Damien Hardwick | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Damien Hardwick

Carter said:
Tonight, tactics were poor.

You CANNOT apply forward pressure with the forward line we selected.

You just can’t. I don’t know what the selection committee were thinking.

The lack of forward pressure absolutely killed us.
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Tactics were better than last weeks with passing the ball to advantage at least part of our game.
Selection was pretty strange. I guess Nank had to play but he is no good as a forward.and if Soldo was to be our primary ruck Nank wasn’t needed !
Jack had a poor game Balta a pretty good one.
 
I blame the recruiters. 2 rucks playing and 2 in development 10% of the list. 2 genuine forwards playing and 1 injured. MRJ a forward pocket as a lock, but sub? Cotch, Edwards, Dusty, Lambert ageing mids and how many years left? Rest are ?? or backmen. We have a heavy back list, a very light mid list and a non existent up and coming forward list.
 
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Start the search Benny.

Unbelievable coach who should never need to buy a beer in Richmond for eternity.

But its time to plan for the next tilt, and this bloke is out of ideas a
 
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Carter said:
Tonight, tactics were poor.

You CANNOT apply forward pressure with the forward line we selected.

You just can’t. I don’t know what the selection committee were thinking.

The lack of forward pressure absolutely killed us.
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That forward line was disgusting.

You can't have Soldo and Nank running back towards goal and expect to score.

You can't pressure with Soldo, Nank, Balta and an aging Riewoldt and expect to hold the ball in.

You can't start every bounce and quarter with two midfielders on the half forward line who immediately push up defensively, and expect to have options forward when we win it.

We played an extra (or two) down back from the start of the third, trying to protect a 7 point lead. And our lone deep forward was often Balta or Soldo trying to make space on three opponents.

What the hell was the plan? We were outnumbered in the air, with Nank and Soldo often our only (and poor) aerial competitors. But we also weren't going to hurt them on the turnover when they were always coming out under no pressure.

It looked like we set up for scoring off the rebound. But that involves having forwards with some pace who can run into space. We actually ended up with a player in space on the counter a number of times. But, incomprehensibly, it was Soldo or Nank.

Obviously, missing Lynch and Dusty from the forward line hurts.

But Nank out (or Soldo, dealers choice), with MRJ in from the start would have made a big difference.

If the option is Nank is going to play forward, then he simply shouldn't be selected.
 
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Coburgtiger said:
That forward line was disgusting.

You can't have Soldo and Nank running back towards goal and expect to score.

You can't have Soldo, Nank, Balta and an aging Riewoldt and expect to hold the ball in.

You can't start every bounce and quarter with two midfielders on the half forward line who immediately push up defensively, and expect to have options forward when we win it.

We played an extra (or two) down back from the start of the third, trying to protect a 7 point lead. And our lone deep forward was often Balta or Soldo trying to make space on three opponents.

What the hell was the plan? We were outnumbered in the air, with Nank and Soldo often our only (and poor) aerial competitors. But we also weren't going to hurt them on the turnover when the were always coming out under no pressure.

It looked like we set up for scoring off the rebound. But that involves having forwards with some pace who can run into space. We actually ended up with a player in space on the counter a number of times. But, incomprehensibly, it was Soldo or Nank.

Obviously, missing Lynch and Dusty from the forward line hurts.

But Nank out (or Soldo, dealers choice), we've MRJ in from the start would have made a big difference.

If the option is Nank is going to play forward, then he simply shouldn't be selected.
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Yep. Looks a bit lost Dimma.
 
We didn’t defend the corridor well.
Do busy defending the wings and left gaps in the middle for freo to kick to.
Run out of the backline seem dead tonight as well
 
We've got pre premiership Dimma at the moment. Hooch Hardwick has lost the plot. Has he been smoking cones in match committee meetings??

Nank as a key forward?? WTF Dimma?? Extraordinarily bad decision. Balta as a forward?? How long does it take you to work out he is not smart enough to play key forward but is a gun defender??? That forward line was an abomination tonight.

Now he's rolling out the old 2012 lines; "we'll learn from this"; add it to "ball security" from last week.

This is a coach severely out of form at the moment.
 
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Coburgtiger said:
That forward line was disgusting.

You can't have Soldo and Nank running back towards goal and expect to score.

You can't pressure with Soldo, Nank, Balta and an aging Riewoldt and expect to hold the ball in.

You can't start every bounce and quarter with two midfielders on the half forward line who immediately push up defensively, and expect to have options forward when we win it.

We played an extra (or two) down back from the start of the third, trying to protect a 7 point lead. And our lone deep forward was often Balta or Soldo trying to make space on three opponents.

What the hell was the plan? We were outnumbered in the air, with Nank and Soldo often our only (and poor) aerial competitors. But we also weren't going to hurt them on the turnover when they were always coming out under no pressure.

It looked like we set up for scoring off the rebound. But that involves having forwards with some pace who can run into space. We actually ended up with a player in space on the counter a number of times. But, incomprehensibly, it was Soldo or Nank.

Obviously, missing Lynch and Dusty from the forward line hurts.

But Nank out (or Soldo, dealers choice), with MRJ in from the start would have made a big difference.

If the option is Nank is going to play forward, then he simply shouldn't be selected.
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You could see the Freo forwards panicking when MRJ came on

They'd had 3 quarters of strolling out of their D50 like a training drill.

Somebody trying to tackle them was a huge inconvenience
 
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It’s been a wasted season for lots of reasons including poor team selection and coaching. A massive shame & one that Hardwick & his coaching team own.

Tonight’s forward line set up farce added to the pile of rubbish that’s occurred through the year. Clearly now we can only play one of Nank or Soldo. The irony being that Soldo gave us more at centre bounce but unfortunately is so ineffectual around the ground.

Miller’s improvement as a back plus the need for a second key forward, forces Balta to that spot & he has no instinct for it. Forwards are born (eg Cumberland) & can’t be manufactured.

With Tarrant & Gibcus, we now have four key backs and no key forwards outside an ageing Jack & injury prone Lynch.

Our best is still good enough & that adds to the frustration. But our worst (eg no clearance/stoppage ability, class midfield ball use outside of Prestia & creative ball use overall into the forward line) can only be fixed post season by recruiting & change of team structure. Hardwick can still lead the change needed but we need far more coaching talent to contribute.
 
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I will bang on about this until I am blue in the face but the MC are far too slow to sometimes see the gold sitting right under their noses.

We have kid in the VFL who has played as that Ruck/Forward type and done quite well. Yet instead of promoting him we play blokes who haven’t got an ounce of forward craft in them.
 
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Hardwick is s good coach...with great assistants. He has surrounded himself with incompetent deputies.. need to move ALL of them on. Bring in some talent.
Someone needs to take charge and it ain't Hardwick
 
Well said Coburg, Ridley, Aces.

Forward line tactics and selection were inexcusable and the first sign - for me - since 2016 that we have a dysfunctional football department at the moment.

Yes, there have been signs all year but last night was amateur hour.

Much of what is written on here is hyperbole (from me too) without recourse to knowledge of what’s happening inside the “four walls”.

Last night was a rare moment where we, as supporters, can look at the footy department and say “yeah you guys are seriously floundering”.

I sense upheaval in the off-season. I’m not sure Hardwick will want to dip into the well again. That means Livingstone goes too.

If Kingsley does not apply for vacant coaching positions outside the club it will tell the tale.

Very, very interesting off-season ahead.
 
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tigertime2 said:
Hardwick is s good coach...with great assistants. He has surrounded himself with incompetent deputies.. need to move ALL of them on. Bring in some talent.
Someone needs to take charge and it ain't Hardwick
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Kingsley can coach. Teague can also coach but is better as an assistant.
 
When oh when are we gonna get a coach who can WIN US A FLAG!? When?! I've just got back from Andromeda btw it was very nice what's been happening?
 
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momentai said:
Injury’s have impacted our performance, but do not explain why we have lost 3 out of the last 4,
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Simplest of all explanations for our losses. Way to many brain farts under pressure.
So many games where we have the opportunity to grasp the nettle, take control in the dying moments and close out a hard fought win. Virtually every time this year we get a player or two who have a massive brain fart n *smile* themselves.

Doesn't help us much when the most composed, talented n controlled finisher in the comp has barely played all year.
 
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