Hardwick's press conference Thurs May 3

[one-eyed]

Hardwick says Tigers are on track
AAP
May 3, 2012 - 11:28AM

Richmond AFL coach Damien Hardwick says the fact skipper Chris Newman was so demoralised by the loss to West Coast shows the Tigers are on the right path.

After a tough draw in the opening five rounds, Richmond (1-4) face a winnable game against Port Adelaide (1-4) at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

"The great thing I love is seeing their faces after a game," Hardwick said on Thursday.
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"It's bitter disappointment. I've got no doubt it's a spur in their side that they'll come out all guns blazing this week.

"You saw Chris at the end of the game. He was demoralised."

The Tigers have been solid in the past two weeks with 10-point losses to premiers Geelong and unbeaten West Coast.

"Port Adelaide and ourselves are both in similar positions. We're probably playing better football than our record suggests for both footy clubs."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/richmond-tigers/hardwick-says-tigers-are-on-track-20120503-1y0rg.html

[one-eyed]

Tigers find the fire inside
By Paul Daffey
afl.com.au
11:29 AM Thu 03 May, 2012


RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says he's heartened by the strength of his players' reactions after last weekend's 10-point loss to West Coast, which was the second narrow loss to a top-four contender in as many weeks.

In an image that may well be considered a jumping-off point if the Tigers' fortunes do improve, Richmond captain Chris Newman was seething when he hurled his mouthguard to the ground after the loss to the Eagles at Etihad Stadium last Sunday.

Many of his teammates showed similar disappointment while, in the coaches' box, Hardwick looked as if the thought crossed his mind to belt his phone on the bench before he composed himself and walked sharply around the boundary line to the Tigers' rooms.

The defeat by the Eagles followed a 10-point loss to Geelong at Simonds Stadium the previous week.

"The honourable loss is a thing of the past," Hardwick said. "We want to win football games."

Hardwick joked during the press conference about the danger to his phone before adding that he loved seeing the disappointment in his players' faces after the West Coast loss.

"You saw Chris at the end of the game, he was demoralised," Hardwick said.

"It was a bitter disappointment. I've got no doubt it's a spur in their side and they'll come out all guns blazing this week."

Richmond plays Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Sunday in a match in which both teams will seek to build on promising starts to the season by scoring their second victory.

"Port Adelaide and ourselves are both in similar positions," Hardwick said. "We're probably playing better football than our records suggest."

Richmond lost to Carlton and Collingwood after brief lapses and then Geelong and West Coast through inexperience.

Their only victory during 1-4 start has been against winless Melbourne.

Port Adelaide defeated St Kilda before losing to Essendon, Sydney, Collingwood and Adelaide.

It, too, has a young list that will gain composure only through experience.

Hardwick repeated his statement from last week that he expected full-forward Jack Riewoldt to find form before long.

Riewoldt kicked 2.3 against West Coast in a performance where he and fellow tall forward Tyrone Vickery, who also kicked two goals, showed signs of improving on their disappointing starts to the season.

Hardwick said Riewoldt's defensive efforts had improved in the past three games.

"We just feel it's a matter of time before he gets a scoreboard result," he said.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/134767/default.aspx

[TigerTimeII]

bla bla bla

[yellowandback]

Ridiculous comment Dimma

[TigerTimeII]

he is saying the exact same things that he said when we nearly beat the hawks last yr
bla bla bla

[mightytiges]

There's more substance to the side this year. In fact I'm starting to feel more confident when we play top sides as far as being competitive and pushing them all the way than even when we last made the finals in 2001. In 2001 we beat all the middle and bottom clubs to make top 4 but all the top sides that year (Ess, Bris, Haw and Port) flogged us.

ps. X, Hawthorn flogged us last year in round 3; it was in 2010 we just fell short of them and they had an ordinary year that year .

[one-eyed]

Shattered Tigers to find form: Hardwick
The Age
May 4, 2012

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says the fact skipper Chris Newman was so demoralised by the loss to West Coast shows the Tigers are on the right path.

After a tough draw in the opening five rounds, Richmond (1-4) faces a winnable game against Port Adelaide (1-4) at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

''The great thing I love is seeing their faces after a game,'' Hardwick said yesterday. ''It's bitter disappointment. I've got no doubt it's a spur in their side and that they'll come out all guns blazing this week.

''You saw Chris at the end of the game. He was demoralised.''

The Tigers have been solid in the past two weeks with 10-point losses to premier Geelong and unbeaten West Coast.

''Port Adelaide and ourselves are both in similar positions. We're probably playing better football than our record suggests,'' Hardwick said.

''The honourable loss for us is a thing of the past. No longer is just being competitive acceptable.

''We've got to win football games.''

The Tigers face all eight of last year's finalists in the first 10 rounds.

Hardwick, who played in Port's 2004 premiership side, said he was expecting a tough contest from a proud club.

He said star defender Brett Deledio had recovered well from a knock to a the knee.

''We spoke to 'Tucky' [Shane Tuck] about trying not to take out our good players' knees, if possible,'' Hardwick joked.

He admitted Richmond's form had been frustrating and led to some desk-thumping and the occasional tossing of a phone in the coach's box.

''I think I owe the Geelong people about $15 for a new one,'' he said.

''It's an emotional game, but you've got to control yourself every now and then. Kids are watching at home.''

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/shattered-tigers-to-find-form-hardwick-20120503-1y1rh.html#ixzz1tpvklnAN

[one-eyed]

Plucky losses to spur Richmond

    Sam Edmund
    From: Herald Sun
    May 04, 2012

THERE isn't a dirtier pair of words at Richmond right now than "honourable loss".

The club, the players and the coach are sick of them.

The Tigers sit 1-4 after 10-point losses to Geelong and West Coast. But before Sunday's meeting with Port Adelaide, coach Damien Hardwick said the emotion displayed after the Eagles loss showed his side was far from satisfied.

"Our group, led by Chris Newman and our leaders, are very resilient," Hardwick said.

"They're learning that we're getting better and the great thing I love to see in their faces is that after that game it's bitter disappointment.

"It's not like, 'Oh we're not good enough' ... you saw Chris after the game and he was very demoralised. I've no doubt it's a spur and they'll come out all guns blazing.

"I think in previous years we would have been quite happy with the effort we'd given. It's no longer acceptable for us to have those honourable losses and that's the sign of a footy club maturing and demanding that we've got to get better and start winning those games.

"The great thing about us is we've been playing really solid opposition, so our football overall has definitely improved."

Hardwick gave Brett Deledio the green light to face the Power after he suffered a knee scare against the Eagles.

Deledio hobbled off, but returned to play out the game and Hardwick said he was in no danger of missing the trip to Adelaide.

"He's good. He'll play," he said. "We spoke to 'Tucky' (Shane Tuck) about trying not to take out our good players' knees when possible. I've never seen a player ... I think he's missed one game in however many he's played. He's a resilient player and he's ready to go, which is great news for us."

Jake King returns to the line-up after straining the posterior cruciate ligament in the Round 2 loss to Collingwood.

“He's a guy who is mentally hardened and physically hardened so we're looking forward to putting his name up there and he'll train today and be putting his best foot forward,'' Hardwick said.

“He's an important player at this footy club, he brings an enormous amount of pressure on the opposition so he'll be thereabouts this week.”

The Tigers rolled Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on their last trip there in Round 23 last year and Hardwick said the ground suited the Tigers.

"We're a side who likes to get out and run. Mind you Port Adelaide are exactly the same. It's a ground we play reasonably well ... we hope it holds us in good stead over there," he said.

"I think Port Adelaide and ourselves are in similar positions. We're probably playing better football than our record suggests. No doubt it's a big game for both of us. I think it's going to be a close contest."

www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/plucky-losses-to-spur-richmond/story-e6frf9jf-1226345780452