When will Bernie go !!

[Al Bundy]

X2

X3

 

[Ridley]

Its not tigersnake, most of us just want someone else to admit they were wrong. I was wrong on Dimma, yes he has had assistance, but you have to acknowledge the man is a fantastic "coach" because that is what he is. He's won my respect, and it's not difficult to accept I was wrong. I've been wrong on Caddy, wrong on Astbury (thought he was too slow to make it), wrong on Houli (thought he would bottle it in the GF).......and I was wrong on Dimma, they did the right thing to extend his contract and get rid of the assistants they did.

Hopefully with some reflection the baron can come back with some perspective.

We're all tiger supporters after all.

Good post. I was wrong on Dimma. What he and the club have achieved this year is truly remarkable.

 

[Harry]

I wanted Hardwick gone last year.

I was so so wrong about that. Should have trusted Benny and Peggy to do the right, measured thing.

To be fair to those on the new coach bandwagon in previous years, there was good reason for that perspective. The club recognised those weaknesses, but this is where a well run organisation with good people at the helm is a better decision making mechanism than mug supporters with a keyboard. They didn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. They built on the strengths Hardwick has and brought in support for those weaknesses. Namely:

1. Unsuccessful Game plan: Caracella was brought in as 'ball movement' coach and completely redirected our game plan.
2. Players not being played to their strengths: Recruiter review identified players being played out of position, with recruiters suggesting new roles for established players (particularly Cotchin, Martin, Riewoldt, Ellis and Vlastuin).
3. Non functional forward line: Leppitsch has been credited as the brains behind the mosquito fleet. That is, not using three talls in the forward line, and relying on pressure by speed.
4. On field/off field leadership: Neil Balme has had all sorts of influence this year. Things that have been reported - Reminding Hardwick that he needs to give on field leaders more responsibility on game day. Stream lining the leadership group to three people, who are our best and most obvious leaders. And lastly, providing a consistent message of confidence and enjoyment around the club while taking on some media responsibilities allowing Dimma to focus on his duties.

Now, to Hardwick's credit, his focus has always been on pressure, turnovers, and contested ball, with his planning over the last seven years laying the foundations for the finished product this year. Without that, Caracella's ball movement, Leppitch's forward line and the recruitment teams player positioning would have amounted to nought.

He also had the humility and ability to adapt, learn, listen and grow this year. A skill which should not be underestimated in the alpha personality of an AFL coach.

And critically, there is no other person in Australia who could have had the players playing for them as they did for him. The absolute buy in, the retaining of Dusty, the team culture and relationship, none of these things would have happened had Hardwick been jettisoned last year. And we would absolutely have not won a premiership without them.

Those who said that the only way for our club to have success was to sack Hardwick were inarguably wrong, and should accept that.

But a lot of the criticisms they had were justified, accurate, recognised and rectified by the club.

I'm just so damn happy that my club is run by smarter football and managerial people than the mug supporters, myself included.

And I loved seeing Dimma lifting the cup with Cotchy. Not sure the celebrations, the emotion, of the day would have been anywhere near as fulfilling the players without the man who has guided them for the last 8 years. They won it for him, as much as themselves.

Good post. Agree.

Those that wanted him sacked were of the oppinion that he was the problem. Hardwick even admitted to this.

Thought he couldn't turn it around and was entrenched in his ways but credit to him he proved me wrong.

 

[TigerForce]

Antman, i now expect you to walk.

this image above, posted at 10.21pm, represents a clear failure on your behalf to ignore my posts.

almost every poster on PRE is aware of our agreement. they will know it was agreed on both sides.

this isn't about banter, it's about stalking, plain and simple.

I have notified Rosy and am hoping she can assist.

this is a serious matter and I expect you to keep your word.

Regardless of antman choosing to do the right thing, as of tonight, I am going on hiatus from PRE.

I stand by my opinions but many are unpopular and I seem to have ruffled too many feathers :hihi

I respect the site and its vast majority of posters, and appreciate the casual analysis it has offered.

I'll drop back in around September next year.

Go Tigers!

When we miss the 8? :hihi

 

[RedanTiger]

I supported Dimma until late last year as I felt he couldn't teach the players properly. I wondered what was going on. Now we know that he and the club were able to fix the issues and go forward with a new focus and attitude.
at the grand final to see all players VFL and GF team together was genius. Giving all the players a chance to share in the glory and pointers for the future.
the mindfulness stuff is brilliant. The greatest difference that has benefited us. All players are fit, can do what is required of them. But the mind games are most important. And Dimma conquered that.

Dusty was the one to call for all players to join the song. You can see it on screen.
Cotchin got Graham to help carry the cup into the rooms.
A lot of the VFL boys joined the team on field for the celebrations.
All these things were brilliant IMO but to tie them directly to Dimma is a bit of a stretch.
He may well have created, or at least helped to create, an environment where this sort of care for others is automatic but I think it was a whole of club attitude.
Most clubs would have barred VFL players from the playing arena and singing the song. We did not. Huge statement, huge.
This is my post from start of year.

I think a lot of the decisions are coming from the top, and by that I mean Gale and the board.

Whatever happens I am so pleased to see a glimmer of excitement among the playing group that I haven't seen for many, many years.

Harry is correct. Hardwick himself has said he was the biggest problem.
Hardwick deserves the most credit for looking at himself and seeing that he had to change and wholeheartedly committing to that change.
I was wrong in wanting him gone because I could not see how he could/would change.
Roy Masters (former NRL coach and current commentator ) has said that he was amazed that Dimma did not "fall on his sword when his assistants were all sacked". I agree.

Hardwick re-invented himself and in turn re-invented the club.
He well may have re-invented AFL coaching.

 

[Baloo]

Hardwick said he was his own biggest problem, not the clubs. The in-depth review gave Dimma the thumbs up, the assistants went. The word is the footy dept we’re intent on fixing what was wrong with players which gave the whole team a negative undertone.

Now the focus is what’s great about the player and how we can best use that. That’s not only a Dimma thing, it’s a footy dept thing.

But the touchy-feely, bare it all, do everything you can to make your teammate successful psyche the team has is only authentic if it starts at the top, and the Top is Dimma.

 

[Mappa]

Hardwick said he was his own biggest problem, not the clubs. The in-depth review gave Dimma the thumbs up, the assistants went. The word is the footy dept we’re intent on fixing what was wrong with players which gave the whole team a negative undertone.

Now the focus is what’s great about the player and how we can best use that. That’s not only a Dimma thing, it’s a footy dept thing.

But the touchy-feely, bare it all, do everything you can to make your teammate successful psyche the team has is only authentic if it starts at the top, and the Top is Dimma.

Unfortunately not an easy pill to swallow for some.

Not really sure why some need to marginalise the success of this year and the coach by wanting to prove themselves right.

Doesn’t really seem very Richmond like to me.

No doubt many mistakes were made, but in the end it’s just a beautiful piece of history to savour.

What cannot be forgiven is some of the personal attack stuff that’s littered through this thread and others, some of the commentary was pure gutter bile including christening Dimma, Bernie.

 

[lamb22]

Mappa, Baloo, pot, kettle, self reflection.

We are all celebrating a great win. Stop fighting the war to argue that you are right.

Great article by Caro which I posted in the journo's section which outlines what the review found about the game plan and what the PLAYERS (Flossy and Jack) thought about previous year's coaching. We don't need your interpretations.

Show some generosity and grace and for god sake keep enjoying (which I know you are).

Go Tiges

 

[Mappa]

Lambs we’ve had a year of your interpretation and expertise along with a few others.

This isn’t about being right or wrong.

This is about showing a little pride in your club, your coach and your team when things aren’t going so well, and not trying to rip the guts out of all and sundry, just because you can

No doubt we are all enjoying the premiership, but it still doesn’t excuse some of the vitriol expressed, in past pages.

 

[RedanTiger]

Hardwick said he was his own biggest problem, not the clubs. The in-depth review gave Dimma the thumbs up, the assistants went. The word is the footy dept we’re intent on fixing what was wrong with players which gave the whole team a negative undertone.

Now the focus is what’s great about the player and how we can best use that. That’s not only a Dimma thing, it’s a footy dept thing.

But the touchy-feely, bare it all, do everything you can to make your teammate successful psyche the team has is only authentic if it starts at the top, and the Top is Dimma.

I don't know how you can separate the two between Hardwick being his own biggest problem and how that affects his coaching and thus the club's fortunes.
"I was probably the worst thing for us at that stage," admitted the coach

You've conflated together two separate reviews. Hardwick was NOT endorsed by the i'in-depth" review.
The first was a review, as per the following, by Gale and Richardson into Hardwicks coaching before his extension in March, 2016.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/richmond-tigers/afl-2016-damien-hardwick-resigns-with-richmond-football-club-until-2018-20160316-gnkrd6.html

The second was by Ernst and Young during the 2016 season and looked at the whole of the Football Department, that led to the assistant changes.
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2016-09-12/football-department-structure-changes

So the Gale review gave Hardwick the "thumbs up" and he was given an extension in March.
The "in-depth review" gave the thumbs down to the department and thus changes were made - assistants, Balme etc - in September.

The "touchy-feely" psyche which you credit to Dimma I think was much wider than that and is described IMO in February link I placed in my last post.
The top is not the senior coach, it is the board.

 

[tigersnake]

Mappa, Baloo, pot, kettle, self reflection.

We are all celebrating a great win. Stop fighting the war to argue that you are right.

Great article by Caro which I posted in the journo's section which outlines what the review found about the game plan and what the PLAYERS (Flossy and Jack) thought about previous year's coaching. We don't need your interpretations.

Show some generosity and grace and for god sake keep enjoying (which I know you are).

Go Tiges

nah. I don't think anybody thought Dimma was perfect, and most at least had some doubts after last season. Difference was that the club, and many of us, backed him to learn from his mistakes and improve. Great victories are forged in the furnace of failure, and the best sports stories are ones of redemption.

while as I said, many had their doubts, and fair enough, they still got behind us. What stuck in my craw personally, was the total lack of grace, generosity and perspective displayed by a small minority, probs 5-8 posters, who relentlessly and obnoxiously white anted and bagged the club and the coach and anybody who disagreed. ALL year! I have never in my life seen so much labouring of the point, and in the face of clear evidence that they might be wrong (early) and then that they are wrong (last month). That small minority deserve a whack. Thats all. Its no big deal. Nobody dies.

 

[Harry]

The football department had been scrutinised by a tough external review that ultimately saw the penny drop with Hardwick that the game plan had to change.

The above is key. Had he persisted with his game plan he would have been sacked by now. Credit to him for listening and embracing change.

 

[lamb22]

Exactly Harry. Sometimes near death experiences bring real clarity, Kudos to Dimma.

The key is set out below in comments by Flossy

And yet Vlastuin likened the Tigers in his first four seasons as a puzzle that Hardwick was attempting to put together with square pieces. "It's hard to explain but it's like we were building a puzzle but all trying to be the same shape," the 23-year-old defender said.

"Now the puzzle has started to come together because we're all different shapes and the coaches are celebrating that and not so much talking about what we're doing wrong.

"In previous years we've been told what to do but this year he's stood back and not taken control. He gave the players a voice. He's been unreal. Dan Rioli does his thing, Dusty does his thing and I do my thing.

"Last year we were over-coached but now everything's changed, including the game plan."

Like you've said before allowing a team to play to its strengths and releasing the handbrake can do wonders.

 

[spook]

Like it Spook but I can't agree.

We lost a couple of close ones in 2013 and 2015 that came down to tactical inflexibility.

Should've finished top four in both. With a double chance, who knows?

Let's not rewrite history into 2013-2017 being some gradual ascent.

Dimma had a willing, talented list five years ago. He stalled and couldn't get the gear stick back in for a long time.

Having a flag under the belt feels amazing but Dimma will always be a tin-eared coach for mine.

I'm not rewriting history, I'm laying it out. 2013-17 was absolutely a gradual ascent, with dips and bumps like any road.

You are living in What-if Land, postulating about a fictional parallel universe. Seriously, 'who knows' what would have happened if we'd finished top 4 in 2013 or 2015? We didn't. That's history. 'Who knows' is mental masturbation.

 

[Tigertool]

Exactly Harry. Sometimes near death experiences bring real clarity, Kudos to Dimma.

The key is set out below in comments by Flossy

And yet Vlastuin likened the Tigers in his first four seasons as a puzzle that Hardwick was attempting to put together with square pieces. "It's hard to explain but it's like we were building a puzzle but all trying to be the same shape," the 23-year-old defender said.

"Now the puzzle has started to come together because we're all different shapes and the coaches are celebrating that and not so much talking about what we're doing wrong.

"In previous years we've been told what to do but this year he's stood back and not taken control. He gave the players a voice. He's been unreal. Dan Rioli does his thing, Dusty does his thing and I do my thing.

"Last year we were over-coached but now everything's changed, including the game plan."

Like you've said before allowing a team to play to its strengths and releasing the handbrake can do wonders.

The way Vlastuin explains it is how I've explained it to friends. He wanted everyone to be the exact same colour.

Our Big 4 are all fantastic players, but none of their strengths were utilized. Quickest evidence was that dusty kicked 9 goals last year. A bit of freedom for Dustin to make his own decisions this year and he kicks 37.

Dimma would have been just as happy with 22 Taylor Hunts in 2016. Each of them do their job, nothing fancy.

Amazing really, that with everything he can think of on the line in 2017, he risks it all by doing something completely new and untried to him by letting go of control.

Phenomenal really.

 

[tigersnake]

You are living in What-if Land, postulating about a fictional parallel universe.

thats it. This would've happened if we'd done that, and that would have happened if we'd done this. All-seeing multiverse oracle apparently, Crazy.

 

[Coburgtiger]

Exactly Harry. Sometimes near death experiences bring real clarity, Kudos to Dimma.

The key is set out below in comments by Flossy

And yet Vlastuin likened the Tigers in his first four seasons as a puzzle that Hardwick was attempting to put together with square pieces. "It's hard to explain but it's like we were building a puzzle but all trying to be the same shape," the 23-year-old defender said.

"Now the puzzle has started to come together because we're all different shapes and the coaches are celebrating that and not so much talking about what we're doing wrong.

"In previous years we've been told what to do but this year he's stood back and not taken control. He gave the players a voice. He's been unreal. Dan Rioli does his thing, Dusty does his thing and I do my thing.

"Last year we were over-coached but now everything's changed, including the game plan."

Reckon this was a big problem for a long time, and one of the great big fixes this year.

I actually posted something similar early 2016

The biggest issue is that attacking players are being coached out of their greatest assets and attributes, and it's stalling the talented kids. There can't be a one size fits all method of 'you have to be a team of 22 defenders'. They need to harness the individual attributes of the talent that exists, not homogenise them, and cull those that don't conform.

This is why Ellis, Conca, Lennon and Cotchin have struggled Mcdonough was lost, McBean is going backwards and I'm worried about C Ellis.

I'm a teacher, and if I told all my students they have to be good at one particular thing, and ignore any other relevant attributes, I would lose most of them. Not the exact same situation, but you have to learn how to foster and develop talents into something you can use. Work from the positives.

Ellis and Cotchy and Conca until his injury were some of the big improvers once we switched philosophies this year. Embracing the individual for their strengths, rather than homogenising the group to expose their weaknesses, actual creates a much more cohesive, and enjoyable jigsaw.

 

[Baloo]

The "touchy-feely" psyche which you credit to Dimma I think was much wider than that and is described IMO in February link I placed in my last post.
The top is not the senior coach, it is the board.

You misunderstood me. Dimma had to be bought in, totally and genuinely before the assistants and players could buy in. He had to ultimately own it. Whether it was put to him or he was part of the team that came up with the idea I don’t. But he had to embrace it and lead it.

In a football team, the top is the head coach.

 

[123cups]

Does anyone know how much Dimma's leadership course at Harvard influenced his change in philosophy? Was it his idea to go? Did the changes begin before he left?

 

[Baloo]

Does anyone know how much Dimma's leadership course at Harvard influenced his change in philosophy? Was it his idea to go? Did the changes begin before he left?

He made mention of it. Said the universal feedback was he didn’t ask enough questions.