Sack Hardwick [merged]

[WilliamPowell]

Have a look at the dogs.

Have a clear direction and players that are relevant to the game plan.

Get with it RFC.

Interesting that the dogs were a basket case late last Nov
Now back on track

Yeah they were but it wasn't all because of  the coach

The fact they've got rid of some sooky precious players has helped their cause no end

[eliminator]

Actually Grigg was excellent on Selwood yesterday so Hardwick naturally moved him off so Selwood could win the game in the last quarter.

Agree with you. Grigg's role on Selwood was very good. Should have stayed on him the entire game.

[Hellenic Tiger]

This is the RFC.
Whoever coaches. Will never be a big name because he won't stand for being told what to do.

New coach appointed. Will give him a go. Naturally enough. He will say what we want to hear.

Year 1 will have ups and downs and may even look like making finals. Of course we won't.

Year 2 . The pressure will be on. Some early defeats and every week there will be a line in the sand.
Just when the season looks shot we win a few but when the whips are cracking as usual we are found wanting.

Year 3 coaching for his life all we see are the same old selections, same old recycled, failed footballers who are grateful to the RFC for the extra couple of hundred grand a year. Press conferences are about as much as being in denial as presenting to new footy fans like Lachie and Emma with their 2.3 kids who attend the RFC pre game functions as Lachie works in corporate marketing for Jeep how progressive and in touch the club is without being critical of the team and players and of course the coaching game plan.
Crowds dwindle, membership drops and guess what we are back to where we were at 2009/2004/1999/1997/1995/1992/1991/1987/1985/1984/1983/1981.
Nothing gained and everything burnt to a crisp and irretrievable.

The Skata Cycle. 33 years and counting. Plop Plop Plop. ®©™

[Ruanaidh]

But the play that summed up Hardwick as a coach for me came at the end, after we kicked a goal to get back to within 2 with about a minute and a half or so to go.

Geelong, very predictably sent two back in defence. Now you'd expect the logical response would be to send more forwards to make it one-on-one all over the ground, but not our Damien. He just sat and let it roll. Sound familiar? We win the clearance and the Geelong spares mop it up and the brief chance we had is snuffed out.

Agree with the rest except this. A message can only get sent so quickly. That was the players not the coach. Geelong's players have the experience and the nous that we simply don't. We damn well should, it isn't rocket science but no one was smart enough to go forward and even the numbers except eventually Chaplin but it was way too late.

2 years or more ago I was one of the first to point out Hardwicks failings as a Coach and said that he he should be moved on asap. You were most vociferous and uneducated in your support of him. I see today your idiocy deepens. You have either never played the game or are too peeweak to admit the fool you are. My bet is on both

He may have taken that stance but "Dooks" is an ok bloke.

Edited for accuracy Dooks

[Ruanaidh]

But the play that summed up Hardwick as a coach for me came at the end, after we kicked a goal to get back to within 2 with about a minute and a half or so to go.

Geelong, very predictably sent two back in defence. Now you'd expect the logical response would be to send more forwards to make it one-on-one all over the ground, but not our Damien. He just sat and let it roll. Sound familiar? We win the clearance and the Geelong spares mop it up and the brief chance we had is snuffed out.

Agree with the rest except this. A message can only get sent so quickly. That was the players not the coach. Geelong's players have the experience and the nous that we simply don't. We damn well should, it isn't rocket science but no one was smart enough to go forward and even the numbers except eventually Chaplin but it was way too late.

2 years or more ago I was one of the first to point out Hardwicks failings as a Coach and said that he he should be moved on asap. You were most vociferous and uneducated in your support of him. I see today your idiocy deepens. You have either never played the game or are too peeweak to admit the fool you are. My bet is on both

I agreed with the rest and my support for him was based on giving him a crack since we were seeing a linear progression. I have played the game plenty and to a higher level than you ever would have and that is why I know it shouldn't be up to the coach to send players forward when the game is on the line. But I'm guessing you missed me and that's why you have come back just to look for my posts and talk to me. At least have some balls to stick around

You really do not want me to "stick around"....believe me. I tell you what, when Hardwick is sacked I'll be back to make a last post. - I'll be sure to give you a dishonorable mention. As for the other transparently ignorant football statements you have made - you were wrong and I am vindicated.....(no smartarse emoticon required)....

[The Big Richo]

Bomber definitely doesn't....Lyon is anybody's if you chuck enough money at him....

That's exactly why he is the perfect man for the job.

He thinks Richmond is a joke and it is. He won't be afraid to come in and tell the truth, not bang on about what a great club it is like all our other new coaches.

It's not really a hard pitch. Does he want to be remembered for the Essendon debacle or as the bloke who fixed the biggest club in the AFL.

That and a heap of cash will get it done.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Everything that was working for us he ruined. Tried to reinvent the wheel.

Dusty clearance machine, aggressive in your face no nonsense footballer who can kick over a silo turned into a prancing no impact flanker providing no intimidation to opposition players.

Jack, kicks 78 goals in 2010 virtually in 15 games. Leads strongly, great one on one, excellent judgement, can take a speccy too. No no no thoug, need Ty to shave his legs and armpits with him and even pluck his eyebrows. Four years into that experiment  much to Jack's loss the teams and ultimately Dumma's. Need a selfish forward to kick bags and help carry thhe side but hey we need to share the load and walk the ball in. There is no I in team.

Cotch is just a good solid player who can't kick a set shot, has impact but crucially not enough and no prescence.

My line in the sand is the Hawthorn game in 2012. We played better footy in 2012 with a 10/11/1 record than in 2013/14 when we made finals.

Has changed critical components that led to his early success whilst maintaining others that clearly ie have gone past their use by dates. IE Player favourites.

Everyone seems to have the same sort of philosophy more or less. It's just frustrating wayching us go down that futile RFC path to nowhere as we come to the crossroad of another failed RFC coach.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Bomber definitely doesn't....Lyon is anybody's if you chuck enough money at him....

That's exactly why he is the perfect man for the job.

He thinks Richmond is a joke and it is. He won't be afraid to come in and tell the truth, not bang on about what a great club it is like all our other new coaches.

It's not really a hard pitch. Does he want to be remembered for the Essendon debacle or as the bloke who fixed the biggest club in the AFL.

That and a heap of cash will get it done.

But the powers that be at RFC don't want Ross.

Will call a spade a spade and will ruffle feathers.

RFC want someone who will call a urinal cake butter shortbread to appeal to the masses.

Get ready for some coach coming in that will be putty for the power that be not shameless in calling
the RFC a pathetic rabble.

I'll go as far and say Brendan McCartney type may be a candidate. Cheap and happy to get the gig.

The Skata Cycle. 33 years and counting. Plop Plop Plop. ®©™

[Lozza]

Said it before but still believe we have made major errors with recruitment in terms of the psychological attributes of players. At work we once had a training day which consisted of a personality test to determine introverts and extroverts and those who can be either. The idea being that the best teams consists of a mix of types. I would bet that our squad consists of more introverted personalities than just about many other side.  We see the importance of extroverts where leadership is required and that is clearly missing at the moment. We have a team of really nice blokes which is great if you want their mum's to be happy they are safe and sound away from home but when it comes to players who will drag their team mates across the line then we simply don't have that type of player and until the recruiting staff are jettisoned to another planet we never will.

[Penelope]

if anyone here is masochistic enough to watch the game again, or any games this season, count how many times we have a player take possession moving towards our goal and then handball forward to player, often stationary, often in congestion and often facing the wrong way. The result is predictable.

this happens so many times and appears so instinctual it must be drilled into them, therfore it is an indictment on the coach.

It may look good at training when the receiver is actually running the correct line/angle and there is other runners to receive the next handball, and more importantly there is no real pressure -you can see it works sometimes in a game when there is no pressure.

when there is pressure from the oppostion team, it goes to crap and this clown cant see it.

There are other things, some systematic, some isolated  that count against hardwick, but to me this is the biggest, It is a fundamental flaw in his game plan and will never stack up against good sides.

[Hellenic Tiger]

What you mention Al is a classic case I think of a coach who knows the limitations of quality of his list.
He knows he is lacking quality, furthermore he is bereft of ideas in terms of getting that list in playing a decent style of footy and with that you have a game plan where you are not trying to win but you are trying not to lose.
With that you begin to tinker with your better players positioning and as a result the natural instinct of players suffers, basics are being second guessed based on natural inclination to do something or following a coaches directive. Natural flair also suffers and what you have is a characterless conglomeration of footballers playing bland, boring no hope footy that gets no result.

How can leaders lead if they are not allowed to be free to do so.
Dimma's fear of failure and potential public embarrassment has left him like a deer in the headlights, to afraid to try something different and almost resigned to the fact that eventually he will fall on his sword much like his predecessors did.

For the RFC sake and our sanity lets hope its sooner. This relationship is over.

[Penelope]

yeah, i get the impression that things are drilled into players to a point that they no longer think for themselves.

Take Riewvold, the bloke is a very creative and smart footballer. He will make the correct decision more often than not when he has the ball in his hand. yet we have seen him go overboard with being too unselfish. This must be due to the coaching staff getting in his ear about this.

Players like him need guidance, not regimental drilling. Sure teach him the running patterns required, enforce a defensive mindset when the opposition have possession, tell him to pull his head when required, but don't stuff with his head about what to do when he has the pill. His natural instincts will much better than anything anyone on the coaching staff can drill into him in this matter, just let them flow.

[WilliamPowell]

Said it before but still believe we have made major errors with recruitment in terms of the psychological attributes of players. At work we once had a training day which consisted of a personality test to determine introverts and extroverts and those who can be either. The idea being that the best teams consists of a mix of types. I would bet that our squad consists of more introverted personalities than just about many other side.  We see the importance of extroverts where leadership is required and that is clearly missing at the moment. We have a team of really nice blokes which is great if you want their mum's to be happy they are safe and sound away from home but when it comes to players who will drag their team mates across the line then we simply don't have that type of player and until the recruiting staff are jettisoned to another planet we never will.

Yep, agree

Great post

[Diocletian]

Didn't the club say "leadership qualities" was one if the main things they looked for with kids?

Guess it's gone the way of  the"Footskills will be a priority" line we were fed....either that or we just "develop" these attributes out of players or our recruiting staff can't read players or they're just looking at the wrong indicators........strongly suspect it's all of the above....

 

[🏅Dooks]

Said it before but still believe we have made major errors with recruitment in terms of the psychological attributes of players. At work we once had a training day which consisted of a personality test to determine introverts and extroverts and those who can be either. The idea being that the best teams consists of a mix of types. I would bet that our squad consists of more introverted personalities than just about many other side.  We see the importance of extroverts where leadership is required and that is clearly missing at the moment. We have a team of really nice blokes which is great if you want their mum's to be happy they are safe and sound away from home but when it comes to players who will drag their team mates across the line then we simply don't have that type of player and until the recruiting staff are jettisoned to another planet we never will.

Underrated post this.

And I'll add, the media were saying the same thing about us in the early to mid 2000s.  And they were right.

It's been a problem that has continued to be ignored