Newman's form no concern for TigersDejan Kalinic
Sportal
10/8/2012 Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has leapt to the defence of Chris Newman, saying he is unconcerned by his captain's low possession count.
Newman has struggled to find the ball in the past fortnight, unable to have a major impact against Carlton (nine disposals) and Brisbane (eight).
But Hardwick said the number of disposals Newman gathered was not an area of focus, preferring to hail the 30-year-old's leadership.
"He's been heavily tagged over the last month. His numbers have come down but the fact is his on-field leadership has been outstanding and something that you can't measure from a statistical point of view," Hardwick said on Friday.
"I've been very happy with the way he's gone about his footy. His leadership on and off the ground has been great and he's just getting the job done for us.
"The time will come when his possession count rises again but that's not something we're overly concerned about."
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