Hardwick's post-game presser / Let down by our execution: Dimma

[one-eyed]

Dimma's post-match presser on Ch 7 just now:

* What went wrong? Our execution. 6.9 to 9.5 from set shots. Reasonably easy shots on goal. We failed to put on them scoreboard pressure.

* Richmond game for a lot of it. But we weren't polished enough. Doing a lot of things right but we're hurting ourselves with costly errors. Richmond hurting Richmond. Can't question our intent.

* Times when we pressured but other times it looked like we were seeing ghosts. Blokes don't go out to deliberately makes mistakes.

* Our young rucks battled well early but Gawn & Grundy got on top as the game went along. Had to change things up and throw Balta in there.

* We failed to get the ball in forward deep. The best laid plans can work against you at times. We know the style required to beat Melbourne, but we have to do it longer. Scored from our opportunities in the first half but that dried up in the second.

[TigerLand]

Pretty fair from Dimma.

Kudos for doing things right to get in front early. Clearly had the prep right and game style / plan was bang on.

Still think taking Miller off made us too small but apart from that credit to the coaches this week. We kick straighter and we win to be honest. More scoring shots.

[one-eyed]

Here's Dimma's presser:

WATCH: https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/1315957/round-6-hardwick-post-match

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Richmond coach Damien Hardwick rued the misses saying inaccuracy from set shots was a significant factor in their defeat.

“From their set shots they kicked 9.5. We kicked 6.9. We had reasonably easy shots on goal and we just could not quite nail those and take advantage on the scoreboard,” Hardwick said.

“It looked like a Richmond game. Time in forward half, forward half turnovers. We just weren’t clean enough for long enough and when push came to shove their rucks got hold of us.”

Hardwick said they had to move Noah Balta into the ruck as Melbourne’s Brodie Grundy changed the game’s course in the third quarter.

Richmond was stoic in its efforts across the night and led the Demons by as much as 25 points in the second quarter, but coach Damien Hardwick said the Tigers had let themselves down in moments.

"The players will get better. Sometimes there was pressure there and other times [it was like] the players thought they were seeing ghosts. There were times we thought we'd be out but we made a fundamental flaw and that happens from time to time," he said.

"You have some players who are learning the craft, learning the game with us but it's just probably happening a little bit too much at the moment, which is a little bit disappointing."

The Tigers turned to young talls Samson Ryan and Ben Miller to shoulder the ruck load against Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy, but Hardwick said the experienced Melbourne pair got control as the game wore on and were crucial as Richmond remained with just one win from their first six games.

"They were gallant early but I thought Brodie Grundy was a difference-maker in the end. I thought he just dominated that ruck battle and we had to make a change," he said.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/melbourne-storm-over-the-top-of-gallant-richmond-20230424-p5d2vr.html
https://www.afl.com.au/news/911789/-thank-god-we-didn-t-dees-almost-dragged-van-rooyen-before-late-burst