Dimma's aftermatch media conference / Unconcerned by lack of finals experience

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Dimma interviewed after the game by Richo ...

* Felt early on in the first half we fell back into the trap we fell into last time we played the Bombers - chipping it around the back. We sorted that out at half-time.

* Most impressed with defensively our back half. Polished performance. Chaplin an important addition, Rance, Grimes back to his best, Morris, Houli and Petterd.

* No forward pressure last time we played Carlton as we didn't have our half-forward line - King, Titch, Newman and White.

* Expects all guys back next week. Newy could've played tonight. Jack and Titch will be back.

* Whitey has back soreness relating to his hammy. He may be okay for next week but we'll do a scan and make sure.

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Damien Hardwick says he is unconcerned about the Tigers lack of finals experience

    Jay Clark
    From: Herald Sun
    August 31, 2013 11:42PM

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick wants his troops to enjoy the finals spotlight that will fall on the club for the first time in 12 years this week.

The Tigers will break their long-time September drought most likely against bogey side Carlton on Sunday after easing past the Bombers by 39 points at the MCG on Saturday night.

Hardwick was unconcerned by the lack of finals experience the Tigers will take into the cut-throat final, with four Tigers boasting in total 13 only games  of September action.

The coach said he wants his players to embrace “the great feeling” surrounding a blockbuster finals match-up against the Blues, hopeful it will last beyond next weekend.

“We do, because you never know when you are going to be back,” Hardwick said.

“You look at our side in 2001 was the last time we appeared, do you think it was going to be 12 or 13 years until they got back?

“You’d hope not, so, you’ve just got to make the most of your opportunity, they don’t come around that often.

“We have had a good season but a new one starts.”

Former captain Chris Newman is expected to return from three weeks out with an ankle injury, while spearhead Jack Riewoldt will also come back in after missing with a back injury.

But Matt White is in doubt after suffering back tightness which forced him to be subbed off against the Bombers.

Newman holds the record for most regular season games (232) without a finals match.

Hardwick said the club isn’t daunted by its lack of experience on the big stage and the attention that comes with playing finals.

“The ground stays the same, the ball stays the same,” Hardwick said.

“It’s going to be a big crowd, there’s no doubt about that. Richmond versus Carlton, it’s going to be an enormous crowd.

“It’s going to be great feeling, so it will be a great build up to the week, we’ve just got to deliver when it matters.”
Richmond has only beaten Carlton once from their last 11 meetings.

Hardwick said he was happier with the second half of Saturday night’s contest when the Tigers began to stamp their authority in the midfield.

He praised captain Trent Cotchin and the leadership group for helping keep the team focussed despite playing against Essendon, which had already had its finals hopes crushed by the AFL as punishment for the supplement scandal.

“I though the first half was a little bit scratchy,” Hardwick said.

“It was a funny old game to start with but we addressed a few things at half time.

“We thought our intensity and overall physicality was a lot better after the half and I think our contested ball numbers would indicate that also.”

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/damien-hardwick-says-he-is-unconcerned-about-the-tigers-lack-of-finals-experience/story-fndv8t7m-1226708336134#mm-breached

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Enjoy it, Hardwick tells his Tigers

  Rohan Connolly
    The Age
    September 1, 2013

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has said his team would embrace the club's first appearance in an AFL finals series for 12 years after the Tigers finished their home-and-away season on a high with a 39-point win over Essendon at the MCG on Saturday night.

The victory gave the Tigers 15 wins for the regular season, as many as that 2001 campaign which finished in a preliminary final appearance. While it hasn't been enough to earn the double chance it had then, Richmond knows it will at least be on the biggest of stages, against bitter rival Carlton at a packed MCG on Sunday afternoon.

And Hardwick said he wanted Richmond to revel in the moment. "Yeah, we do, because you never know when you're going to be back," he said. "You look at our side, in 2001 was the last time we appeared. Do you think they thought it was going to be 12-13 years before they got back? You'd hope not. So you've just got to make the most of your opportunity. They don't come around that often. We've had a good season, but a new one starts."

Hardwick said he believed former skipper Chris Newman, who holds the unwanted AFL record of playing the most games without a single finals appearance, should be fit to play after having missed the last three games with an ankle injury, while Shane Edwards will return from suspension. But there are injury concerns over speedster Matt White, who was subbed out of the game at half-time with what Hardwick later said was "back tightness".

White's replacement, Shane Tuck, who announced his retirement during the week, gathered 15 disposals and seven clearances in his half of football, and will push hard for a spot in Richmond's team to play the Blues. "We're in a good position at the moment," Hardwick said. "It means that someone's going to be unlucky."

It's a similar story with Richmond's forwards, the Tigers managing to kick 15 goals even without the services of spearhead Jack Riewoldt, Ty Vickery and Aaron Edwards kicking eight goals between them against Essendon. Edwards has nine goals from the past two games after booting five against Greater Western Sydney, and is effectively keeping Luke McGuane out of the line-up.

Hardwick said he wasn't pleased with the Tigers' endeavours early, but that their effort started to kick in from midway through the second quarter. "It was always one of those ones where you've got one eye firmly entrenched on the week coming up, but the thing about the players is once they cross over that line they know exactly what's required, they're very strong on their attack on the ball and man with the ball, so Trent [Cotchin] and his leaders did an outstanding job in making sure the guys came ready to play."

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/enjoy-it-hardwick-tells-his-tigers-20130901-2sy8w.html