Strategy A serious thread about Dimma's future

[Brad_12345]

Not so. Many (including me) thought we would win or go close.

Yep me too, its typical richmond, we are too predictable, lose a game we should win and win a game we should lose even though we lost this one somehow, its the same old crap year in year out, we are mentally fragile, dont have enough leaders to stand up when the game is on the line, the thing that worrys me now is the effect of 3 close losses, i felt that collingwood game last year ****ed us for the rest of the year and you just wonder how they will back up now after 3 close losses

 

[HTT]

I said something along these lines yesterday. Everyone hailing our new improved game plan, but in effect, has it really been successful.
We are not kicking winning score and are being held together by our back half, most noticeably Rance, who somehow continues to get better, and Astbury (yes I did just say that) and Grimes. We've beaten who we should and lost accordingly against those I feared we would. A few of the wins haven't been thta impressive and a few of the losses haven't been good, masked by close results. We are playing a maximum two good quarters each week.

That's the big question - I think it can and will be successful. As I said, our endurance isn't able to sustain the game plan for a whole game, but with another pre season it will improve. Something tells me the clubs made the best of its (at least for now) mistake in signing him to such a long contract, and said to Dimma "you're safe for this year" and he's using it as a stepping stone. I think it's not necessarily a game plan that will be best for us this year - but they're intention is that it will be best in the next couple of years.

 

[HTT]

He needs to go. Yesterday only justified that. He has had 8 years in the job and hasn't won a final nor built a team capable of winning the flag. Is this team capable of winning the premiership after 8 years? NOPE.

Hardwick will never win a flag with this club.

Have we lost a final yet this year?

 

[TheCotchyBear]

Have we lost a final yet this year?

Why be a smartarse? Simply making the point we have never won a final under Hardwick and he has had 8 years in the job.

No other coach in the history of the competition has been given that amount of time without successfully competing.

You disagree with that?

 

[BF Tiger]

Have we lost a final yet this year?

He has to make the finals to have that opportunity.

 

[HTT]

Why be a smartarse? Simply making the point we have never won a final under Hardwick and he has had 8 years in the job.

No other coach in the history of the competition has been given that amount of time without successfully competing.

You disagree with that?

I'm pretty sick of that reason to sack him tbh. It's been 20 months since we actually lost one and clearly the entire coaching structure has been overhauled since. Its been about 8 months since the mini rebuild began, and with 4 months until finals, our improvement has been pretty significant. What's to suggest that in 4 months we couldn't win a final? If losing 3 finals was a reason to sack him, he would've been sacked in 2015.

 

[Achilles Heel]

That's the big question - I think it can and will be successful. As I said, our endurance isn't able to sustain the game plan for a whole game, but with another pre season it will improve. Something tells me the clubs made the best of its (at least for now) mistake in signing him to such a long contract, and said to Dimma "you're safe for this year" and he's using it as a stepping stone. I think it's not necessarily a game plan that will be best for us this year - but they're intention is that it will be best in the next couple of years.

After 20 preseasons with hardwick the penny may drop

 

[Cactus_]

I didn't say I wasn't enjoying it, of course itl's a better spectacle - and I do agree we have improved, in some areas.
But has the game plan radically changed us?
Sadly, that is determined by win-loss record.

With due respect I don't think this is true.

Game plan is an important element that goes into determining a win loss but it isn't the only factor. Umpires for one. Luck. Injuries. 17 other coachs many of them changing their game plans. Etc. Stating the obvious I know but still.

 

[Cactus_]

I'm confident as long as Cotch, Dusty, Jack and Rance stay on the park that we'll make the finals. Whether we actually win one however ... well, there is going to be an absolute mountain of pressure on the boys if we do get that far.

But if the wheels do come off and Dimma does get shown the door I just hope we appoint someone as good or better than him to take his place. And before the inevitable chorus of "no one could be worse", two words: Terry Wallace.

 

[aislegi]

He's got atleast 2 things going for him atm.

Playing a good/decent brand of footy
Playing & sticking with the Youth

A brand of football currently yielding 88 points per game.

As for youth, we don't have a single player under 25 who would be a walk-up start at a top club.

 

[aislegi]

But if the wheels do come off and Dimma does get shown the door I just hope we appoint someone as good or better than him to take his place. And before the inevitable chorus of "no one could be worse", two words: Terry Wallace.

I don't get it. The two ninth placings that Terry Wallace achieved in his first four years weren't enough for him to see out his fifth year but somehow the board thinks getting beaten in the first week of finals is such a massive improvement that they need to give Hardwick eight years!

 

[aislegi]

Excuse me, the above is what I replied to.
WTF has the below have to do with it.

It's not good enough to run around backslapping because we've been compeititive. That's been the case, at times, for a long time. The question is: Where is the talent/improvement that is going to take us somewhere going to come from?

 

[HTT]

After 20 preseasons with hardwick the penny may drop

I believe the penny dropped prior to this season

 

[aislegi]

Yep me too, its typical richmond, we are too predictable, lose a game we should win and win a game we should lose even though we lost this one somehow, its the same old crap year in year out, we are mentally fragile, dont have enough leaders to stand up when the game is on the line, the thing that worrys me now is the effect of 3 close losses, i felt that collingwood game last year ****** us for the rest of the year and you just wonder how they will back up now after 3 close losses

Gut feeling is a loss at Dreamtime

 

[Tiger2709]

It's more that we are having 0-1 goal final quarters and giving up 5+ goal leads frequently

5 gettable goals that would have sealed the game then an unfortunate but correct call at the end catching us out of position, not sure that is Hardwicks fault?

 

[theyellowsash]

5 gettable goals that would have sealed the game then an unfortunate but correct call at the end catching us out of position, not sure that is Hardwicks fault?

It's hardwicks job to teach the players how to deal with pressure situations in tight games, and prevent the opposition getting on a huge run. If particular players can't handle this, then it's his responsibility to drop them and replace then with ones that can. This is the most important thing for a coach to do, because all finals will be high pressure environments.

That this is still happening after 8 years means he has failed in this regard, and shows that he cannot coach a club to win a final.

 

[Rayzorwire]

And before the inevitable chorus of "no one could be worse", two words: Terry Wallace.

Wallace was voted coach of the year by his peers back when he had the good fortune to be with a club that didn't stab him in the back and undermine him at the highest levels from the very first year onwards.

The only award Hardwick will finish his career with is most failed coach in football history. And no doubt he'll still hold that record centuries from now, given no other club in their right mind will ever allow a coach to fail that miserably ever again.

 

[theyellowsash]

Wallace was far from the worst coach we have had. Crawley, geishen, walls were all worse.

 

[SportsCentre]

I don't get it. The two ninth placings that Terry Wallace achieved in his first four years weren't enough for him to see out his fifth year but somehow the board thinks getting beaten in the first week of finals is such a massive improvement that they need to give Hardwick eight years!

On surface value, this is true.
I had family involved with the inner runnings of the Bulldogs when Wallace was there, and I would suggest that from what I know through that and the whispers you hear about his Richmond tenure, removing Wallace had a lot to do with internal troubles piled on top of his win / loss record. For everything that is said about Hardwick, the players love him. Players (and staff) didn't like Wallace.

 

[Tiger2709]

It's hardwicks job to teach the players how to deal with pressure situations in tight games, and prevent the opposition getting on a huge run. If particular players can't handle this, then it's his responsibility to drop them and replace then with ones that can. This is the most important thing for a coach to do, because all finals will be high pressure environments.

That this is still happening after 8 years means he has failed in this regard, and shows that he cannot coach a club to win a final.

Yep true but lets see how this year pans out teams are winning big one week losing the next so he may achieve that goal if not then yeah we need to make a change, not sure that our board will make it though.

 

[aislegi]

On surface value, this is true.
I had family involved with the inner runnings of the Bulldogs when Wallace was there, and I would suggest that from what I know through that and the whispers you hear about his Richmond tenure, removing Wallace had a lot to do with internal troubles piled on top of his win / loss record. For everything that is said about Hardwick, the players love him. Players (and staff) didn't like Wallace.

That's right and that's a big part of why he was sacked, as I understand it, but I just think there's a massive degree of wrongness about retaining a coach for no other reason than that he's popular with players. As others have said, the culture needs to change. This cosiness where everyone is happy with everyone and everyone thinks everyone is a good bloke is all well and good but it's not taking us anywhere.

 

[MightyTiger]

Need to bring Wallsy to the club and use some of his old training methods, get the players punching on with one another to harden up, need to stop playing like boys and act like men, get angry, become arrogant, attitude stinks and it needs to change.

Sent from my HTC 2PS6200 using Tapatalk

 

[SportsCentre]

That's right and that's a big part of why he was sacked, as I understand it, but I just think there's a massive degree of wrongness about retaining a coach for no other reason than that he's popular with players. As others have said, the culture needs to change. This cosiness where everyone is happy with everyone and everyone thinks everyone else is a good bloke is all well and good but it's not taking us anywhere.

I agree. The players are comfortable and play without fear of consequence / accountability.

 

[aislegi]

I agree. The players are comfortable and play without fear of consequence / accountability.

Moreover, the board remind me of the type of punter who keeps backing a horse that keeps getting beaten because they can't bear to own up to the fact that they got it wrong

 

[BF Tiger]

I agree. The players are comfortable and play without fear of consequence / accountability.

He's actually so proud of them.