Has Hardwick had the worst start to a coaching career?

[frickenel]

Richmond v Port Wizard Cup GF, Hardwick running around in the Port backline.

An incident at 1.11.19 of this video took place right in front of me. Richo sitting Hardwick on his bung hole. Made me so happy because Hardwick was such a lippy bugger. Who could have known that 15 years later, he'd be the architect behind one of the happiest days in my life!

 

[zippadeee]

Richmond v Port Wizard Cup GF, Hardwick running around in the Port backline.

An incident at 1.11.19 of this video took place right in front of me. Richo sitting Hardwick on his bung hole. Made me so happy because Hardwick was such a lippy bugger. Who could have known that 15 years later, he'd be the architect behind one of the happiest days in my life!

We were the only team i remember that would play in s pre-season GF and then go on to have a really ordinary season. 1993 and 2002.
We had some good players in that 02 side.
Richo, Ottens, Kellaway, Stafford, Rogers, Coghlan, *smile*, knights, Cameron pity the rest were rubbish.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

We had some good players in that 02 side.
Richo, Ottens, Kellaway, Stafford, Rogers, Coghlan, *smile*, knights, Cameron pity the rest were rubbish.

That team peaked in the '02 pre-season, then fell off the cliff. Unfortunately the rebuild was half-arsed.

 

[zippadeee]

That team peaked in the '02 pre-season, then fell off the cliff. Unfortunately the rebuild was half-arsed.

We had good players back then, but 90% of them weren't dedicated to the club. It was just a job.
We were a club just constantly walking on a treadmill. With no plan and no direction. We were just a very ordinary club.
During the late 80's and 90's, going to watch them train nearly every Tuesday and Thursday showed and proved how we were always making up the numbers.
Senior players would always train in their group, while kids would be fetching balls going over the fence.
Players would walk off the track during training. During the winter month's the lights would barely light up the ground.
People watching (not many) could walk into the old change rooms under the old stand and wander around. Players would get changed and boot off. No meetings, no get together's. The rooms were always dirty.
Knighter will always be my favourite Richmond player because he always went out his way to speak with us. The early days players like David Palm and Phil Egan would always stop and talk.
KB what a bloke, he would bleed yellow and black pity the players didn't.
We have come a long long way.

 

[CarnTheTiges]

We were the only team i remember that would play in s pre-season GF and then go on to have a really ordinary season. 1993 and 2002.
We had some good players in that 02 side.
Richo, Ottens, Kellaway, Stafford, Rogers, Coghlan, *smile*, knights, Cameron pity the rest were rubbish.

Carlton says hello. I think they won 2 pre season cups and then went on to add to their wooden spoon collection in the H&A.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Carlton says hello. I think they won 2 pre season cups and then went on to add to their wooden spoon collection in the H&A.

Prompted by the HS article, I was reading some forum comments from the time Prestia was recruited. One Carlton supporter derided it as short-term thinking of the type that "Carlton used to be known for but has thankfully discarded". Very interesting perspective, three years down the track...

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Prompted by the HS article, I was reading some forum comments from the time Prestia was recruited. One Carlton supporter derided it as short-term thinking of the type that "Carlton used to be known for but has thankfully discarded". Very interesting perspective, three years down the track...

He wasn’t alone, but I don’t know why it would be considered short term thinking.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

He wasn’t alone, but I don’t know why it would be considered short term thinking.

The narrative from Lloyd, Kornes, Lucas, Buckenara and others was that we needed to trade out our stars and rebuild. Prestia was labelled a top-up. Even leaving aside the good balance of our list at the time, there isn't a team in the comp that wouldn't benefit from a quality 24yo mid coming into his prime. In any year. Different if he was 27 or 28.

 

[AngryAnt]

yeah, the only issue was his knee - with better management, that's come good.

 

[CarnTheTiges]

The narrative from Lloyd, Kornes, Lucas, Buckenara and others was that we needed to trade out our stars and rebuild. Prestia was labelled a top-up. Even leaving aside the good balance of our list at the time, there isn't a team in the comp that wouldn't benefit from a quality 24yo mid coming into his prime. In any year. Different if he was 27 or 28.

These blokes really don’t think long term, or take a decent look at the side they’re talking about before they make these prognostications.

 

[eZyT]

dunno, but the middle bits been bloody good.

 

[Eddie from Elwood]

These blokes really don’t think long term, or take a decent look at the side they’re talking about before they make these prognostications.

Thinking long term doesn't have the drama the media love, it's to sensible. Also why politics in this country is so *smile*, politicians are always trying to put out media spot fires.

 

[Tigertough1974]

These blokes really don’t think long term, or take a decent look at the side they’re talking about before they make these prognostications.

Yes they need a story and negative seems to sell more than positive.

In saying that, its been well said but a large number on this forum were upset about that pick 6 (7) trade...

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

In saying that, its been well said but a large number on this forum were upset about that pick 6 (7) trade...

I'd never looked at Prestia and thought "That's the player we need", and wasn't sure if he was worth #6. But our stars so obviously needed help. History has vindicated the acquisition in the strongest possible way.

 

[TigerFlag2017]

I'd never looked at Prestia and thought "That's the player we need", and wasn't sure if he was worth #6. But our stars so obviously needed help. History has vindicated the acquisition in the strongest possible way.

I think it was easy to look at his size and body shape, played for suns, etc and therefore under-estimate his natural football talent. We were all guilty.

 

[Tigertough1974]

I'd never looked at Prestia and thought "That's the player we need", and wasn't sure if he was worth #6. But our stars so obviously needed help. History has vindicated the acquisition in the strongest possible way.

Its a really good point, is that the player we need, who knows even if the coaches could forsee the impact he was going to make?. And it wasn't just him alone, Caddy had a very good 2017/2018. Game plans also have a huge say in 'is that the player we need', and lets be honest at the end of 2016 our game plan (or most certainly the execution) didn't look great.

I was confident of his ability and keen to take him with pick 6 (7), yes he was carrying an injury but he was a jet at GC and still young enough to recover.

 

[wigglyworm]

People forget how good he was at the Suns. When not injured he was pushing Gazza and Lynch to be their best player. Fortunately for us those last couple of years he picked up some knee niggles but he was always a gun player and definitely worth the 6th pick against a speculative Scrimshaw type

 

[Razorgang2]

I remember as a young bloke being in Brashes with an Essendon supporting mate and considering buying the DVD of the 93 final.

He was incredulous that I'd want to own a losing preseason cup final but it was the most successful I'd ever seen my footy team. It took me a long time to decide to pass.

What year was that TBR, as DVD's didnt arrive until late 1996. Sure it wasnt a VHS copy?