Tigers not doing the little things: MaricNat Edwards
afl.com.au
June 9, 2014 11:40 AMRICHMOND ruckman Ivan Maric admits it's been hard to come to terms with the club's disastrous season and says it's left the playing group feeling frustrated and confused.
The Tigers capitulated on Sunday night against North Melbourne, after holding a 35-point advantage at half-time, to eventually lose by 28 points.
The defeat has left Damien Hardwick's men languishing in 13th on the ladder with just three wins for the season - a long way from the 15 victories they experienced in 2013.
"It's hard to accept the way we're playing because I feel like we are so much better than what we're producing right now," Maric said on Monday morning.
"I know we're just not doing the little things we were last year. Last year is last year and I don't want to talk about that too much. For me it's all about the little things, that's the foundation of our game."
North Melbourne piled on eight goals in 19 minutes in the third term in a stunning turnaround, which has almost certainly ended the finals hopes of Richmond - now four wins out of the top eight.
Some commentators have suggested the Tigers' second-half fadeout was due to a lack of fitness, but Maric denied that was the case.
"We're fit enough, there's no issue about that," he said.
"I can honestly say I was running hard the whole game. I can't comment on everyone else, we haven't had the review.
"Look, compared to last week when the effort wasn't there, I felt like [on Sunday] night there was a huge improvement in effort and running hard.
"For me it's so simple, it’s the contested ball and we've got to win that."
Maric said the players had been on an emotional roller-coaster this season, as they attempted to secure back-to-back finals appearances.
Feelings of anger, disappointment, frustration and confusion have been felt by a playing group lacking in confidence, and the Tigers will need to turn that around quickly with Fremantle and the Sydney Swans to come in the next fortnight.
"[We feel] probably a combination of all of those things (anger, frustration, disappointment, confusion) and lack of confidence in ourselves and our ability,"
"We need to build that confidence. I feel like we are, otherwise we wouldn't have produced that first half last night so next week it's got to become two good halves."
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