Tigers unmoved after lossBy Paul Daffey
afl.com.au
Thu 05 Apr, 2012RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says the club is preparing for its battle against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday night in just the fashion it prepared for last week's season-opener against Carlton.
There was enormous hype surrounding Richmond last week amid anticipation that the Tigers could topple a premiership fancy with injury problems.
There was even talk of Richmond making the finals if they could get over Carlton, only for the Blues to clear away and win by 44 points.
There's been much less hype leading into this match against last year's runner-up. There's even a flatness about the build-up.
Hardwick, however, said that inside the club the preparation has been just the same.
"This is AFL footy. There's always going to be hype," Hardwick said.
"Inside the club I thought we handled last week's hype OK. We just didn't play the way we wanted to play."
Jake King is available this week after returning from suspension. Without saying whether King would be brought straight into the team, Hardwick said the feisty small forward was a barometer because of his competitiveness.
"If a scrap of food dropped on to the floor, he'd compete for it," he said.
The player most under the microscope after last week's loss is tall forward Tyrone Vickery, who had two kicks and one handball and took one mark against Carlton.
Vickery has been working especially hard at training this week at leading out and doubling back in an attempt to shake his opponent.
Hardwick is keen to see an improvement. "He (Vickery) played as poorly as I've seen him play last week."
He added lightly: "It would have been good if he took a bloody mark!"
Apart from long-termers Kelvin Moore (hip) and David Astbury (knee), half-back Brad Helbig is the Tigers' only injury concern after damaging a foot playing for the Coburg Tigers last weekend.
Helbig is out for eight matches.
Hardwick was reluctant to reveal any plans for Collingwood opponents other than to say his team would work hard to contain key forwards Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes, and there would be players rotated on and off key midfielders Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury.
Pendlebury was superb during Collingwood's 22-point loss to Hawthorn last weekend. He had 33 disposals and took five marks and almost dragged the Magpies to victory, only for the Hawks to surge late.
Hardwick said Pendlebury's hands are as good as he's seen. "We'll try to put some body checks on him."
He said news that Magpies captain Nick Maxwell would miss the match could only be good for the Tigers. "Any time a good opposition player is not in the team is a bonus."
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