When will Bernie go !!

[Tigerdangerous]

My take on Hardwick is simple. He is now a functioning “cog” in a functioning football department orchestrated by the club when it surrounded the failed 2016 coach with a much better selection of football people.

The clubs hand was forced when it extended Hardwicks contract before the start of the 2016 season which quickly turned into a train wreck largely of Hardwicks own making. The club surrounded their failed coach with good people pre the 2017 season, saved a lot of face and probably a few dollars and literally re-booted the footy department and things started happening, fortunately, in 2017.

Hardwick is as expendable as anybody else and while he continues to bring some human qualities to the playing group who genuinely appear to like the guy, and as long as this new machine continues to hum along, Hardwick will remain, certainly for the remainder of his contract.

What changes he has supposedly adopted were imposed upon him by the changes the club made in the football department and bringing in some new and better players and maneuvering to successfully trade out Vickery and Delidio. To his credit Hardwick has been smart enough to go along with these many changes; not of his making.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Hardwick, through a series of events, is the luckiest coach in the AFL.

 

[easy_tiger]

My take on Hardwick is simple.

then you're in the perfect place td.

 

[Baron Samedi]

My take on Hardwick is simple. He is now a functioning “cog” in a functioning football department orchestrated by the club when it surrounded the failed 2016 coach with a much better selection of football people.

The clubs hand was forced when it extended Hardwicks contract before the start of the 2016 season which quickly turned into a train wreck largely of Hardwicks own making. The club surrounded their failed coach with good people pre the 2017 season, saved a lot of face and probably a few dollars and literally re-booted the footy department and things started happening, fortunately, in 2017.

Hardwick is as expendable as anybody else and while he continues to bring some human qualities to the playing group who genuinely appear to like the guy, and as long as this new machine continues to hum along, Hardwick will remain, certainly for the remainder of his contract.

What changes he has supposedly adopted were imposed upon him by the changes the club made in the football department and bringing in some new and better players and maneuvering to successfully trade out Vickery and Delidio. To his credit Hardwick has been smart enough to go along with these many changes; not of his making.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Hardwick, through a series of events, is the luckiest coach in the AFL.

Brilliant posting TD. Well articulated.

Yes, Dimma is playing his role. The less he does, the longer his career will last.

 

[The_General]

My take on Hardwick is simple. He is now a functioning “cog” in a functioning football department orchestrated by the club when it surrounded the failed 2016 coach with a much better selection of football people.

The clubs hand was forced when it extended Hardwicks contract before the start of the 2016 season which quickly turned into a train wreck largely of Hardwicks own making. The club surrounded their failed coach with good people pre the 2017 season, saved a lot of face and probably a few dollars and literally re-booted the footy department and things started happening, fortunately, in 2017.

Hardwick is as expendable as anybody else and while he continues to bring some human qualities to the playing group who genuinely appear to like the guy, and as long as this new machine continues to hum along, Hardwick will remain, certainly for the remainder of his contract.

What changes he has supposedly adopted were imposed upon him by the changes the club made in the football department and bringing in some new and better players and maneuvering to successfully trade out Vickery and Delidio. To his credit Hardwick has been smart enough to go along with these many changes; not of his making.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Hardwick, through a series of events, is the luckiest coach in the AFL.

Nice writing.

Any evidence that would support your theory? I find it hard to believe a head coach would basically sit there and say tell me what I should do so I can keep my job. Hardwick was a proud, feisty competitive bloke on the field. I can't see how he'd be any different off it.

That would extrapolate to me to: he'd want to do what's needed to become a better coach, he'd still back himself to perform and wouldn't become a patsy, he'd probably quit and try prove us wrong before sit there and essentially steal money from the club whilst others do the job he's paid for, for less. He's proud. I firmly believe he'd be the one with the hands on the reins telling the assistants what he wants from them.

 

[TheCan]

Brilliant posting TD. Well articulated.

Yes, Dimma is playing his role. The less he does, the longer his career will last.

are u what they call a darksider?

 

[Tigerdangerous]

Nice writing.

Any evidence that would support your theory? I find it hard to believe a head coach would basically sit there and say tell me what I should do so I can keep my job. Hardwick was a proud, feisty competitive bloke on the field. I can't see how he'd be any different off it.

That would extrapolate to me to: he'd want to do what's needed to become a better coach, he'd still back himself to perform and wouldn't become a patsy, he'd probably quit and try prove us wrong before sit there and essentially steal money from the club whilst others do the job he's paid for, for less. He's proud. I firmly believe he'd be the one with the hands on the reins telling the assistants what he wants from them.

The answer to your question in your first paragraph is quite simply money. Where else can Hardwick pick up a lazy 700 or 800 grand immersed in the sport his played most of his life.

He had always been a "cog" in the sides his played in and a side kick assistant coach until the Tigers gave him the head coach gig down at Punt Road. His accountant mentality worked up to a point but his stubborn mind-set proved to be his down fall as we all witnessed in 2016.

The club, not Hardwick has righted the ship because they had to in part because they had prematurely invested the clubs imnediate future to their struggling coach. I'm enjoying the ride like all Tiger supporters and can accept Hardwick's very obvious limitations as a coach for the moment because of the people around him that have through their appointments turned the ship around. Hardwick has rightly bought into these substantial changes.

 

[Sintiger]

My take on Hardwick is simple. He is now a functioning “cog” in a functioning football department orchestrated by the club when it surrounded the failed 2016 coach with a much better selection of football people.

The clubs hand was forced when it extended Hardwicks contract before the start of the 2016 season which quickly turned into a train wreck largely of Hardwicks own making. The club surrounded their failed coach with good people pre the 2017 season, saved a lot of face and probably a few dollars and literally re-booted the footy department and things started happening, fortunately, in 2017.

Hardwick is as expendable as anybody else and while he continues to bring some human qualities to the playing group who genuinely appear to like the guy, and as long as this new machine continues to hum along, Hardwick will remain, certainly for the remainder of his contract.

What changes he has supposedly adopted were imposed upon him by the changes the club made in the football department and bringing in some new and better players and maneuvering to successfully trade out Vickery and Delidio. To his credit Hardwick has been smart enough to go along with these many changes; not of his making.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Hardwick, through a series of events, is the luckiest coach in the AFL.

This is just coming from a position of bias against Dimma and is just a way of justifying a view.

There is no doubt that things have changed in the 2017 and that extends to administration, assistant coaches and also players. But what has also changed is the the game style and the way the coach himself has done his job. He is according to himself and many of the players less intense and with a more relaxed attitude. This has been said by many people at RFC during the year.

To think that improvement happens despite the coach, that the change has happened around him whilst he hasn't changed himself is amazing in it's naivety imo. It is just so obvious that Dimma is part of the change and that he is invested in it.

There is no way that a team could be where we are without the head coach being on board. To suggest otherwise is just interpreting events to suit a pre determined narrative in my view.

11 months ago I said I preferred him gone but I also said when Balme came in and assistants came in that I hoped it heralded a change in the way we played and approached games. It has and that is not just enormous credit to those who have come in but to those who brought them in and it is also to the enormous credit of Damien Hardwick who clearly accepted that he needed to change and improve and did.

 

[Baron Samedi]

This is just coming from a position of bias against Dimma and is just a way of justifying a view.

There is no doubt that things have changed in the 2017 and that extends to administration, assistant coaches and also players. But what has also changed is the the game style and the way the coach himself has done his job. He is according to himself and many of the players less intense and with a more relaxed attitude. This has been said by many people at RFC during the year.

To think that improvement happens despite the coach, that the change has happened around him whilst he hasn't changed himself is amazing in it's naivety imo. It is just so obvious that Dimma is part of the change and that he is invested in it.

There is no way that a team could be where we are without the head coach being on board. To suggest otherwise is just interpreting events to suit a pre determined narrative in my view.

11 months ago I said I preferred him gone but I also said when Balme came in and assistants came in that I hoped it heralded a change in the way we played and approached games. It has and that is not just enormous credit to those who have come in but to those who brought them in and it is also to the enormous credit of Damien Hardwick who clearly accepted that he needed to change and improve and did.

Sin, you know I respect your opinion, but you and others aren't getting it.

No one is saying Dimma isn't invested or that he hasn't learned anything.

We are saying he needed to he shown the way this season and there is little evidence he knows how ride the wave of ever changeable AFL tactics.

We caught the rest of the industry on the hop this year. What we do is different to what the Doggies did in 2016.

The dogs set up to apply frontal pressure in the midfield and hunt the ball there.

Our tweak is to load the F50 with speedy midgets and trap it once turned over. Further, our back six is better than theirs and our power forward also better.

While several oppo teams were scratching their heads in trying to quicken their midfield units without sacrificing the broad-chested ball winners they'd depended on, we were focusing on giving our young, fringe players a viable role up forward.

In doing so we've stretched the value and contribution of our bottom six and roared into a finals series without being taken apart (so far).

This won't happen every year. Clubs will either imitate the format or come up with a counter.

Hardwick is a loyal, team-first operator. Of course he will tow the line with a new boss above him and fresh innovation beneath. The man thought he was out of a job, and has often spoken of his gratitude to the club.

Those who criticise Hardwick aren't merely crusading against a man they don't like. There is plenty to like about Dimma. The problem is he didn't demonstrate the tactical edge required to see us into the top four for seven years. With the same core dozen players, many of whom are enjoying career best form in 2017 after going backwards in the old defensive style Dimma imposed.

Only after significant change around the head coach did true success arrive. I am a big believer in empirical evidence and any scientist will conclude that Dimma is probably not the dynamic force here.

Are things working for now? You bet.

But what happens when the next tactical challenge arrives? The moment when a clarkson type coach would tweak slightly to keep the club ahead of the game?

With the QF victory Dimma survives and will probably get an extension sometime next season. That's what the club will do and there's little point speculating otherwise.

It isn't ideal to have a coach with a tin ear for tactics at the top. If we can keep that coaching unit together, we might be alright. But flags can come down to the smallest decisions on game day, and I hope more than expect Hardwick is up to that particular challenge.

 

[toby64]

This thread more than any other has seen people make claims about things that they obviously know nothing about. So many baseless opinions have been represented as facts. So much *smile*.

About Hardwicks character, about the impact his "negative" coaching has had on the psyche of the players, how their poor goalkicking is due to his negativity, how he used to see players as Kpis rather than people, the way he had nothing to do with this years changes, how he was forced into change kicking and screaming, how he pulls the handbrake when we get 5 goals up in games, how he has had no input in the gameplan, how Balme has him under a tight rein, how he had to be sent overseas so they could change the gameplan, how when his drones are selected it's because he overrules the rest of the selectors, when kids are selected the rest of the selectors overrule him, how his motivational message isn't up to scratch.

How when we win it's the assistants who get the credit and when we lose it's the coach's fault. How every press conference would be pulled apart to find a sentence to take out of context and use against him. And on it goes.

All these 'facts' spewed forth by people who have not only never met the man so know nothing about his character, but have never set foot inside an afl club or an afl coaches box so therefore know nothing about what happens.

So much *smile*, yet despite how ridiculous it is, people keep spinning it.

 

[Baron Samedi]

This thread more than any other has seen people make claims about things that they obviously know nothing about. So many baseless opinions have been represented as facts. So much *smile*.

About Hardwicks character, about the impact his "negative" coaching has had on the psyche of the players, how their poor goalkicking is due to his negativity, how he used to see players as Kpis rather than people, the way he had nothing to do with this years changes, how he was forced into change kicking and screaming, how he pulls the handbrake when we get 5 goals up in games, how he has had no input in the gameplan, how Balme has him under a tight rein, how he had to be sent overseas so they could change the gameplan, how when his drones are selected it's because he overrules the rest of the selectors, when kids are selected the rest of the selectors overrule him, how his motivational message isn't up to scratch.

How when we win it's the assistants who get the credit and when we lose it's the coach's fault. How every press conference would be pulled apart to find a sentence to take out of context and use against him. And on it goes.

All these 'facts' spewed forth by people who have not only never met the man so know nothing about his character, but have never set foot inside an afl club or an afl coaches box so therefore know nothing about what happens.

So much *smile*, yet despite how ridiculous it is, people keep spinning it.

Speaking of *smile*, how about that Jack Riewoldt coming out and saying they were playing too defensively a couple of years ago?

Or Rance voicing his displeasure at the way the team was set up last year? Or the players who informed Ernst and Young that they felt they were being micro managed?

How about Leppa coming out with his dynamic new forward line? The players enthusiastically describing Caracella's invigorating ball movement?

Or the well publicised change in philosophy, voiced by almost every player and every coach in 2017, that encourages the players to maximise their offensive skill and 'just play'?

So much *smile*. Hang on...

Nah, in actual fact the only *smile* is coming from you Tobes.

You were blind on our list for many years and you're still blind now.

At least you're consistent in your lack of vision.

 

[asian tetley]

My take on Hardwick is simple. He is now a functioning “cog” in a functioning football department orchestrated by the club when it surrounded the failed 2016 coach with a much better selection of football people.

The clubs hand was forced when it extended Hardwicks contract before the start of the 2016 season which quickly turned into a train wreck largely of Hardwicks own making. The club surrounded their failed coach with good people pre the 2017 season, saved a lot of face and probably a few dollars and literally re-booted the footy department and things started happening, fortunately, in 2017.

Hardwick is as expendable as anybody else and while he continues to bring some human qualities to the playing group who genuinely appear to like the guy, and as long as this new machine continues to hum along, Hardwick will remain, certainly for the remainder of his contract.

What changes he has supposedly adopted were imposed upon him by the changes the club made in the football department and bringing in some new and better players and maneuvering to successfully trade out Vickery and Delidio. To his credit Hardwick has been smart enough to go along with these many changes; not of his making.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Hardwick, through a series of events, is the luckiest coach in the AFL.

Yep great post, am in full agreement.
Hardwick is without doubt the luckiest coach in the AFL.
He's had his bacon saved by the appointments instigated (long overdue) by the club.

How obvious was it that real changes were afoot ,when Hardwick headed off to the USA ,while Blake and co took over the pre season ?
Game plan turned on its head, not by Hardwick but by others.This has been spelt out by numerous people at the club,including Benny recently who praised Hardwick for accepting the change.
Hardwick simply had no choice ,he had to toe the line.

Now we find ourselves in a prelim, which is great.
IMO those changes came far too late, they should have been instigated years earlier.
That was a major failing by the club and resulted in more lost years.
It took a board challenge for the club to finally instigate change that was long overdue.
And look at the result!
Go tiges!

 

[taztiger4]

Yep great post, am in full agreement.
Hardwick is without doubt the luckiest coach in the AFL.
He's had his bacon saved by the appointments instigated (long overdue) by the club.

How obvious was it that real changes were afoot ,when Hardwick headed off to the USA ,while Blake and co took over the pre season ?
Game plan turned on its head, not by Hardwick but by others.This has been spelt out by numerous people at the club,including Benny recently who praised Hardwick for accepting the change.
Hardwick simply had no choice ,he had to toe the line.

Now we find ourselves in a prelim, which is great.
IMO those changes came far too late, they should have been instigated years earlier.
That was a major failing by the club and resulted in more lost years.
It took a board challenge for the club to finally instigate change that was long overdue.
And look at the result!
Go tiges!

hahahahahahahahahahahah yes Dr Hiscock whatever you say

 

[CarnTheTiges]

While I think the alterations to the coaching panel and the addition of a smart operator like Balme have clearly helped Hardwick, I don't think they can take all the credit as others do. How do people explain the recruiting of players like Butler, Rioli and Castagna? All part of the Richmond renaissance and all picked up by the club prior to the newcomers. The much vaunted (and rightly so) defence is composed of players that came to the club prior to 2017 and developed their strength before this year. That was largely done by Hardwick. The small forward line was pressed on the club by circumstances, and it's worked out. It's not something that the assistant coaches sat down and planned out in a room somewhere at Punt Rd, and somehow managed to hide the meeting from the senior coach. One thing that Hardwick did do over the off season was become more open to suggestions and less stubborn, had he remained as intractable as he had been prior to this year then I think we would have been out of the 8 and Hardwick probably would have been out of a job.

 

[asian tetley]

hahahahahahahahahahahah yes Dr Hiscock whatever you say

I can accept the fact that there will always be the odd Dimmer lover or two about.

 

[toby64]

Speaking of *smile*, how about that Jack Riewoldt coming out and saying they were playing too defensively a couple of years ago?

Or Rance voicing his displeasure at the way the team was set up last year? Or the players who informed Ernst and Young that they felt they were being micro managed?

How about Leppa coming out with his dynamic new forward line? The players enthusiastically describing Caracella's invigorating ball movement?

Or the well publicised change in philosophy, voiced by almost every player and every coach in 2017, that encourages the players to maximise their offensive skill and 'just play'?

So much *smile*. Hang on...

Nah, in actual fact the only *smile* is coming from you Tobes.

You were blind on our list for many years and you're still blind now.

At least you're consistent in your lack of vision.

As the biggest spinner of *smile* on this site Carts, not surprising you were the first to respond to my post.

Speaking of blind and a lack of vision...Do we have to revisit the rebuild thread again? :hihi

 

[gutfull]

To many experts on here hey Asian , your a Nayer and always WILL be.You should be head hunted by EVERY AFL club with knowledge , jeez give me and others a frigging break

Your a Hardwick hater , period , do me a favour and nuff nuff out big boy ...

 

[Baron Samedi]

To many experts on here hey Asian , your a Nayer and always WILL be.You should be head hunted by EVERY AFL club with knowledge , jeez give me and others a *smile*g break

Your a Hardwick hater , period , do me a favour and nuff nuff out big boy ...

As erudite as ever...

 

[asian tetley]

To many experts on here hey Asian , your a Nayer and always WILL be.You should be head hunted by EVERY AFL club with knowledge , jeez give me and others a *smile*g break

Your a Hardwick hater , period , do me a favour and nuff nuff out big boy ...

Well as I said always the odd Dimmer lover or two about.

 

[lamb22]

They should do another one of those mastercard priceless ads. The voice over could go:

Drive Ferrarri with handbrake on - poor car

Someone tells you to release handbrake and you refuse - person of conviction

Someone tells you again and you refuse - stoic

Someone yells at you that if you don't release the handbrake they'll snot you and you finally release the handbrake - genius.

 

[tigersnake]

To many experts on here hey Asian , your a Nayer and always WILL be.You should be head hunted by EVERY AFL club with knowledge , jeez give me and others a *smile*g break

Your a Hardwick hater , period , do me a favour and nuff nuff out big boy ...

Fantastic post guts. Tops 8-