Richmond ready to rest up in first finals-free September since 2016It's been five years since Richmond last missed finals, but Damien Hardwick says his charges will embrace the change
By Luke Michael
afl.com.au
21 August 2021AFTER a chaotic finish to what has been a difficult year, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick admits his exhausted players will enjoy the chance to recharge and refresh so they can come back hungry for success in 2022.
The Tigers looked like they would end the season with a loss on Saturday, after being 31 points down late in the final term against a Hawthorn team saying goodbye to legendary coach Alastair Clarkson and veteran Shaun Burgoyne.
But Richmond refused to lie down, kicking the final five goals of the game – including a toe-poke in the dying seconds from Jack Riewoldt – to secure a remarkable draw.
Hardwick said post-game it had been a challenging week for the club, with the retirements of its premiership stars David Astbury and Bachar Houli adding to the emotion of Clarkson and Burgoyne’s farewell.
He praised his side for continuing to fight to the end, even when a loss looked beyond doubt.
"I was really pleased the guys fought it out for [Astbury and Houli]," Hardwick said.
"We didn’t have a win but we managed to nullify the result.
"So it was a reasonably positive way to finish off in the year and we’re really pleased with some of the efforts of our younger players as well, which will be a really positive thing for our fans to sit back and enjoy."
Richmond’s year was plagued by injuries to key players including Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin, Dion Prestia and Toby Nankervis.
And now with the home and away season finished, the two-time defending premiers are set to miss September action for the first time since 2016.
Hardwick said while his players were shattered to miss out on finals, taking an extended break after four years of deep September runs could be beneficial in the long term.
He said his side would reset in the off season and come back "bigger and better" in 2022.
"It has been a long four years. You look at the vast majority of clubs that have won some flags, it does effectively add another season to what the other sides have played," he said.
"I think our guys will enjoy the break. Don't get me wrong, they'd much rather be playing finals and competing as hard as they could but I think they're exhausted.
"So they'll rest, they'll recharge. The coaching group will do the same, we'll look at some things that worked, [and] some areas of our game that need to improve."
Meanwhile Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson, who joined Hardwick during his post-match press conference, said he was relieved to now take a break from the relentlessness of coaching.
He joked that he was happy to not have to review the final stages of Saturday's game, when the Tigers came home with a flurry of goals.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/667397/richmond-ready-to-rest-up-in-first-finals-free-september-since-2016
