After clawing Cats, Richmond ready to rumble with the AFL's best (H-Sun, Age)

[one-eyed]

Richmond ready to rumble with the AFL's best

    by: Sam Edmund
    From: Herald Sun
    March 12, 2012


RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers will not wilt in the face of a brutal early draw, insisting they are relishing the challenge.

Richmond faces 2011 finalists Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong and West Coast in the first five weeks of the season.

It looms as a searching examination of the Tigers' improvement.

The players yesterday were feted by more than 8000 supporters at a raucous family day - and Hardwick told the sea of yellow and black that his side would not be intimidated.

"We're a lot more confident this time this year than we have been (in) the last three years," Hardwick said.

"You only have to look at the depth of our players, the quality of our players - they've improved enormously from a development point of view, from a size and physicality point of view.

"We're very much looking forward to the challenge of the first five games."

Hardwick warned against getting carried away by an NAB Cup win against a half-strength Geelong, saying it was a "small step".

"We've still got a hell of a long way to go, but we'll just keep taking those steps as the year goes on to get us back to where we belong," he said.

"I think the boys played a good style of footy and the footy that we're looking to take through the next couple of rounds.

"You look at the overall scheme of things. When your players play to a good standard, you certainly walk away pleased."

The Tigers have finished 15th (2010) and 12th (2011) in Hardwick's first two years in charge, seasons he said were about "transforming" the club's list.

Now entering the final year of his contract, Hardwick acknowledged the pressure on Richmond as it chased a first finals appearance since 2001.

"Now is when it does heat up, there's no doubt about that," he said.

"We've put some criteria to our guys, that we're looking to improve in certain areas. We certainly think there are some realistic expectations there."

Veteran forward Brad Miller would not buy in to speculation about Hardwick's future, but said he had been impressed since he crossed from Melbourne at the end of 2010.

"It is none of our business," Miller said.

"It's handled by people over and above us, so we just focus on our footy.

"I love him. I reckon he's a great coach."

Richmond has climbed past 40,000 members and, after the club's first family day at Punt Road in eight years, remains on target for a record 50,000.

The Tigers will finish their pre-season with a match against Greater Western Sydney at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Saturday.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-ready-to-rumble-with-the-afls-best/story-e6frf9jf-1226296420676

[one-eyed]

After clawing Cats, Tigers ready to roar
Matt Murnane
The Age
March 12, 2012


RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick said yesterday his team is better placed than at any other time during his tenure to attack its difficult early draw and overcome its round-one hoodoo against Carlton.

Hardwick said Saturday's win against reigning premier Geelong was a step in the right direction and that the players are more confident about testing themselves against the Blues and other premiership-contending teams in the first five rounds.

The Tigers will be aiming to beat Carlton for the first time in round one since 2008 when the arch-rivals meet at the MCG on March 29, beginning a season-shaping stretch that includes games against Collingwood, Geelong and West Coast.

''We're very much looking forward to the first five rounds. Whatever will happen, will happen, but we're a lot more confident this time this year, than we have been the three years previous,'' Hardwick told a big gathering at yesterday's family day.

''You only have to look at the depth of our players, the quality of our players, I think they've improved enormously from a development point of view - from a size and a physicality point of view.

''Our first two years was all about transforming the list. We had a pretty solid aim of getting 500 games into those under-23 and unders.

''But now is when it does heat up, there's no doubt about that.''

The popular opinion among 8000 Tigers supporters at Punt Road yesterday was that if Richmond can beat Geelong by 10 goals, albeit in the NAB Cup, then finally upstaging the Blues on opening night of the real season should be the achievable next step.

That the Blues have stumbled through the NAB Cup, in terms of results, has no bearing on how confident the Tigers are about knocking off their arch rivals, veteran Brad Miller added yesterday.

Carlton is the only team yet to win a game in the NAB Cup and, while the pre-season has uncovered the quality of its depth at both ends of the ground, the Blues have a few injury concerns and key players still needing more game time heading into round one.

The Tigers, in the meantime, have beaten Hawthorn and Geelong in the NAB Cup and had nearly all of its stars fit and in good form, including Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin and Jack Riewoldt, while recruits Ivan Maric and Steven Morris as well as draftee 2011 Brandon Ellis, could all have an impact.

More importantly, it is the way the Tigers steamrolled the Cats on Saturday that Hardwick wants to take into round one.

The Tigers beat Geelong in the clearances, both at centre bounces (16-9) and overall (32-21), and its revamped defensive structure limited the undermanned Cats to six goals.

''We've worked on a lot of things over the course of the summer and a lot of those things came to fruition yesterday,'' Hardwick said of the 59-point win over Geelong. ''Our defensive formation was good behind the ball, our centre bounce and clearance work was a lot better.

''It is a small step, we still realise that we've got a hell of a long way to go. But if we can keep taking those steps, it will get us back to where we need to belong.''

Expectations surrounding Richmond were underscored by yesterday's huge turnout and president Gary March revealed the club was on track to reach 50,000 members this season - having already passed the 40,000 mark.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/after-clawing-cats-tigers-ready-to-roar-20120311-1usle.html#ixzz1op2YP4tB

[Dubstep Dookie]

Well, if we get smashed round 1 we are setting ourselves up for quite a fallout......

[tiga]

I highly doubt we will get smashed Dooks. We will be just as competitive as we have been throughout the NAB Cup.

People keep chirping on about the Cats being understrength. Sure they had a few key players out but this big thing that impressed me in the game was the accuracy of our disposal.
If we can take this improved skill level in to the season proper, we will continue to be competitive in most games we play.
 

[RollsRoyce]

Well, if we get smashed round 1 we are setting ourselves up for quite a fallout......

It's not us that are setting ourselves up, it's the media. Hardwick didn't dine out on our win over Geelong, acknowledging that it was only NAB Cup and that they were undermanned. Nor did he make any grand claims about how we were going to beat all the big guns in the first five rounds. The journo chose to focus on how poorly Carlton are travelling atm. They love to stir it all up. Even the bit about the large crowd being testament to Richmond fans growing expectations. More likely it had to do with it being held at our spiritual home on a sunny day. 

[WilliamPowell]

It's not us that are setting ourselves up, it's the media.

Understand your point RollsRoyce but there are some tiger fans that are setting themselves for a fall if we don't win round 1. Some people have massive expectations for season 2012 and if their expectations aren't met then they will go feral to levels I thnk we are yet to have witnessed over the last 30 odd years

Heading out of the cattery on Satruday arvo it was scary listening to some of the comments about top 4 finishes, brownlow medals & thrashing not just the Blues in rd 1 but the pies in rd 2.....

Granted it certainly was not as amusing as the elderly Geelong fan who announced at 3 qty time as she left the game that "we wont win a bloody game if we can't beat this mob" but I digrese.

TBBH I don't even want to think about how people will react if we don't win in round 1 

[Coach]

Surely it won't be too bad. I am going to the game with the expectation that we have a good crack and are within 5 goals of Carlton. A win would be nice though.

[WilliamPowell]

Surely it won't be too bad. I am going to the game with the expectation that we have a good crack and are within 5 goals of Carlton. A win would be nice though.

I dont think it will be rout by any means but I think people who are tjhinking after Saturday that we are dead set "certs" are kidding themselves

[RollsRoyce]

Yeah, I know what you're saying WP. The very first person who bailed me up within seconds of setting foot on the ground at family day was a bloke I know from the cheer squad, who proceeded to tell me all the things we were going to achieve this season based on the strength of that win against the Cats.
But then this particular bloke is ALWAYS like that. He's vacillates between being a cock-eyed optimist and a dead-set lunatic, and it's generally a rule of thumb to take his pronouncements with a salt mine. Having said that, there's NOTHING more I'd like this season than to take the Carlton and Collingwood filth to the cleaners.

[Coach]

this particular bloke is ALWAYS like that. He's vacillates between being a cock-eyed optimist and a dead-set lunatic, and it's generally a rule of thumb to take his pronouncements with a salt mine.

Bojangleburg strikes again.

[1965]

this particular bloke is ALWAYS like that. He's vacillates between being a cock-eyed optimist and a dead-set lunatic, and it's generally a rule of thumb to take his pronouncements with a salt mine.

Bojangleburg strikes again.

Idiot (you not BJ)

 

[Coach]

this particular bloke is ALWAYS like that. He's vacillates between being a cock-eyed optimist and a dead-set lunatic, and it's generally a rule of thumb to take his pronouncements with a salt mine.

Bojangleburg strikes again.

Idiot (you not BJ)

 

What a treat, the janitor appears in a football thread



""

[1965]

this particular bloke is ALWAYS like that. He's vacillates between being a cock-eyed optimist and a dead-set lunatic, and it's generally a rule of thumb to take his pronouncements with a salt mine.

Bojangleburg strikes again.

Idiot (you not BJ)

 

What a treat, the janitor appears in a football thread



""

 

The job I crave for is gardener.

No kids, no parents and no teachers to give me crap.

 

[WilliamPowell]

Having said that, there's NOTHING more I'd like this season than to take the Carlton and Collingwood filth to the cleaners.

Ditto

[1965]

 

The job I crave for is gardener.

No kids, no parents and no teachers to give me crap.

 

Oh and no young know-it-all CRTs to put up with.