Hardwick's post-match media conference / Can't handle losing the way we did

[one-eyed]

Dimma's post-match presser:

* Disappointing to dish up that uncharacteristic performance. Un-Richmond performance. Collingwood were outstanding tonight. They were the best team we played during the H/A season.

* Bye was not an excuse. We've come out of byes well in the past. Collingwood just hit us hard and we didn't cope under that pressure. We played an un-Richmond style.

* You can handle losing but not losing the way we did.

* Late 3rd/Early 4th was the only time we got the game looking more like the way we normally play. Tonight, we lost contests we'd normally win. We'd miss that last touch, that last handball. Giving up that DeGeoy goal from a stoppage was the straw that broke the camel's back. Summed up our night.

* That was the best team and performance we've played against all year.

* System vs system one team comes on top. They were cleaner whereas we bumbled and fumbled. Didn't use our numbers around the contest. Part of that was due to Collingwood's pressure.

* Dusty was fine. Once you pick a player he's fit. Didn't have his best game but he wasn't alone on that front. We tried him forward but we couldn't get the ball to him. We collectively didn't play well as a team.

* If it was a H/A game where we were 3 games clear Dusty probably doesn't play but he'd killed me if I didn't pick for a Preliminary Final.

* Cox was like John Coleman tonight. We couldn't stop him. When things aren't going well you often go back in your shell and aren't strong and aggressive enough in the contest. Cox's strength isn't his height but his marking on the lead. We didn't play in front of him as instructed. Credit to Collingwood to create that space.

* Once we fell behind on the scoreboard, we started rushing possessions. We weren't clean at the stoppage.

* We believe the nucleus of the side is right here right now. Pieces will be added but we're happy with our core list.

* Astbury - got fluid into his body over the past 24 hours. Like all our defenders he wasn't at his best. Credit to him to get up and give us the chance to pick him.

* We gave up 9 goals from stoppages tonight which is normally a month's total. Not Richmond-like. Hate being beaten by what you know.

* Anger is too strong a word. Disappointment. I can handle losing playing our way but not the way we played tonight. We lost our way. It happens sometimes.

* We squandered an opportunity but conversely we gave ourselves that opportunity. It was a 1 in 4 chance and it's gone. It doesn't mean our chances in the future are gone.

* Dimma wouldn't comment on list changes tonight.

* Jack was terrific. Goldsack combated well tonight to be fair. We needed our other forwards to step up but we couldn't get the ground level balls. We'll look at the tapes to study why.

[Diocletian]

Oh look....

[big tone]

No mention of Sidebottom’s 41 touches??

[Gracie]

No mention of Sidebottom’s 41 touches??

Sidebottom had 38 disposals when we beat them in round 19. So we should have tagged him to  keep him to 38?

[Tigeritis™©®]

We never stop Sidebottom. But there was more than just Sidebottom tonight. They had winners all over the ground. Riewoldt was the only winner we had. Dimma and the coaching staff last too.

[one-eyed]

Dimma's presser:

VIDEO: http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2018-09-21/pf-hardwick-postmatch

---------------------------------------------------------------

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said it had been a disappointing finish to an otherwise "wonderful season". 

"To win 18 games and your first final and probably to bow out the way we played was really disappointing. It was an un-Richmond-like performance," Hardwick said.

"Credit where credit's due, I thought Collingwood were outstanding. I said this a couple of times when we played them I think they've been the best side we've played, the way they set up structurally was very good.

"We just couldn't get our game up and going at any stage, (we did for) a brief period during the third, briefly in the fourth. But they were just far too good and unfortunately to deliver that performance when we needed a better one was uncharacteristic of our side. 

"We'll learn from it, we'll grow from it, but it's really hard at this stage to see that light unfortunately."

Damien Hardwick insists superstar Dustin Martin was "fine" to play in Friday night's first preliminary final, saying the Tigers never considered ruling him out of the blockbuster.

Martin was carrying a corked thigh that had bled into his knee when he took to the field against Collingwood and the reigning Brownlow medallist was clearly restricted by the injury.

He spent significant time deep in attack where he was well held by Pies defender Jeremy Howe, while he fared little better when he ventured into the midfield with Levi Greenwood keeping him on a tight leash.

Martin finished with 19 possessions, six kicks and not a single clearance, way down on his respective season averages of 25.6, 16.1 and 5.5.

But Hardwick did not second-guess the decision to play Martin after the Tigers' 39-point loss.

"He was fine, once you're picked to play you're OK. Did he have his best night? No, he didn't, but there were a fair majority of our side who were in a similar boat," Hardwick said.

"Once again Greenwood did a reasonable job in and around the contest and we thought we might be able to get an advantage up forward with Dustin, but unfortunately we just couldn't get the ball to him.

"He looked dangerous there a couple of times, but we just didn't quite get the game on our terms at any stage for that to provide a real spark for us."

Asked how much of an impact Martin's injury had on his performance, Hardwick made no excuses for his superstar.

"Not enough, it was fine. He didn't train for a week and a half, but once you cross that line you cross the line," he said.

Hardwick conceded Martin might have been rested in the same circumstances for a home and away game, but said he was "never a chance to miss" Friday night’s game.

Hardwick described the preliminary final loss as "a disappointing finish to a wonderful season".

The 2017 premier finished on top of the ladder after the home and away season with an 18-4 record and convincingly beat Hawthorn in the first qualifying final to book a direct path into preliminary final week.

But the wheels of Richmond’s premiership defence suddenly fell off against Collingwood.

The Tigers were smashed in the first half in a manner they haven't been for some time and were effectively finished when they trailed by 44 points at half-time.

A mini-revival that brought them back within 21 points early in the final quarter briefly raised the hopes of the Richmond faithful, but the challenge was soon snuffed out.

"It was an un-Richmond-like performance," Hardwick said simply.

As disappointed as he was, the Richmond coach was bullish that his team was still in good shape and could rebound to contend again in 2019.

"We've certainly got some areas of improvement, both in the development of our squad within, but also we'll attract some talent in the off-season.

"Trent (Cotchin) and those guys are incredibly disappointed to let the opportunity slip, but they'll bounce back pretty heavily I'd imagine."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-09-21/belowpar-tigers-star-was-always-going-to-play
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-09-21/match-report-richmond-v-collingwood

[georgies31]

Loved Dimmer and what he did last season,but sorry that was poor coaching and out coahed.We lost it at selection table first off Dusty and Dave were not fit Both were were lucky 30%.De Goery how on earth our best stopper defender is not played on him from first bounce and then to late to make the move.Poor matchups.To stubborn and arrogance for me no respect payed to pies.Not to tag Sidebottom and continued to let him go free.Didn't go man on man to just thought it was going to happen.

[big tone]

No mention of Sidebottom’s 41 touches??

Sidebottom had 38 disposals when we beat them in round 19. So we should have tagged him to  keep him to 38?

Yer let’s just let the oppositions best player do what he wants game after game. Eventually it’s going to bit you on the arse and it did.
Not only didn’t we not tag him we really didn’t even man up on him. It was disgraceful and it was arrogance.

Do you think if we had of kept Sidebottom to 15 touches they would have won by so much?

[Eat_em_Alive]

No mention of Sidebottom’s 41 touches??

Sidebottom had 38 disposals when we beat them in round 19. So we should have tagged him to  keep him to 38?

Yer let’s just let the oppositions best player do what he wants game after game. Eventually it’s going to bit you on the arse and it did.
Not only didn’t we tag him we really didn’t even man up on him. It was disgraceful and it was arrogance.

Do you think if we had of kept Sidebottom to 15 touches they would have won by so much?

Hindsight talking now but I agree and what should have happened was using a player like graham to take him out early much like Varcoe did to Prestia in our last encounter.

[big tone]

No mention of Sidebottom’s 41 touches??

Sidebottom had 38 disposals when we beat them in round 19. So we should have tagged him to  keep him to 38?

Yer let’s just let the oppositions best player do what he wants game after game. Eventually it’s going to bit you on the arse and it did.
Not only didn’t we tag him we really didn’t even man up on him. It was disgraceful and it was arrogance.

Do you think if we had of kept Sidebottom to 15 touches they would have won by so much?

Hindsight talking now but I agree and what should have happened was using a player like graham to take him out early much like Varcoe did to Prestia in our last encounter.

Hindsight!
Anyone with half a brain knows you have to tag Sidebottom.
I said it in another thread earlier in the week. You just needed to watch their final
last week to see that.

He is by far their most important player and we let him run around unhindered.

That is the thing I’m most peeed off about.

[Owl]

I was peeed off that they consistently blocked our players but we just let theirs do what they want, like Varcoe and of course sidesphincta.  I was also peeed off that they got to throw the ball all night in the clinches but that seems just to be normal these days.

[Slipper]

"To win 18 games and your first final and probably to bow out the way we played was really disappointing. It was an un-Richmond-like performance," Hardwick said.


……………….


"It was an un-Richmond-like performance," Hardwick said simply.

I hate to say it Dimma, but it your assessment is only based on the last 18 months or so.


This was vintage Tigers Circa 1983-2016

[Chuck17]

Has anyone bumped the sack Dimma thread ?

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Has anyone bumped the sack Dimma thread ?

That's your job...

[Loui Tufga]

Our loss had nothing to do with coaching it was all to do with our players heads!
There very little you can do from a coaching perspective if the players heads aren’t in it.
Collingwood played out of there skins, they just wanted it more and we played like we already had it in the bag.
Let this be a massive lesson, I agre we still have the nucleus of a great side but we can’t afford to be complacent about it. Dead wood needs to be cut and the list needs to be freshend up.
Bring on 2019!