Hardwick's next contract discussion [merged]

[WilliamPowell]

Personally I think our list is better than you're crediting it for this season and we're in the mix with a number of teams to even possibly etch out a finals birth.

Poor results would not be satisfactory in 2012. A poor result for me ladder wise would be a bottom 5 finish.

Agree we are in the mix

I think we are a show for the finals if and only if everything goes our way.

But I reckon (and have said this numerous times) a more likely scenario is 9th to 11th (10-12 wins)

I just reckon depth wise we are one or two injuries away (to top line players) from things to go pear shaped.

I think our list has improved over the last couple of years but I still the the gap between our top 25 and the bottom dozen on our list as still being huge and we are relying on kids some of which are only coming into their 2nd-3rd seasons to carry us. 

[Smokey]

how many years will he get, WP? Personally I'll be slightly annoyed if he gets two years if we don't win at least 10 games.

Coach, I reckon he will get a 2 year extension and I think they will do it by mid season (say July). Just my gut feel on it

As I said wins aren't going to be the only determining factor

I would actually hate wins to be the determining factor WP.  I think his extension needs to be looked at very strongly in the light of individual and team development, regardless of wins, and on that score I think he is a certainty to get another 2 years sooner rather than later.

[dwaino]

how many years will he get, WP? Personally I'll be slightly annoyed if he gets two years if we don't win at least 10 games.

Coach, I reckon he will get a 2 year extension and I think they will do it by mid season (say July). Just my gut feel on it

As I said wins aren't going to be the only determining factor

I would actually hate wins to be the determining factor WP.  I think his extension needs to be looked at very strongly in the light of individual and team development, regardless of wins, and on that score I think he is a certainty to get another 2 years sooner rather than later.

I agree. I think though the win/loss column will only apply to the journos and stuff wits who want to fling poo at us. Dimma said numerous times at the end of last season that the goals will be being more competitive against the top sides (I read this as not getting flogged), improving our bad games and being able to put away sides we 'should' be beating. We have to be certainly in the mix for the bottom end of the top 8 this year. I honestly think with everything going our way, as in injuries and early winning teams falling away in the later part of the season, we can finish as high as 6th. Carlton showed you can make it to September with crap KPPs and Bummers proved that with a bit of luck from other team placings you can scrape in with no midfield at all and a list full of average players. Having said that, I think another 9th is a high possibility lol. Even a 10th or 11th, as long as we were competitive and IMO Dimma won't lose any sleep. Like WP, I think he'll be resigned before the bye rounds anyway.

In the worst case scenario and we're only 1 or 2 wins by then, I would still personally like to keep Dimma anyway. A bottom 4-6 this year would be the same result under a new rookie coach for the next 2 years anyway. In a lot of ways this is Dimma's first year at properly coaching considering how much of the list he has turned over and finally getting some of his own men in. Ross Smith's influence was so obvious already on Friday already. Can't wait to see what another 12 months of him teaching our team defensive skills will do.

[WilliamPowell]

how many years will he get, WP? Personally I'll be slightly annoyed if he gets two years if we don't win at least 10 games.

Coach, I reckon he will get a 2 year extension and I think they will do it by mid season (say July). Just my gut feel on it

As I said wins aren't going to be the only determining factor

I would actually hate wins to be the determining factor WP.  I think his extension needs to be looked at very strongly in the light of individual and team development, regardless of wins, and on that score I think he is a certainty to get another 2 years sooner rather than later.

Exactly my take smokey 

I agree. I think though the win/loss column will only apply to the journos and stuff wits who want to fling poo at us. Dimma said numerous times at the end of last season that the goals will be being more competitive against the top sides (I read this as not getting flogged), improving our bad games and being able to put away sides we 'should' be beating. We have to be certainly in the mix for the bottom end of the top 8 this year. I honestly think with everything going our way, as in injuries and early winning teams falling away in the later part of the season, we can finish as high as 6th. Carlton showed you can make it to September with crap KPPs and Bummers proved that with a bit of luck from other team placings you can scrape in with no midfield at all and a list full of average players. Having said that, I think another 9th is a high possibility lol. Even a 10th or 11th, as long as we were competitive and IMO Dimma won't lose any sleep. Like WP, I think he'll be resigned before the bye rounds anyway.

In the worst case scenario and we're only 1 or 2 wins by then, I would still personally like to keep Dimma anyway. A bottom 4-6 this year would be the same result under a new rookie coach for the next 2 years anyway. In a lot of ways this is Dimma's first year at properly coaching considering how much of the list he has turned over and finally getting some of his own men in. Ross Smith's influence was so obvious already on Friday already. Can't wait to see what another 12 months of him teaching our team defensive skills will do.

Ditto dwaino - agree

[Mr Magic]

I just reckon depth wise we are one or two injuries away (to top line players) from things to go pear shaped.

Key injuries to say a Cotchin, Riewoldt, Rance or Martin (touch wood) would be mitigating factors for sure.

[Coach]

We haven't improved if we aren't pushing for finals. It would be a joke if we don't win 10 games. Where is WAT??

[one-eyed]

Hardwick's contract not an issue for Tigers
Matt Murnane, Alice Springs
February 22, 2012

THE issue of Damien Hardwick's contract is no issue for the Richmond players.

They love their coach and will play for him this season fully aware that their performance could affect Hardwick's future at the club in 2013 and beyond.

But 2012 is about much more than whether Hardwick gets a contract extension when his agreement expires at the end of this season.

It was reported in The Age recently that Hardwick is likely to earn a contract extension, but the length of any new deal remains unclear.

"We should do it more for ourselves rather than him," Tigers defender Alex Rance said yesterday at the club's community camp in Alice Springs.

"There are people around the club like [president] Brendon Gale, who has invested a lot of his time and energy into the club, all the coaching staff, which 'Dimma' [Hardwick] is one of, but also all the supporters," he said.

"It's definitely time to play finals. But in terms of his fate being in our hands, we're not just playing for him, we've got a lot more to play for."

Rance said the "it's not about me" directive had come from Hardwick himself.

"He's drilled that into us. He keeps a pretty cool head about those kinds of things and he would never put any more pressure on us than what we should be putting on ourselves.''

Taking captain Chris Newman to his first finals series is also a motivating factor for the players.

The 29-year-old has played the most games (192) of any current player without a finals appearance, heading a top five that also includes teammates Brett Deledio (150), Shane Tuck (140) and Nathan Foley (110).

Newman will move to third on the all-time list if he plays 12 games or more this year, but will not threaten the top two - St Kilda pair Trevor Barker (230) and Geoff Cunningham (224) - unless the Tigers miss the finals again.

The club last played finals in 2001.

"It would be fantastic to do it for him [Newman] because he has been such a driving force for all our core values and beliefs," Rance said.

But perhaps more than anything, Rance said this year was about the supporters, the ones who had stood by the club despite enduring a decade without finals.

He also said the players were sick of watching opposition teams playing in September, but not as much as Tiger fans would be.

"They have been hanging out for a long time,'' he said. ''My hat goes off to them that they've been so loyal for so long, because I can imagine it would have been a pretty frustrating run.''

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/hardwicks-contract-not-an-issue-for-tigers-20120221-1tltf.html#ixzz1n1pwXdbD

[WA Tiger]

We haven't improved if we aren't pushing for finals. It would be a joke if we don't win 10 games. Where is WAT??

NO EXCUSES....

Please see Rances comments in the want to beat beat Carscum RD1......

[WA Tiger]

I just reckon depth wise we are one or two injuries away (to top line players) from things to go pear shaped.

Key injuries to say a Cotchin, Riewoldt, Rance or Martin (touch wood) would be mitigating factors for sure.

All at once..yes...one of them...NO EXCUSES!!!!!!

[Mr Magic]

The club last played finals in 2001.

Just screams.

Finals has to be the goal.

[Penelope]

When did gale become president?

[10 FLAGS]

When did gale become president?

maybe theres gonna be a coup today or the journo is well you know - just being a journo. 

[Penelope]

 

[10 FLAGS]

Why you laughin Alberts maybe Benny has called up Colonel Rambuka and it'll be all on in the afternoon 

[Hellenic Tiger]

Dimma has turned over 25 odd players and will more than likely turn over at least another 6-8 at the end of the year. He has inherited a list in such a sorry state that he got the job knowing that he was on a hiding to nothing. I know its finals or bust for some but improvement in the list and matches into the kids which is what is required anyway would not be a disaster even if we don't make the eight which I would love us to do and hope that we have a season where some of our players development is fast tracked.
Regardless I would think that he will be signed up sooner rather than later. He has put in the hard yards with the rebuilding of the player list and deserves to see the fruits of his labours. If anything he has brought a genuine on field optimism whether for this season or the subsequent ones and for that he deserves to be rewarded.