Hardwick's post-match presser

[(•))(©™]

 He's probably watching the stars waiting for a certain alignment that will ensure things will just click into gear.

[(•))(©™]

Fish rots at head, sack the Yankee for a start.
Get someone with money to spend

Here's an idea.

Get a football person who has a broader knowledge of the many areas that need be tended to overall.

[one-eyed]

The full post-match media conference:

VIDEO: http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2016-04-24/round-5-hardwick-postmatch

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Tigers can still salvage season, insists under-fire Hardwick

Nat Edwards 
April 24, 2016 11:59 PM

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has conceded his side is a far from playing its best football, but insists the Tigers can "dig deep" and salvage what has been a horror start to the season.

Sunday night's 33-point loss to Melbourne has the Tigers reeling at 1-4.

Strangely enough, this story line is all too familiar for Richmond fans with the club slow starters in the past two seasons.

Last year, the Tigers rallied after a 2-4 start to the season to finish fifth.

In 2014, they were 3-10 but somehow managed to find a way out of the hole and play in an elimination final against the Power. 

Now after five rounds, the Tigers find themselves in yet another precarious position, but Hardwick firmly believes his side can once again turn around their season.

"At some stage we as a football group will stand up and say 'listen, enough is enough and we need to get on with it'," Hardwick said.

"The reality is our players put on the jumper and they're expected to play a certain way. We let ourselves down tonight, and that's on me, my coaching group, and the club as a whole.

"It's not good enough for the type of club we are. We have been here before. We'll dig deep, find some answers and we'll come out a better side."

Hardwick will be hoping his players make a stand next Saturday night at the MCG against a struggling Port Adelaide.

While the coach wouldn't go as far to say it was a season-defining clash, he acknowledged it was an "important" game for the club.

Skipper Trent Cotchin and key forward Jack Riewoldt, along with Anthony Miles and Shane Edwards, were the Tigers' best contributors against the Demons.

Hardwick said the heat was on the majority of the playing group to raise the standard of footy.

"Trent and Jack battled fearlessly tonight," he said.

"There are certainly some players we know can play better that aren't playing to the level of expectation. We've got to perform to a better level.

"We need to bounce back and rectify the season because we're a long way off it."

The Tigers should regain midfielder Brett Deledio for the clash against the Power after he was a late withdrawal on Sunday night.

A quad injury has kept Deledio on the sidelines so far this season, Hardwick admitting the midfielder was "touch and go" to play.

The club decided an extra week of training would be more beneficial for the Tigers star.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-04-24/enough-is-enough-dimma

[one-eyed]

Dimma concedes Tigers ‘way off it’

Herald-Sun
25 April 2016


RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick last night conceded the Tigers are “a long way off it” after slumping to 1-4 with a 33-point loss to Melbourne at the MCG.

Hardwick lamented that the emerging Demons appeared a class above and the loss could be further soured with All-Australian Alex Rance certain to be cited by the match review panel.

Rance dropped his elbow into the back of Jack Watts’ head late in the final quarter while spearhead Jack Riewoldt finished with a sore ankle.

On Rance’s brain fade, Hardwick said: “He’s disappointed with the action, obviously it’s unlike Alex. He was frustrated (but) there’s not much I can say about it”.

Hardwick was unsure if Riewoldt would be fit despite returning to the field in the last term, but he does expect Brett Deledio to play his first game for the season against the Power.

The Tigers sit 13th on the ladder and now face a tough ask to reach September for the fourth-straight season — a feat last achieved in the 1971-1975 era which delivered two premierships.

“We’re not playing well enough so we’ve got to bounce back and rectify the season, because at the moment we’re a long way off it,” Hardwick said.

“I thought we missed by far too many tackles and our work around the contest wasn’t anywhere near the level of Melbourne.

“They were incredibly clean, they looked bigger and stronger (and) they just marched out at various stages.”

But Hardwick declared: “At some stage we as a football club will stand up and say, ‘Listen, enough is enough’.”

The Tigers’ dismal start continues a worrying trend — but they have bounced back from slow starts in the past two seasons.

In 2014 Hardwick guided the club to nine-straight victories as it stormed into September while last season the Tigers won nine of the final 11 matches.

“Generally the answers are within the group,” Hardwick said.

“When our players put on the jumper they’re expected to play a certain way and we let ourselves down.

“That’s on me, my coaching group — our club as a whole.”

The re-signed coach said improvement was needed from a mass of players.

“I’d love to individualise but the reality is we’ve got too many player at this stage that aren’t playing as well as I think they can,” he said.

Hardwick said the Tigers lacked a clear avenue to goal and rated Demon ruckman Max Gawn’s dominant first half as “something special”.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/damien-hardwick-concedes-richmond-way-off-it-after-loss-to-melbourne/news-story/7721fe0b8aae1df92534309d067d7406

[one-eyed]

It's time we said enough is enough, says Richmond coach Damien Hardwick

Michael Gleeson
The Age
25 April 2016

Damien Hardwick is waiting for the moment his team finally says enough is enough after the club let itself down again, being outclassed by the rising Demons and continuing its bad start to the year.

"At some stage, we as a football club will stand up and say enough is enough and we need to get on with it," Hardwick said after the 33-point loss on Sunday.

"The reality is our players put on a jumper and are expected to play a certain way and we let ourselves down tonight. That is on me, our coaching group, our club as a whole. It's not good enough for the type of club we are.

"We have been here before, we will dig deep, we will find some answers and come out a better side."

Richmond are now one win from five matches and drifting. Last year they had a similarly poor start, winning two games of the opening six.

The Tigers' chances of righting their season next week against Port Adelaide took a hit with All Australian key defender Alex Rance reported for an elbow to the back of the head of Jack Watts while he was on top of him on the ground after a marking contest in the last quarter with the game already lost.

"He is disappointed with the action. It's unlike Alex, he was frustrated, but there is not much I can say about it," Hardwick said.

The incident is likely to cost Rance at least a one-match ban as it would be likely to be regarded as an intentional act and high contact even if the level of impact was low.

The Tigers' best player, Jack Riewoldt, hobbled from the ground with an ankle injury in the second half. He returned but will be assessed and managed during the week.

Brett Deledio withdrew before the match as he recovers from a quadriceps injury. He is expected to be ready next week.

Hardwick was frustrated that so many of his players were playing well below their ability.

"There are some players we know that can play better that are not playing to the level of expectation," he said.

"I would love to individualise but the reality is we have too many players at this stage that aren't playing as well as I think they can."

He said the team lacked the class across the ground that Melbourne had and the disposal between the arcs was substandard.

"We weren't up for the challenge as much as we thought we were. I thought we were beaten around the contests and they dominated throughout," he said.

"We are not playing well enough, we have some players not playing well enough and we need to bounce back and rectify the season because at the moment we are a long way off it. I thought they (Melbourne) looked a class above us tonight."

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-season-2016-its-time-we-said-enough-is-enough-says-richmond-coach-damien-hardwick-20160424-godzex.html

[Francois Jackson]

Stupid idiot

[WA Tiger]

 

Gee Damien, really?? A lot of us (except the do gooders) said that after round 2, why didn't you??

[(•))(©™]

My report was the most comprehensive.

[Stalin]

 

[Chuck17]

Gee Damien, really?? A lot of us (except the do gooders) said that after round 2, why didn't you??

I actually said it after R1

[Stalin]

i was saying it 3 years ago

its not a competition is it ?

[Lozza]

The more things change the more they stay the same..... The Richmond way.

[WA Tiger]

Gee Damien, really?? A lot of us (except the do gooders) said that after round 2, why didn't you??

I actually said it after R1

Crap, you still have the glasses on.,

[Tigeritis™©®]

My report was the most comprehensive.

[🏅Dooks]

I knew Hardwick had lost his poo at this point (playing 15 players v Port):- 

Just highlights the view from many that he cannot take us to the next level, if he is worried about losing a few.

In my view it was a man already feeling the pressure about a slow start to the year

There's a real perception that he has completely lost control of where we are mentally at as a team, heading into the most important year for the club in years. He's either inept at managing and adapting to change or simply does not know what he is doing.

And don't worry, he'll get his contract and us member will pay for it and any payout