick, when asked about the team rebuilding and long journey ahead, acknowledged the process had a touch of the 2005 Hawks about it.

"Clubs have done it prior to us," he said. "Look at Essendon. Matthew Knights started that journey three years ago, the culling of the list.

"We've turned over 24 players in the last two years which is a significant, dramatic list change.

"You have to persevere, just keep putting the guys in there who you think can take you forward.

"Every side goes through it and we're no different."

Conca will be joined tonight by two other debutants - Jake Batchelor from Frankston and Brad Helbig from West Adelaide - as well as recruits Shaun Grigg and Bachar Houli.

Conca was told by Hardwick he was playing on Tuesday.

He rang his parents, who flew over from Perth last night for the occasion.

Hardwick wanted fans to be aware of the bigger picture when it comes to blooding youngsters.

"They have got to be understanding. They will come Round 1 as they do every year, full of excitement, and what's not to be excited about - Cotchin, Deledio, Martin, Riewoldt, Conca will play - these guys are going to drag us to where we need to go," he said.

"We have to wait, be patient, enjoy their development and look forward to it."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-to-debut-first-round-draft-pick-reece-conca/story-e6frf9jf-1226026985776