March on SEN

[one-eyed]

Coming up after the 11am news with KB

[one-eyed]

Summary

* KB asked if we got our man?
March replied yes we did.

* Damien impressive in all key criteria areas although it was a tough field.

* Damien understands where he wants to take the footy club. It was similar to where we want to go and similar to the people we have brought in - Gale and Cameron.

* Craig ran a very good process and kept in contact with damien and his manager. He was keen to keep going in the process all along and we kept him informed right along the way.

* We never changed our process from getting the person we wanted and the person with the best attributes for the RFC. We couldn't afford to make a mistake this time around.

* Gale, Cameron, Hardwick, Ross Monaghan, Tim Livingston. We've got a strong leadership at the Club now which we didn't have. Need to instill that into the playing group.

* Craig informed Ken Hinkley he missed out. No doubt the next coach in waiting. Very impressed by Ken's footy knowledge and an impressive person. Damien though fitted where we and Richmond wanted to go.

* March said he's got another 12 months to go on his term and has no intention of leaving. Gale actually wants him to stay on long-term. He'll stay as long as he feels he is doing a good job and supporters believe he is doing a good job.

* Expectations 2010?
Need to be realistic where we are at. It can turn around quickly if you get the right structures and processes in place. You can't have 11.5 wins one year and then 5.5 next.

* Hardwick was brutally honest on our list. Midfield strong. Other areas - forwards we lack.

* Cuz - has given himself every opportunity to go on. An elite in the competition and hasn't yet achieved full fitness. You'd expect he is in Damien's plans moving forward.

* Richo - Damien still sees Richo as No.1 or 2 player on Richmond's list. Hawthorn based their concerns on Richo when planning against Richmond. So Damien will sit down with Matthew and the meds to chat at the end of the season.

[Stripes]

Five interesting 'titbits' I drew from that is  -

1 - We will pick up Butcher if he available over another midfielder.
2 - Richo is safe along with Cuz
3 - Next year will be about rebuild not finals.
4 - March will continue in his role next year
5 - Hardwick was our No 1 choice all along and the process merely confirmed this.

Stripes

[mightytiges]

First pick should always be best available but I agree Stripes if Butcher is still available at 3 (meaning Scully and Trengove are gone already) he'll be hard to for us to pass on. Big quality KPPs are hard to find and especially so in this draft.

I wouldn't call our midfield strong either so disagree with March. We still need better quality to add to and complement Cotch and Lids. Plus Cuz only has a year or two left and the likes of Tucky and Jacko aren't A-grade mids. There's still plenty of holes in our list.

[WilliamPowell]

I wouldn't call our midfield strong either so disagree with March. We still need better quality to add to and complement Cotch and Lids. Plus Cuz only has a year or two left and the likes of Tucky and Jacko aren't A-grade mids. There's still plenty of holes in our list.

Overall is tghe mid-field strong? Probably not as strong as it should be

But I would think it is the strongest part of our list - so I would tend to agree with March

[camboon]

I would be happy with Tregrove or Butcher as we did go tall last draft. That WA boy Mortobio (SIC) if he is similar to Pav would not be a bad pick up either.

I am praying for a miricle but more than likely we will beat WC and Melb will be flogged by 100 points again. Hopefully it wont matter.

[mightytiges]

I wouldn't call our midfield strong either so disagree with March. We still need better quality to add to and complement Cotch and Lids. Plus Cuz only has a year or two left and the likes of Tucky and Jacko aren't A-grade mids. There's still plenty of holes in our list.

Overall is tghe mid-field strong? Probably not as strong as it should be

But I would think it is the strongest part of our list - so I would tend to agree with March

True it's the strongest part of our list WP but that's not saying much though given weaknesses across the field. At the moment given our youth it only has the potential to become strong in a couple of years time but we still need another couple of A-graders added to it for that to become true IMO. Our skill level is the worst in the AFL so I wouldn't be calling any part of the team strong.

[wayne]

March actually says that Hardwick rates our midfield as strong.

Maybe he can see Edwards, Collins and Connors improving a lot and slotting in there??

[richmondrules]

When we have all our mids available then the midfield looks ok but we lack depth. Couple of injuries or players out of form and we're in trouble.

Having said that there is no doubt we could do with more quality right across the ground.

Best available is still appropriate for us. If that means a mid then a mid is gratefully received.

[mightytiges]

March actually says that Hardwick rates our midfield as strong.

Maybe he can see Edwards, Collins and Connors improving a lot and slotting in there??

I hope Hardwick targets Connors as someone he can turn around. Dan has never had a proper preseason so that's the first thing to do. Next is installing Hardwick's team first mantra into him. Connors has heaps of natural ability and flair but he needs someone to get into his head to focus on always doing the bread & butter things right and following team rules and then using his natural flair with these basic team rules.

Titch is a bit small to be a ballwinner in tight. I'm still not convinced he should be across the half-back line either.

[wayne]

Connors has heaps of natural ability and flair but he needs someone to get into his head to focus on always doing the bread & butter things right and following team rules and then using his natural flair with these basic team rules.

The most impressive things i've seen him do are team based things. The look away handball against the Hawks last year sticks in my mind. Need to tell the boy, people do notice the little things, and you're very good at them when you want to be.

[tigersalive]

March actually says that Hardwick rates our midfield as strong.

Maybe he can see Edwards, Collins and Connors improving a lot and slotting in there??

I hope Hardwick targets Connors as someone he can turn around. Dan has never had a proper preseason so that's the first thing to do. Next is installing Hardwick's team first mantra into him. Connors has heaps of natural ability and flair but he needs someone to get into his head to focus on always doing the bread & butter things right and following team rules and then using his natural flair with these basic team rules.

Connors needs to do more than getting himself right on the park.  Young Daniel needs to realise he's a professional sportsman and start acting accordingly off the park, and then maybe he'll begin to realise his potential on the park.

[peggles]

Five interesting 'titbits' I drew from that is  -

1 - We will pick up Butcher if he available over another midfielder.
2 - Richo is safe along with Cuz
3 - Next year will be about rebuild not finals.
4 - March will continue in his role next year
5 - Hardwick was our No 1 choice all along and the process merely confirmed this.

Stripes

agree with that.  sounds like that's what the club's view is.  forwardline definitely our weakest link.  and if hardwick is building a strucutre similar to hawthorn, then we do need a couple of big key forwards down there.  agree we shall pick whoever is left out of scully/butcher/trengove.

[one-eyed]

Some direct quotes from March's interview yesterday...

Richmond president Gary March said yesterday Hardwick was no less forthcoming about the strengths and many weaknesses of the Tigers' list but admitted it was a necessity given the mediocrity a once great club has become too familiar with.

However, March indicated that he believes the new coach will decide to persevere with Cousins and Richardson at the very least.

"Our list is strong in certain areas -- in the midfield we're strong -- but in other areas we are weak, in key forwards and in small forwards we are probably lacking, so he was very honest about the assessment of our list," March said.

"List management are going to sit down after this week's game and start to make decisions about uncontracted players, of which Ben is one, but as I've said before, I think Ben has given himself every chance to go on, because he has demonstrated in the way he has played his football that he is still an elite player in the competition.

"He probably still hasn't reached 100 per cent fitness, so there is upside, so I think you would find that Ben would come into Damien's calculations going forward."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25986330-2722,00.html