Author Topic: Dimma reflects on Richmond's year / Confident of victory @ half-time of GF (Age)  (Read 469 times)

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Damien Hardwick reflects on Richmond's year

Canberra Times (Fairfax/The Age)
13 December 2017


Damien Hardwick said he had been confident of victory in the grand final from half-time, but being confident didn't mean he was relaxed.

"We thought we had a really good plan in place," he said. "It's easy in hindsight ... but we felt very confident. Especially at half-time when we were nine or 10 points up at that stage and we sort of knew that our best footy was in front of us ... we were very confident at half-time that we were going to win."

He said the moment he knew the grand final was sealed was when Dan Butler kicked a goal with about seven minutes remaining in the last term.

"I thought 'geez we've won this'," he said, adding that he then realised he would have to think about a speech. "It didn't feel like an easy win in the end."

Hardwick acknowledged that there would be comparisons to the Western Bulldogs' premiership win in 2016 – and their subsequent premiership hangover and slide down the table in 2017.

"You certainly learn off your competitors," he said, adding that he was confident in the "mature" Richmond leadership group.

He also said that competition for spots in the team was important for a successful year – and the Tigers, whose VFL side came runners-up in the grand final, would have just that, with players such as Connor Menadue and Sam Lloyd pushing for a place in the senior side.

Hardwick said he was pleased with the way his players had returned to training.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/afl/afl-news/i-thought-this-is-it-he-could-go-damien-hardwick-reflects-on-richmonds-year-20171212-h033wg.html