Dimma on SEN today ...
AUDIO:
https://audioboom.com/boos/4653486-damien-hardwick-on-crunch-time-saturday-june-4------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defiant Dimma: We can still make finalsHerald-Sun
4 June2016RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers can still make this year’s finals if they rediscover their best form.
The Tigers slumped to a 4-7 win loss record after a 70-point belting from North Melbourne in Hobart on Friday night.
The loss leaves the Tigers likely needing to win eight or more of their remaining 11 home-and-away games to book a fourth successive finals campaign.
“We are still firmly of the belief that if we get everything right we can challenge for the top eight,” Hardwick told SEN.
“It is going to be incredibly tough (but) we’ve done it before.
“We’ll back ourselves in and give ourselves every chance.”
“We’re disappointed with the way we are playing at the moment — but I guarantee we will get better.”
Richmond lost defender Dylan Grimes to a hamstring injury in the warm-up to Friday night’s game and were further hit by a serious knee injury to Steve Morris while Nick Vlastuin (concussion) and Ben Griffiths (ankle) were also added to a growing casualty list.
Hardwick said there would be hard questions asked at Punt Rd this week before next Sunday’s home game against injury depleted Gold Coast.
Morris was on crutches after the game
Asked about his involvement in reviews at board level, Hardwick said: “We have robust discussions … on a weekly basis.
“We will question the way we play; question the way we coach; question the way the players came out and performed.
“It is a performance based industry and at the moment we are well short.
“We’re capable of performing and beating sides when we are at our best and we were well off that last night.”
Defeat to the Kangaroos marked Richmond’s seventh of the season
Asked if it was time to develop young players even at possible expense of a finals tilt, Hardwick said: “I’m still of the belief that the best form of culture is winning culture”.
“We will be striving to win as many games as we can but in saying that we will still be looking to regenerate along the way.”
“It is a philosophy we have always had in my time at the Tigers.
“I’ve got belief in our group — some of the guys are not playing as well as what we’d like. But I’ve also got faith in some of the younger talent coming through.
“We’ll pick as good a side as we can. We picked up a couple of injuries so some younger guys will get an opportunity.”
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/footy-form/richmond-can-still-make-finals-says-a-defiant-damien-hardwick-despite-seventh-defeat-of-the-season/news-story/4e52826508afc564a5aacc4fed4699df