Signs of a Richmond form drop surfaced after elimination final loss (Herald-Sun)

[one-eyed]

Signs of a Richmond form drop surfaced after elimination final loss to Carlton in 2013
Sam Edmund
Herald-Sun
May 20, 2014

DAMIEN Hardwick sat in the bowels of the MCG and talked tough.

His side had just been sent packing from the finals at the hands of Carlton, but Hardwick said Richmond had only “scratched the surface” of what it was capable of.

The coach said the Tigers’ “two normal strengths” — contested ball and scores from stoppages — had come from nowhere to cost them the game.

But little did Hardwick know, the rot had only just set in.

The footy world is searching for clues on how a side which won 15 games and finished fifth can plummet to 16th after one summer.

The truth is that the signs were there in that elimination final loss to the Blues.

In that pulsating contest Carlton thrashed Richmond in contested situations inside the Blues’ attacking 50m and almost scored at will from stoppages.

At the time it was out of the blue. Last season, before that crucial contest, Richmond was a very good stoppage team, both offensively and defensively.

The Tigers ranked sixth for clearances, but they scored from those clearances 28.9 per cent of the time — ranked second in the AFL behind premier Hawthorn.

Last year they outscored the opposition by 321 points from stoppages. This was a side as dangerous as it got at ball-ups or boundary throw-ins.

Even when the opposition won a clearance, Richmond was only scored against 23.4 per cent of the time — the fourth-least in the competition.

Richmond also thrived on contested ball, averaging 7.7 per game more than its opposition, good enough for third in the league.

But comparing these 2013 numbers with the first eight games of this season makes for frightening reading.

The Tigers have fallen away at scoring from stoppages, going from differential rank of second in the AFL to 12th.

That percentage of scores from clearances has plummeted from second-best to 14th.

Ditto with contested possession differential, which has sunk from third to 14th and now when the opposition wins a clearance Richmond is only so-so (9th) at preventing a score.

And all the things that made this side so great to watch last year have faded to black.

Scoring (5th to 15th), mark and play-on (7th to 15th) and scores once inside 50m (4th to 15th) have all dropped.

Hardwick knows what’s wrong. He’s repeated himself to the point of frustration and, after the loss to Melbourne, exasperation.

“We’ve got to take some steps and get our game back up and going, but unfortunately I’ve been saying this for six or seven weeks and I’m sick of talking about it,” Hardwick said at the weekend.

But this was no summer of change. That elimination final loss may have left scars that extend beyond the mental.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/signs-of-a-richmond-form-drop-surfaced-after-elimination-final-loss-to-carlton-in-2013/story-fndv8t7m-1226923213133

[Phil Mrakov]

Has Dimma ever lost it at the players? "Scratched the surface of what we're capable of" <--- saying this poo is unacceptable after a finals loss to 9th. THEY NEEDED A GOOD OLD FASHION ROAST AND SPRAY DIMMA U WEAK prick

He's just a soft coach.

[WilliamPowell]

Has Dimma ever lost it at the players? "

In his defence none of us have any idea what gets said behind closed doors

Does he ever give 'em a spray - I reckon the answer to that is yes. Actually I have no doubt he does, been outside the rooms at intersate games (Subi is the best for it  ) and the volume would make the paint peel

Just because you don't hear it or it doens't get reported doesn't mean it doens't happen. Do I agree with him not letting rip in pressers? At times no I don't but to suggest he never "loses it" with the players

So your comment is quite silly when you think about it 

[Phil Mrakov]

Has Dimma ever lost it at the players? "

In his defence none of us have any idea what gets said behind closed doors

Does he ever give 'em a spray - I reckon the answer to that is yes. Actually I have no doubt he does, been outside the rooms at intersate games (Subi is the best for it  ) and the volume would make the paint peel

Just because you don't hear it or it doens't get reported doesn't mean it doens't happen. Do I agree with him not letting rip in pressers? At times no I don't but to suggest he never "loses it" with the players

So your comment is quite silly when you think about it 

Did you say the same thing about Wallet. That ended well

[Lozza]

Think Hardwick has been good to a point but undoubtedly he is seen as a mate and a good bloke by the players but that type of relationship just doesn't work. Think Hinkley is the type we needed, noticed recently while in the coaches box someone touched him on the shoulder during the game and he lashed out, has an aggressive nature and not someone to cross. The players prefer not to see his wrath so they perform accordingly. Any player not performing is quickly relegated from the squad. Hardwick on the other hand has way too much patience with the serial offenders and that time must come to an end.

[unplugged]

No longer competitive in the midfield.  Two Words.  Shane Tuck.

Richmond badly needs to cover the loss of Shane Tuck with some hard in and under no nonsense footballers who aren't afraid to chase the ball and throw their body on the line at every contest.  Players who will also tackle and hurt their opponents.  I'm not talking slow, uncompetitive duds like Thomas who can't kick a footy either.

Melbourne redid their midfield mix.  Arnott is a contested ball machine.  Don't know why Hardwick played him in the seniors as a tagger/outside player.  He need to play ruck rover.  If Miles is half as good as his reserve performances suggest, he needs to be made centre and the two of them need to chase the ball around all day long.  Cotchin and Deledio can sit on the outside.  They can rotate with Lennon and Dusty in the midfield and maybe one or two others as long as they match this criteria.  Good foot and hand skills  (not shane edwards), fast, and are tough at the contest (not grigg and houli).  Foley, Hellbig and Dea are supposed to be quick.  Maybe rotate them through the midfield.  Ellis, super borderline player at the moment can have a half back flank.  Jackson can go in a back pocket.

If you want to get your game plan up and running, however bad it is, you need to get the ball first.  Its not a hard thing to fix. Wake up Hardwick!!

Our mix is just completely wrong for that at the moment.  Sit on Cotchin.  Watch the crocodile tears.  Lose. Rinse and Repeat.

[big tone]

I said this few weeks back, but at centre bounces most of our guys are behind their opponents. How the f?!k can we get our hands on the ball first?
Win the centre clearances and you'll have a fighting chance of winning the games.
We are just to negivite at the moment. 
The other stat that stood out to me is the playing on after a mark/free kick. Get the ball moving Tigers, players up field will move if the ball is moving.
Plop, plop, plop!

[(•))(©™]

They have no faith in the fwd line structure that hardwick has made an abortion of, and who can blame them.

Work ur ass of to get inside 50 and then watch tards like jack and ty blow it out their arse due to their pathetic attitudes.

FWD Line is the route of the on field issues

[Dice]

Richmond badly needs to cover the loss of Shane Tuck with some hard in and under no nonsense footballers who aren't afraid to chase the ball and throw their body on the line at every contest.  Players who will also tackle and hurt their opponents.  I'm not talking slow, uncompetitive duds like Thomas who can't kick a footy either.

Harsh on Thomas there. I reckon we've really missed his grunt out of the guts. Had 30 disposals and 10 tackles in the magoos last week. Needs to come straight back in this week. I realise he's not the long term answer but with him and Miles in the middle I'd feel a bit better about our chances of actually getting the odd centre clearance

[Tigeritis™©®]

Signs!!!!

The signs have always been there. You can't win finals playing softy pansy lollipop footy.

The smart coaches already know this.

Last year was a ride of hype and euphoria led by the throngs of success starved Tiger fans.

Geelong regarded as one of the toughest teams, they won't ever let a bunch of Pansy's beat them.
Clarkson doesn't mind if its near finals time because he knows he can use it to wake up his own team just when it really matters.

Facts are it's an embarrassment to lose to the softest most embarrasing team in the league.
Mick malthouse knows this and round 21 showed everyone how easy it is and when the final came round he just got his boys to run the salt in the wound pull our pants down & started slapping.

Hardwick. I dunno.... I dunno..... I dunno....poor Astbury. Blah blah blah.
We are soft and cry baby Hardwick is soft.
It's a disgrace. The team should be renamed the Pansy's and change their colours to pink.
They make me sick. 

[tony_montana]

Yep right about week  of preseason when the club, its coaches and all its players felt natural progression would see them playing finals again. Training levels go down, hunger drops and there you have it. This used to happen with us whenever we finished 9th, we'd believe the press all preseason how next season surely the tigers would play finals after a great finish to the season and we'd have a massive letdown.

Culture - place gets ahead of itself