Damien

[big tone]

There are plenty of media people out there that say they think Hardwick can coach. I think most are gutless and say this so they still get interviews from the club.
Do you think Robbo would get the same access to Richmond people if he came out and said openly that he thinks Hardwick is a dud coach?
Same goes for KB....


We must have about 20 to 30 regular posters on here, how many honestly think Dimma he is still a good coach?

I'll be honest, I don't.
And it's not just because of the first 6 games of this season. It's because he has favorites. It's because he has an overly negative game plan. It's because our list is full of list cloggers. It's because he has surrounded himself with "yes men". And it's because he has had more than enough time to have taken us further as a club.
We are again a laughing stock.

[Andyy]

I've seen him do some great coaching and I've seen him out coached more often than not.

Average coach.

[Tigeritis™©®]

Great post BT.

Hardwick promised no short cuts in building a team that was ruthless, relentless and uncompromising. He promised that players who couldn't win their own ball wouldn't be playing in the jumper.
He promised skill and a team first culture.
He promised he had a blueprint to success he knew what it takes to achieve it.

Why didn't he just do what he said he was going to do? 

No wonder the players aren't playing for him.

[Go Richo 12]

I think Hardwick has the ability to coach but he is not using it. My concern is we have had coaches who model our game plan on other clubs. We need a coach who is gutsy enough to invent a game plan and draft/ recruit accordingly. This includes a plan B. Clubs who do this win flags or go very close to one.

[Francois Jackson]

The answer is no. Realised this after the first few rounds of the 2014 season.

For those blokes not to come out breathing fire, after copping the mother of all embarrassments against the scum was pathetic.

Its he who needs to motivate the players, and most times he doesn't. He has his favourites and he chose to make no changes to his football department so now he should pay the ultimate price.

He took shortcuts and many of them.

Though for me the single most glaring reason I believe why he can't coach is much simpler than all of these things. He thinks an aging Maric and a dud in hampspud were the ruckman to help get us into the top 4.

Only someone who can't coach can honestly have believed this and not tried to draft one in.

His not a bright coach but the players "love him" just like the players loved spud

[Hard Roar Tiger]

What is our game plan?

[WilliamPowell]

There are plenty of media people out there that say they think Hardwick can coach. I think most are gutless and say this so they still get interviews from the club.
Do you think Robbo would get the same access to Richmond people if he came out and said openly that he thinks Hardwick is a dud coach?
Same goes for KB....


We must have about 20 to 30 regular posters on here, how many honestly think Dimma he is still a good coach?

I'll be honest, I don't.
And it's not just because of the first 6 games of this season. It's because he has favorites. It's because he has an overly negative game plan. It's because our list is full of list cloggers. It's because he has surrounded himself with "yes men". And it's because he has had more than enough time to have taken us further as a club.
We are again a laughing stock.

Are you Hutchy?  (kidding)

But He said exactly the same thing on Footy Classified on Monday night about Robbo's article, said Robbo had written the genius article to get an article in the next few weeks.

And I think he is now a very average, very average coach and he cannot take us any further

[MintOnLamb]

It seems Damien has not lost the playing group.
It is far worse.
He has lost the supporters.

[YellowandBlackBlood]

You can get away with playing favourites if you are winning the majority of games.

Now he has nowhere to hide.

And it's not just the fact we are losing games, it's the game style we are playing. Players take an eternity to make a decision where to kick after a mark. Watch Adelaide. They play on immediately after any mark or free kick and go direct putting opposition defences under pressure.

Ask any backman what they hate most and they will tell you having the ball come down quickly so they don't have time to organise those around them or position themselves well against their direct opponent.

These are basic fundamental things in footy. We can't even perform them. Dinky little short passes instead of going longer and more direct is killing us too. We are also the laziest football side when it comes to gut running as very few do it.

This all comes down to the standards the coach stamps on the playing group.

Sorry Damien but you've lost me. 

[big tone]

There are plenty of media people out there that say they think Hardwick can coach. I think most are gutless and say this so they still get interviews from the club.
Do you think Robbo would get the same access to Richmond people if he came out and said openly that he thinks Hardwick is a dud coach?
Same goes for KB....


We must have about 20 to 30 regular posters on here, how many honestly think Dimma he is still a good coach?

I'll be honest, I don't.
And it's not just because of the first 6 games of this season. It's because he has favorites. It's because he has an overly negative game plan. It's because our list is full of list cloggers. It's because he has surrounded himself with "yes men". And it's because he has had more than enough time to have taken us further as a club.
We are again a laughing stock.

Are you Hutchy? He said exactly the same thing on Footy Classified on Monday night about Robbo's article, said Robbo had written the genius article to get an article in the next few weeks.

And I think he is now a very average, very average coach and he cannot take us any further

That's not very nice calling me Hutchy! 
I honestly didn't see Footy Classified on Monday night, I was just interested to know if many still believed Dimma was a good coach.

I remember asking the same question at the end of Wallace's time and although he had made some howling mistakes with the list, a lot still thought he was a pretty decent coach.
I don't think many people feel that with Dimma now even after him taking us to 3 finals campaigns.
I just find it really strange by the club to give him another 2 years when they did but seem to think changes need to be made with the people around him.

I for one am willing to give him another chance to reinvent himself (not really much choice) but he must start with removing his favourites (Houli, Grigg, Hampson, Chaplin) and start playing kids. I think most can except this year is stuffed but as long as they see change at selection and a more up to date game plan we can except that this year.

Changes also need to be made in other areas and he as head coach must push that too. FJ has to go first and others too that have failed us. 

Trading needs to change. We need to be more ruthless. We need to pay more. No more worrying about upsetting people. Astbury should have gone to Brisbane whether he liked it or not. People need to be pushed if they aren't willing to move off their own bat.
No more T. Hunt, N. Gordon, R. Pettard type recruiting. If they are not in a sides best 22 don't even bother looking at them. There is usually a reason if they aren't and we need to stop trying to reinvent the wheel with those types.

But most of all stop the excuses and stop the spin. Show some class RFC, we all want to jump on board again but you are making it very hard to trust you.

[Damo]

Sorry Damien but you've lost me. 

Don't stress.

I'll look everywhere till I find you.

[Lozza]

Great post BT.

Hardwick promised no short cuts in building a team that was ruthless, relentless and uncompromising. He promised that players who couldn't win their own ball wouldn't be playing in the jumper.
He promised skill and a team first culture.
He promised he had a blueprint to success he knew what it takes to achieve it.

Why didn't he just do what he said he was going to do? 

No wonder the players aren't playing for him.

Agree but if whats come out in the media in terms of Hardwick not getting final say with recruits then to a degree he shouldnt have been promising the world in the first place. Unfortunately his view would have assumed a professional recruitment department which we clearly dont have. Therefore in terms of cattle he has been restricted, would love to know all the players he was keen to get compared to who we actually got.

[Stalin]

I've seen him do some great coaching and I've seen him out coached more often than not.


Average coach.

When was this great coaching?

[WilliamPowell]

But most of all stop the excuses and stop the spin. Show some class RFC, we all want to jump on board again but you are making it very hard to trust you.

Exactly, that's why I've said at various times over the past couple of seasons we are dishonest footy club

They say things they think will appease the masses

All they've done this week with their "media blitz" is alienate the masses even more

No one is buying this lot of spin

You can get away with playing favourites if you are winning the majority of games.

Now he has nowhere to hide.

And it's not just the fact we are losing games, it's the game style we are playing. Players take an eternity to make a decision where to kick after a mark. Watch Adelaide. They play on immediately after any mark or free kick and go direct putting opposition defences under pressure.

Ask any backman what they hate most and they will tell you having the ball come down quickly so they don't have time to organise those around them or position themselves well against their direct opponent.

These are basic fundamental things in footy. We can't even perform them. Dinky little short passes instead of going longer and more direct is killing us too. We are also the laziest football side when it comes to gut running as very few do it.

This all comes down to the standards the coach stamps on the playing group.

Sorry Damien but you've lost me. 

Spot on; excellent post.

[Chopstix]

You can get away with playing favourites if you are winning the majority of games.

Now he has nowhere to hide.

And it's not just the fact we are losing games, it's the game style we are playing. Players take an eternity to make a decision where to kick after a mark. Watch Adelaide. They play on immediately after any mark or free kick and go direct putting opposition defences under pressure.

Ask any backman what they hate most and they will tell you having the ball come down quickly so they don't have time to organise those around them or position themselves well against their direct opponent.

These are basic fundamental things in footy. We can't even perform them. Dinky little short passes instead of going longer and more direct is killing us too. We are also the laziest football side when it comes to gut running as very few do it.

This all comes down to the standards the coach stamps on the playing group.

Sorry Damien but you've lost me. 

You've nailed it right there!!