Hardwick's post-match media conference / Tigers still harbour finals hopes

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Dimma's post-match media conference ...

VIDEO: http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2014-05-04/round-7-hardwick-postmatch

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Tigers still harbour finals hopes despite narrow loss
Peter Ryan 
afl.com.au
May 4, 2014 8:11 PM


RICHMOND still believes its finals hopes are alive despite a gallant effort against Geelong ending in a narrow defeat.

Coach Damien Hardwick compared his team's record of two wins and five losses after seven rounds to being three or four goals down at quarter-time in a game.

It puts a team behind the eight ball but by no means out of the race.

"You've just got to chip away, chip away, chip away," Hardwick said. "We've just got to get our head above water."

Hardwick, along with hordes of Tigers supporters, will hope the season's result does not mirror that of Sunday’s game, when they ran down a 20-point deficit at quarter-time to finish five points short of Geelong at the final siren.

"It's an even season," Hardwick said.

There is reason for hope as Richmond showed promising signs, attacking the game and running the ball in waves.

Hardwick said the return of Brett Deledio and Alex Rance was important but there was still work to be done to ensure the turnaround continued beyond next week's bye.

"Our players knew what we wanted. You see with the addition of Deledio and Rance it makes an automatic change to the way we play although nothing has changed from a philosophical point of view," Hardwick said.

"Whether it's mindset or whether it's personnel, that's how we want to play. [It's] one thing we can take out of the game."

However he knew that missing out on the four points up for grabs might prove critical.

"[We] commend the effort, but the result is certainly unacceptable," Hardwick said.

He lamented the critical errors that gave Geelong goalscoring opportunities and paid credit to the ability of the Cats to take those chances.

Hardwick described Geelong forward Jordan Murdoch's brilliant last quarter goal as "a cracking goal", admitted Cats' skipper Joel Selwood was able to rise to the occasion in the final quarter with a stoppage goal despite being well held most of the afternoon, and that defender Harry Taylor's effort to take five contested marks in the wet conditions was extraordinary.

At times, Richmond could not ice the clock by tipping the ball out of bounds when under pressure in defence or punch it through for a behind when it was on the goal line.

Hardwick noted Matt McDonough's fumble that allowed Murdoch to goal in the second quarter, but said the 20-year-old would learn from it and go on to become a good player.

"Against good sides you have to make the most of your opportunities and if you give the ball back they will hurt you," Hardwick said.

In the end, the gap Geelong opened up on Richmond in the first half hour of football became too much for the Tigers to overhaul.

"It's disappointing but if you give a side a five-goal-to-love head start ... against a good side like Geelong you are always going to be chasing your tail," Hardwick said.

"To give the guys some credit, they fought back." 

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-05-04/tigers-still-harbour-hope

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Richmond coach Damien Hardwick proud of his team’s fightback against Geelong, wants same effort for rest of 2014

Herald-Sun
May 04, 2014 7:40PM


RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick wants his team to approach the rest of the season the same way they handled the last three quarters of yesterday’s heart-breaking five-point loss to Geelong.

After giving the Cats a five-goal head start, the Tigers were gallant and at times super impressive in clawing their way back into the contest only to fall agonisingly short.

The loss means Richmond sink to 2-5, a position which history says rules them out of being a finals contender come September.

But Hardwick urged his troops to not give up and keep chipping away like they did against the Cats.

“It is bit like when you are down three or four goals at quarter-time, you just try and chip away, chip away, chip away and you’ve just got to try and get our head above water,” he said.

“We face a pretty formidable task in Melbourne who played outstanding football against Adelaide yesterday so in two weeks we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to go.

“It is still there, it is an even season as you saw with today’s results with Gold Coast getting up over North Melbourne.

“You only have to be off your game by a slight amount and you get your pants pulled so we have to make sure we get our game up and going.”

Richmond was terrible for the opening 45 minutes allowing Geelong to cruise to a 34-point lead before kicking its first goal for the game through Jack Riewoldt at the 21-minute mark of the second quarter.

“It is disappointing that you give a side a five goal to love head start and with a good side like Geelong you’re always going to be chasing your tail,” Hardwick said.

“To give the guys some credit they fought back. I thought (Reece) Conca was enormous tonight, Dustin (Martin), Nick Vlaustin, Brandon Ellis — those guys you are looking at to take the next step — to play against quality opposition and play quite well is a big tick for us but in saying that we lost.

“I commend the effort but the result is still unacceptable.”

Hardwick said the return of vice-captain Brett Deleido and key defender Alex Rance had played a major role in his team’s improved attacking playing style yesterday, something which has been lacking in recent weeks.

“Our players knew that we wanted to attack the game but the fact is with the personnel, you see with Deleido and Rance it makes an automatic change to the way we play,” he said.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-coach-damien-hardwick-proud-of-his-teams-fightback-against-geelong-wants-same-effort-for-rest-of-2014/story-fndv8t7m-1226905109088