Hardwick's press conference - Thurs 26-06 / Best players need to lift

[one-eyed]

VIDEO: Dimma's media conference today ...

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2014-06-26/hardwick-press-conference-june-26th

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Best players need to lift: Hardwick

Peter Ryan 
afl.com.au
June 26, 2014 11:20 AM

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says the team's poor performance in 2014 has been due to its best players not playing well enough.

He said it was unfair to lay the blame on recycled players who had been recruited to the club to play a role.

Hardwick said the media emphasis on that element of Richmond's recruiting had been overplayed.

The coach admitted it was his responsibility to get the best out of the club's better players and he had failed to do that in 2014.

"The reality is our best players haven't played to the standard that is required of them," Harwick said. "First and foremost that is my responsibility to get the best out of those players."

Richmond sits 16th with just three wins in 13 games after making the finals in 2013.

Of its top 10 players in the best and fairest in 2013, only Dustin Martin, who was runner-up, perhaps Trent Cotchin, who finished fifth and Alex Rance (sixth) have maintained the same standard.

Daniel Jackson has been injured while Brett Deledio had an injury interrupted start to the season.

Hardwick said the club was continuing to assess its list but remains guarded about the direction the club will take. He said the team had clearly underperformed but the list was more capable than it had shown this season.

"It's a bit like climbing Everest. You go up one base camp you come down to the next and you have to go back up again. This [year] is a speed hump. We probably expected one at some stage. We're disappointed with the extent of it this year," Hardwick said.

It faces bottom-of-the-ladder St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Saturday in Martin's 100th game. The Saints have won 10 of the past 11 encounters between the two clubs at Etihad Stadium.

Jackson and Chris Newman will be available for selection but Hardwick won't be tempted to play young players unless their form demands him to select them.

He admitted he had been surprised with the impact Anthony Miles has been able to have in the past few weeks. Richmond's ability to win contested ball in the midfield has improved since he came into the team and Hardwick indicated Miles had proved a find.

"He's just one of those guys that gets it done at every level," Hardwick said. "It's a real credit to him."

Hardwick said the club had not used the ball as directly as it would have liked against the Sydney Swans. He said that issue had been discussed this week and the Tigers planned to move the ball forward with more consistency.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-06-26/best-players-need-to-lift-hardwick

[Rampstar]

 

[Stripes]

I hope he's correct with his Everest analogy 

[Tigers of Old]

He admitted he had been surprised with the impact Anthony Miles has been able to have in the past few weeks.

 

[lamington]

I'm sorry Damien but massive stuff you. The reason why the team is stuffed is the expectation that Martin, Cotchin, Deledio, Jack will carry the entire team. Ellis, Houli, Vickery, Chaplin, Newman, Jackson have all gone backwards. Yet your solution is for the club's best to pick up the slack of a complacent B team.

And remind me how is it unfair to blame a recycled player? What is their role in the team? I'd like a clearer definition of Griggs', Thomas' and Hampson's role which makes them immune to criticism? Because at this point in time the only role they seem to be playing is to block the development of a promising youngster stranded in the VFL.

And to top it off he makes a really daft comment about being surprised by Anthony Miles. I really feel for Miles. I have grave concerns he's going to cop the Shane Tuck treatment.

[Lozza]

delusion
A delusion is a belief held with strong conviction despite superior evidence to the contrary.

[(•))(©™]

"It's a bit like climbing Everest. You go up one base camp you come down to the next and you have to go back up again"

 

[Diocletian]

Other sides aim for Everest.....just finishing higher than 9th in an 18 team comp. more than once a decade is not the sporting equivalent of scaling Everest.....Kosciuszko in summer's a more fitting analogy for the standards & goals we set....

[greyhound bob]

NO IDEA   

[unplugged]

He should lead a climbing expedition to Everest.  He will never make it back again.  Coaching problem solved.

[one-eyed]

Tigers and Saints fight to avoid wooden spoon: Hardwick

Alana Schetzer
   The Age
    June 26, 2014 - 1:13PM

Richmond’s clash against St Kilda this weekend will be a battle to escape the wooden spoon, Tigers coach Damien Hardwick says.

Both clubs have struggled throughout the season, with the Saints currently sitting at the bottom of the ladder with only three wins so far.

Hardwick conceded the match on Saturday would be about scraping together some respect, especially after leading the Sydney Swans for the first half last week before slipping back to an 11-point loss.

Despite only notching up three wins themselves, Hardwick maintains his team is better than how they’ve been playing this season.

“We’ve played some reasonable football the past couple of weeks, we just haven’t got the points we’re after,” he said. “We’ve under-performed, there’s no doubt about that. We’ve got to take some steps forward.”

Richmond have won three of their past five encounters against the Saints, who haven’t won a match since round five.

The Tigers could be strengthened with the inclusion of Dan Jackson and Chris Newman, who both trained on Thursday after taking time out after suffering a hip flexor and groin injury, respectively.

“Hopefully they’ll get through training and put their hand up for selection. They’re good players, they’ve been good players for a long time. It’s always handy to have some quality coming back in,” Hardwick said.

Midfielder Dustin Martin will celebrate his 100th game on Saturday. Hardwick said the 23 year-old was probably the club’s best player this season and would continue to impress.

“He’s genuinely really good for this team [and there have been] some outstanding highlights. He’ll peak about 26, 27.”

Hardwick brushed off concerns following the latest revelations that player Jake King has again been seen socialising with former bikie Toby Mitchell. News Limited published photographs of the pair together in recent times.

Hardwick said King was aware of the club’s stance about his association but added that he was a grown man who could make his own decisions.

“He’s required to be a Richmond football player within these four walls and his life outside here is his own,” Hardwick said.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tigers-and-saints-fight-to-avoid-wooden-spoon-hardwick-20140626-zsmha.html

[Judge Roughneck]

He admitted he had been surprised with the impact Anthony Miles has been able to have in the past few weeks.

 

[Judge Roughneck]

Funny

I'm going to game with a saints mate

 We both hoping our respective sides lose...

Hardwick? WGAF about the spoon. Do you think fans want to come 9tg?

Tigers and Saints fight to avoid wooden spoon: Hardwick

Alana Schetzer
   The Age
    June 26, 2014 - 1:13PM

Richmond’s clash against St Kilda this weekend will be a battle to escape the wooden spoon, Tigers coach Damien Hardwick says.

Both clubs have struggled throughout the season, with the Saints currently sitting at the bottom of the ladder with only three wins so far.

Hardwick conceded the match on Saturday would be about scraping together some respect, especially after leading the Sydney Swans for the first half last week before slipping back to an 11-point loss.

Despite only notching up three wins themselves, Hardwick maintains his team is better than how they’ve been playing this season.

“We’ve played some reasonable football the past couple of weeks, we just haven’t got the points we’re after,” he said. “We’ve under-performed, there’s no doubt about that. We’ve got to take some steps forward.”

Richmond have won three of their past five encounters against the Saints, who haven’t won a match since round five.

The Tigers could be strengthened with the inclusion of Dan Jackson and Chris Newman, who both trained on Thursday after taking time out after suffering a hip flexor and groin injury, respectively.

“Hopefully they’ll get through training and put their hand up for selection. They’re good players, they’ve been good players for a long time. It’s always handy to have some quality coming back in,” Hardwick said.

Midfielder Dustin Martin will celebrate his 100th game on Saturday. Hardwick said the 23 year-old was probably the club’s best player this season and would continue to impress.

“He’s genuinely really good for this team [and there have been] some outstanding highlights. He’ll peak about 26, 27.”

Hardwick brushed off concerns following the latest revelations that player Jake King has again been seen socialising with former bikie Toby Mitchell. News Limited published photographs of the pair together in recent times.

Hardwick said King was aware of the club’s stance about his association but added that he was a grown man who could make his own decisions.

“He’s required to be a Richmond football player within these four walls and his life outside here is his own,” Hardwick said.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tigers-and-saints-fight-to-avoid-wooden-spoon-hardwick-20140626-zsmha.html

[Dice]

The man is clearly deluded. Here's a quote from that presser which isn't in the article above >>

“We’ve just got to make sure we rectify it and get our players playing better footy and us as coaches getting better again also because we realise we are better than what we are at the moment.’’

Someone please tell this man to stop saying that. We are NOT better than where we're at !  'Where we're at' is exactly 'where we're at '! FFS ! 

He also stated that he won't be gifting games to kids from the seconds. Unbelieveable !  It's not gifting games it's called list management Dimwit. Let's see what they can do at the level before making a decision on them

This bloke makes Wallace sound like Neil Balme

[one-eyed]

More from Dimma  .


Cubs to earn their jumper
John Lindon 
June 26, 2014 3:26 PM


* Asked about our cubs in the VFL and if they will now get games in the seniors?
There are some guys that are slowly putting their hands up at VFL level that we’d like to see at some stage, but they’ve got to play some better footy to earn their jumper. We’re really strong on that.  We’ve had our period of giving games out, but we’re not at that stage now. The majority of our young talent is in the side, they’ve just got to play to a higher standard.”

* McBean’s a player with some talent, there’s no doubt about that. We’d be really happy if he put his hand up but he’s got some areas that he needs to address in his game.

* List managment?
We know where we’re going with that and those are the sort of conversations that we keep in-house, from our point of view, but that’s something most footy clubs will do. They’ve got one eye on the future and one eye on the now, so we’re no different to that.

* St Kilda game?
We’ve got some areas that we want to make sure we exploit against the opposition. They’ve got some strengths also, so we’ve got to make sure we negate those. We’ve been playing some reasonable football over the last couple of weeks, we just haven’t got the points we’ve been after. It’s really important we start well and continue to get our best football up and going this week.

Full article at: http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2014-06-26/cubs-to-earn-their-jumper