Chocco Interview

[Achilles Heel]

If I remember rightly it was last year when I was hearing new players talking about how they were told to just get out there and play their best footy. Don't think this instinctive footy is a sudden off season thought.

That seems to say the coaching team had NFI......which was glaringly obvious three years ago

 

[TigerImposter]

Well said

Im of the view hardwick can coach. He got us enough wins to get into finals and we definitely beat some quality sides on the way there... My questions are can he adapt and take us further with new ideas and a new footy department?

If yes, he stays on to see out 2018.
If not, hes gone and its time for someone new.

I think DH gave his best Presser today and pretty well admitting to things Chocco mentioned.
It appears he knows he's lucky to be alive in the job.Also Caracella I see has moved into ball movement coach.

DH's first official press/media conference for 2017 ...

VIDEO: http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2017-02-23/hardwick-press-conference-february-23

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a "sense of freshness" around the club after a raft of off-season changes, Hardwick said he embraced the pressure he would be under in 2017.

The Tigers are yet to win a final in the coach's seven seasons and 157 games in charge, and his contract expires at the end of 2018.

Hardwick said the bar from Richmond was to make the finals in 2017.

"I don't apologise for putting the expectation bar up high, that's the sort of club we are and the person I am," he said.

"It's a pressure industry and we know what we're in for … I know what my job is. My job is to get the best out of the group I've got at my disposal.

"Where that leads us, I'm pretty confident … my expectation is that we play finals."

Richmond is yet to announce its leadership group for 2017, but Hardwick said he was confident Trent Cotchin would remain captain.

The coach said Jack Riewoldt's leadership had improved every year and he would remain a leader in his own right regardless of whether he was promoted into an official role.

Hardwick also addressed the key forward's on-field role and said Riewoldt would play deeper in attack as long as Richmond's ball-use improved.

Moving the ball quicker had been a focus over the pre-season, specifically improving the "connection from half-back to half forward".

New assistant coach Blake Caracella has been placed in charge of ball-movement, with the Tigers' stunted transition from defence last year one of the team's biggest issues.

Hardwick said the recruitment of midfielders Josh Caddy and Dion Prestia would allow star on-ballers Martin and Cotchin to rotate forward more frequently.

Formerly a defender, Nick Vlastuin will also be placed into a group of inside midfielders who rotate forward.

Hardwick said star defender Alex Rance (hamstring tendonitis) would be fit to play during the JLT Community Series, as would half-back Bachar Houli (hamstring soreness).

Source: AFL website

 

[Goldust]

From The Age

Hardwick revealed one of the team's main focuses over the summer was improving ball movement from defence to attack. He also conceded his players may have been "over-coached" last season.

"We want our players to play to their strengths," he said. "We've got to free them up a bit."

Jack Riewoldt has spent the last three seasons out of the club's leadership group but Hardwick said the leadership the star forward provided wasn't dependent on beingin the leadership group.

"He's a leader in his own right," Hardwick said.

"The fact of the matter is Jack's leadership has improved every year. Whether we've got leaders above him or beyond him, we've only got a certain amount of spots for leaders. We don't have a large leadership group. If we have 10 then he's probably in, if we've got five then it's probably touch and go."

Mark Williams humbly accepts some of you blokes' apologies

 

[Achilles Heel]

From The Age

Hardwick revealed one of the team's main focuses over the summer was improving ball movement from defence to attack. He also conceded his players may have been "over-coached" last season.

"We want our players to play to their strengths," he said. "We've got to free them up a bit."

Jack Riewoldt has spent the last three seasons out of the club's leadership group but Hardwick said the leadership the star forward provided wasn't dependent on beingin the leadership group.

"He's a leader in his own right," Hardwick said.

"The fact of the matter is Jack's leadership has improved every year. Whether we've got leaders above him or beyond him, we've only got a certain amount of spots for leaders. We don't have a large leadership group. If we have 10 then he's probably in, if we've got five then it's probably touch and go."

Mark Williams humbly accepts some of you blokes' apologies

Nothing in that that the great unwashed haven't said, although still his supporters deny

 

[Achilles Heel]

I think DH gave his best Presser today and pretty well admitting to things Chocco mentioned.
It appears he knows he's lucky to be alive in the job.Also Caracella I see has moved into ball movement coach.

DH's first official press/media conference for 2017 ...

VIDEO: http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2017-02-23/hardwick-press-conference-february-23

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a "sense of freshness" around the club after a raft of off-season changes, Hardwick said he embraced the pressure he would be under in 2017.

The Tigers are yet to win a final in the coach's seven seasons and 157 games in charge, and his contract expires at the end of 2018.

Hardwick said the bar from Richmond was to make the finals in 2017.

"I don't apologise for putting the expectation bar up high, that's the sort of club we are and the person I am," he said.

"It's a pressure industry and we know what we're in for … I know what my job is. My job is to get the best out of the group I've got at my disposal.

"Where that leads us, I'm pretty confident … my expectation is that we play finals."

Richmond is yet to announce its leadership group for 2017, but Hardwick said he was confident Trent Cotchin would remain captain.

The coach said Jack Riewoldt's leadership had improved every year and he would remain a leader in his own right regardless of whether he was promoted into an official role.

Hardwick also addressed the key forward's on-field role and said Riewoldt would play deeper in attack as long as Richmond's ball-use improved.

Moving the ball quicker had been a focus over the pre-season, specifically improving the "connection from half-back to half forward".

New assistant coach Blake Caracella has been placed in charge of ball-movement, with the Tigers' stunted transition from defence last year one of the team's biggest issues.

Hardwick said the recruitment of midfielders Josh Caddy and Dion Prestia would allow star on-ballers Martin and Cotchin to rotate forward more frequently.

Formerly a defender, Nick Vlastuin will also be placed into a group of inside midfielders who rotate forward.

Hardwick said star defender Alex Rance (hamstring tendonitis) would be fit to play during the JLT Community Series, as would half-back Bachar Houli (hamstring soreness).

Source: AFL website

Let's wait till after a game before we praise his pressers, I'm still waiting for the cream

 

[TigerImposter]

Let's wait till after a game before we praise his pressers, I'm still waiting for the cream

What happened to your Barbie bus?Have you resorted to riding around Australia on a scooter with your bitch?
It appears he's passed first base and realized he with his team had failed and he's now moved on from his L's to Red P plates.

 

[Achilles Heel]

What happened to your Barbie bus?Have you resorted to riding around Australia on a scooter with your bitch?
It appears he's passed first base and realized he with his team had failed and he's now moved on from his L's to Red P plates.

 

[TigerImposter]

Awesome

 

[Phar Ace]

You'd know more than me. But it seems like Dimma is a damn good motivator and has a great understanding of footy. But he seems poor at reflection on why things happen. After losing finals we changed the game plan significantly, but he seems not to have worked out that there are more ways to change things up than to alter the game plan. i.e. 1) only in 2017 do we have a decent inside mid set up, and small forwards of quality (drafting, recruitment and trading), 2) the on field leadership and direction/control by that group in games has been poor (giving control to players and working on them being smarter and having agency to do things themselves), 3) trying to create super smart set ups like Jack being more a mid than forward and not changing when it doesn't work so well for the team's performance, 4) the development of cliques at the club that required outside intervention after the crap 2016 season to breakup (reportedly).

If he can be made to challenge his wordview in real time rather than just after each season I reckon he could be a great coach. But the ability to look hard at yourself and make good changes is rare (just look at our pollies ). I wonder if he can adjust and learn to take a more expansive view of what he does.

I wish Dimma was a damn good motivator. He has said he doesn't use pre-game and during game motivation as a rule. He believes process is far more important. He loves robots - and if you have enough good ones, why not! I understand his logic, in a game of maths he would be right. "Player C2 to quadrant 35 then kick to sector A B or J. Where is Player D4? He's meant to be protecting player C2, no, no, no. Get back to sector D. OK. Ctrl Alt Delete, reset."

That was season 2014 - when it all went out the window we started winning games, 9 in a row. Scraped into the finals courtesy of a win over an under-manned Swans in Round 23. That year we beat just 3 of the 7 other finalists (arguable 2 if you question the Swans win as a gift), all in the run home of 9 wins. We had 9 shots at those 7 finalists. We had 13 games at the other the 10 and won 9. Statistically we were the 9th best team that season but we player finals, or kind of did.

Season 2015 was better, just. Another slow start, so Dimma lost his nerve again with his refinement of the 2014 process - you could see the game plan change after being 2 / 4. We play Collingwood who were playing like us but at 4 / 2. Instead of chipping around like we did the last 6 week (Collingwood was doing that better than us anyway), Deledio and Cotchin played with freedom, Jack kicked 4 and we were a football team again. There was run and carry, rarely did we kick to the pockets to force a stoppage. It turned things around. We won another 12 after that. 4 against other finalists (though do you really want to count the win against North 2nds?) Again we played finalists 9 times that season. Statistically we were the 7th best team - an improvement, we lost another final but not like the year before and not against 9th place Carlton. Dimma got contract extension. You'd think he'd learn from that. Then came 2016. Process overload.

Our best year was 2013, despite that loss to Carlton. The 4th best team statistically, we should have gone much further.

This is probably the first year our list has genuinely and markedly improved since 2013. Our coaching staff have arguably improved too. Can Dimma coach? - of course he can. But he needs to release the process shackles until there is enough proven robots. I think that is what Chocco was saying. Overcoached? There is probably enough anecdotal and statistical information to suggest it.

 

[Achilles Heel]

I wish Dimma was a damn good motivator. He has said he doesn't use pre-game and during game motivation as a rule. He believes process is far more important. He loves robots - and if you have enough good ones, why not! I understand his logic, in a game of maths he would be right. "Player C2 to quadrant 35 then kick to sector A B or J. Where is Player D4? He's meant to be protecting player C2, no, no, no. Get back to sector D. OK. Ctrl Alt Delete, reset."

That was season 2014 - when it all went out the window we started winning games, 9 in a row. Scraped into the finals courtesy of a win over an under-manned Swans in Round 23. That year we beat just 3 of the 7 other finalists (arguable 2 if you question the Swans win as a gift), all in the run home of 9 wins. We had 9 shots at those 7 finalists. We had 13 games at the other the 10 and won 9. Statistically we were the 9th best team that season but we player finals, or kind of did.

Season 2015 was better, just. Another slow start, so Dimma lost his nerve again with his refinement of the 2014 process - you could see the game plan change after being 2 / 4. We play Collingwood who were playing like us but at 4 / 2. Instead of chipping around like we did the last 6 week (Collingwood was doing that better than us anyway), Deledio and Cotchin played with freedom, Jack kicked 4 and we were a football team again. There was run and carry, rarely did we kick to the pockets to force a stoppage. It turned things around. We won another 12 after that. 4 against other finalists (though do you really want to count the win against North 2nds?) Again we played finalists 9 times that season. Statistically we were the 7th best team - an improvement, we lost another final but not like the year before and not against 9th place Carlton. Dimma got contract extension. You'd think he'd learn from that. Then came 2016. Process overload.

Our best year was 2013, despite that loss to Carlton. The 4th best team statistically, we should have gone much further.

This is probably the first year our list has genuinely and markedly improved since 2013. Our coaching staff have arguably improved too. Can Dimma coach? - of course he can. But he needs to release the process shackles until there is enough proven robots. I think that is what Chocco was saying. Overcoached? There is probably enough anecdotal and statistical information to suggest it.

Great summation about the Dimma drones, process doesn't give you flags, playing football does

 

[Goldust]

I wish Dimma was a damn good motivator. He has said he doesn't use pre-game and during game motivation as a rule. He believes process is far more important. He loves robots - and if you have enough good ones, why not! I understand his logic, in a game of maths he would be right. "Player C2 to quadrant 35 then kick to sector A B or J. Where is Player D4? He's meant to be protecting player C2, no, no, no. Get back to sector D. OK. Ctrl Alt Delete, reset."

That was season 2014 - when it all went out the window we started winning games, 9 in a row. Scraped into the finals courtesy of a win over an under-manned Swans in Round 23. That year we beat just 3 of the 7 other finalists (arguable 2 if you question the Swans win as a gift), all in the run home of 9 wins. We had 9 shots at those 7 finalists. We had 13 games at the other the 10 and won 9. Statistically we were the 9th best team that season but we player finals, or kind of did.

Season 2015 was better, just. Another slow start, so Dimma lost his nerve again with his refinement of the 2014 process - you could see the game plan change after being 2 / 4. We play Collingwood who were playing like us but at 4 / 2. Instead of chipping around like we did the last 6 week (Collingwood was doing that better than us anyway), Deledio and Cotchin played with freedom, Jack kicked 4 and we were a football team again. There was run and carry, rarely did we kick to the pockets to force a stoppage. It turned things around. We won another 12 after that. 4 against other finalists (though do you really want to count the win against North 2nds?) Again we played finalists 9 times that season. Statistically we were the 7th best team - an improvement, we lost another final but not like the year before and not against 9th place Carlton. Dimma got contract extension. You'd think he'd learn from that. Then came 2016. Process overload.

Our best year was 2013, despite that loss to Carlton. The 4th best team statistically, we should have gone much further.

This is probably the first year our list has genuinely and markedly improved since 2013. Our coaching staff have arguably improved too. Can Dimma coach? - of course he can. But he needs to release the process shackles until there is enough proven robots. I think that is what Chocco was saying. Overcoached? There is probably enough anecdotal and statistical information to suggest it.

Awesome post.

 

[Goldust]

I wish Dimma was a damn good motivator. He has said he doesn't use pre-game and during game motivation as a rule. He believes process is far more important. He loves robots - and if you have enough good ones, why not! I understand his logic, in a game of maths he would be right. "Player C2 to quadrant 35 then kick to sector A B or J. Where is Player D4? He's meant to be protecting player C2, no, no, no. Get back to sector D. OK. Ctrl Alt Delete, reset."

That was season 2014 - when it all went out the window we started winning games, 9 in a row. Scraped into the finals courtesy of a win over an under-manned Swans in Round 23. That year we beat just 3 of the 7 other finalists (arguable 2 if you question the Swans win as a gift), all in the run home of 9 wins. We had 9 shots at those 7 finalists. We had 13 games at the other the 10 and won 9. Statistically we were the 9th best team that season but we player finals, or kind of did.

Season 2015 was better, just. Another slow start, so Dimma lost his nerve again with his refinement of the 2014 process - you could see the game plan change after being 2 / 4. We play Collingwood who were playing like us but at 4 / 2. Instead of chipping around like we did the last 6 week (Collingwood was doing that better than us anyway), Deledio and Cotchin played with freedom, Jack kicked 4 and we were a football team again. There was run and carry, rarely did we kick to the pockets to force a stoppage. It turned things around. We won another 12 after that. 4 against other finalists (though do you really want to count the win against North 2nds?) Again we played finalists 9 times that season. Statistically we were the 7th best team - an improvement, we lost another final but not like the year before and not against 9th place Carlton. Dimma got contract extension. You'd think he'd learn from that. Then came 2016. Process overload.

Our best year was 2013, despite that loss to Carlton. The 4th best team statistically, we should have gone much further.

This is probably the first year our list has genuinely and markedly improved since 2013. Our coaching staff have arguably improved too. Can Dimma coach? - of course he can. But he needs to release the process shackles until there is enough proven robots. I think that is what Chocco was saying. Overcoached? There is probably enough anecdotal and statistical information to suggest it.

I note that those on here slandering Choco for his 'over coaching' and 'Jack' comments have not shown any remorse or apologised once Hardwick backed his comments. Poor turn of events.

 

[TigerImposter]

I wish Dimma was a damn good motivator. He has said he doesn't use pre-game and during game motivation as a rule. He believes process is far more important. He loves robots - and if you have enough good ones, why not! I understand his logic, in a game of maths he would be right. "Player C2 to quadrant 35 then kick to sector A B or J. Where is Player D4? He's meant to be protecting player C2, no, no, no. Get back to sector D. OK. Ctrl Alt Delete, reset."

That was season 2014 - when it all went out the window we started winning games, 9 in a row. Scraped into the finals courtesy of a win over an under-manned Swans in Round 23. That year we beat just 3 of the 7 other finalists (arguable 2 if you question the Swans win as a gift), all in the run home of 9 wins. We had 9 shots at those 7 finalists. We had 13 games at the other the 10 and won 9. Statistically we were the 9th best team that season but we player finals, or kind of did.

Season 2015 was better, just. Another slow start, so Dimma lost his nerve again with his refinement of the 2014 process - you could see the game plan change after being 2 / 4. We play Collingwood who were playing like us but at 4 / 2. Instead of chipping around like we did the last 6 week (Collingwood was doing that better than us anyway), Deledio and Cotchin played with freedom, Jack kicked 4 and we were a football team again. There was run and carry, rarely did we kick to the pockets to force a stoppage. It turned things around. We won another 12 after that. 4 against other finalists (though do you really want to count the win against North 2nds?) Again we played finalists 9 times that season. Statistically we were the 7th best team - an improvement, we lost another final but not like the year before and not against 9th place Carlton. Dimma got contract extension. You'd think he'd learn from that. Then came 2016. Process overload.

Our best year was 2013, despite that loss to Carlton. The 4th best team statistically, we should have gone much further.

This is probably the first year our list has genuinely and markedly improved since 2013. Our coaching staff have arguably improved too. Can Dimma coach? - of course he can. But he needs to release the process shackles until there is enough proven robots. I think that is what Chocco was saying. Overcoached? There is probably enough anecdotal and statistical information to suggest it.

As funny as your Mathematical analysis was ,it also hurt bc of its truth.

 

[Achilles Heel]

As funny as your Mathematical analysis was ,it also hurt bc of its truth.

Hardwick is an accountant

 

[TigerImposter]

Hardwick is an accountant

And has been finally held Accountable by Balme only.

 

[Dr Tigris]

I wish Dimma was a damn good motivator. He has said he doesn't use pre-game and during game motivation as a rule. He believes process is far more important. He loves robots - and if you have enough good ones, why not! I understand his logic, in a game of maths he would be right. "Player C2 to quadrant 35 then kick to sector A B or J. Where is Player D4? He's meant to be protecting player C2, no, no, no. Get back to sector D. OK. Ctrl Alt Delete, reset."

That was season 2014 - when it all went out the window we started winning games, 9 in a row. Scraped into the finals courtesy of a win over an under-manned Swans in Round 23. That year we beat just 3 of the 7 other finalists (arguable 2 if you question the Swans win as a gift), all in the run home of 9 wins. We had 9 shots at those 7 finalists. We had 13 games at the other the 10 and won 9. Statistically we were the 9th best team that season but we player finals, or kind of did.

Season 2015 was better, just. Another slow start, so Dimma lost his nerve again with his refinement of the 2014 process - you could see the game plan change after being 2 / 4. We play Collingwood who were playing like us but at 4 / 2. Instead of chipping around like we did the last 6 week (Collingwood was doing that better than us anyway), Deledio and Cotchin played with freedom, Jack kicked 4 and we were a football team again. There was run and carry, rarely did we kick to the pockets to force a stoppage. It turned things around. We won another 12 after that. 4 against other finalists (though do you really want to count the win against North 2nds?) Again we played finalists 9 times that season. Statistically we were the 7th best team - an improvement, we lost another final but not like the year before and not against 9th place Carlton. Dimma got contract extension. You'd think he'd learn from that. Then came 2016. Process overload.

Our best year was 2013, despite that loss to Carlton. The 4th best team statistically, we should have gone much further.

This is probably the first year our list has genuinely and markedly improved since 2013. Our coaching staff have arguably improved too. Can Dimma coach? - of course he can. But he needs to release the process shackles until there is enough proven robots. I think that is what Chocco was saying. Overcoached? There is probably enough anecdotal and statistical information to suggest it.

A pretty solid summary of much of my thinking. What I meant by motivation is that the players seem to love him and are motivated to perform for him. I intended no broader meaning, like how they play the game.

As for game style he is too smart, too clever. I understand what he is trying to do. it is very much look at the stats and what strategies work best, with a heavy weighting on not losing. Problem is that is all tactics and no strategy.

think of it this way - just for argument's sake (I don't necessarily agree with saying that we had great tactics)
We had great tactics in 2016, and accidentally ended up with an appalling strategy. Our tactics were all about controlling the ball and stopping flow by the opposition. What we ended up doing was moving the ball backwards in a predictable way, that allowed the opposition to set up to break down our game plan and create fast break opportunities for them. The coaching group did not think through their strategy beyond the set of tactics they wanted. Other coaches looked at us and went 'hmm, if I target their few (and smaller) contested ball players and put a lot of pressure on a line running across the ground from where the ball is the Tigers will struggle to get and move the ball cleanly and then when they do they will move it sideways and we can force turnovers an stop their movement.'

The tactics would be great if they all were performed perfectly, by robots as you said - if other teams didn't change the strategy of the game. But the higher level thinking didn't seem to happen and so the opposition could easily set up to make our tactics a negative for us. That is Dimma, but it is also the entire coaching group and footy dept. All in a par with lots of cliques and thinking in closed world views. Other teams were a bit smarter and looked more expansively. therefore changed coaching group. Not sure why keep Dimma on that logic though.