Yeah I didnt hear that bit...to which Im glad.
I dont think we have poor preseason preparation as such, its our slow gameplan that gets rolled imo, especially at the start of the season. Remember he used to shelve Tucky at the start of each season because "the early games were played at too fast of a pace for him".
A bit of both to me mate,but true on the Tuck bit.
Here is a great summary from
Goldust
Thanks for the opening Tassie27 ...Hardwick's presser from yesterday severely irked me and if Richmond supporters are not not yet convinced that he is not the right man for this job than they should go and have a look at the interview.
As someone who has participated in countless interviews, press conferences over the years, I say with conviction that I am not sure who was the poorer performed during that 13-odd minutes - Hardwick or some in the media.
I agree with Greg Denham's assesment of Hardwick, and whether you like the guy or not, credit him for being one of the few scribes willing and capable of calling Hardwick to account. The rigorous and recurrent defences from his Essendon mates Robbo, Lloyd and Watson, who ridiculed the Bulldogs for signing Beveridge til 2019 yet is happy to plump for Dimma to remain until then, just don't stack up.
Where to begin?
Just minutes into his presser, Hardwick credits his side's lack of scoring v GWS to the absence of three of his best forwards. To quote him: "Griffiths, Riewoldt, Edwards." Note to Dimma, I'm pretty sure that was #8 running our forward line - and back line, midfield too. And I'm sure #8 kicked two of our three goals.yet no one picked him up on this.
Next: "We tried Bachar Houli forward last week, he didn't go back once," says Hardwick. Is this the same Bachar Houli, who "run and carry" from half back we've missed since he went down with injury? Logic suggests if we miss him across half back (and we all know how important this position is to our side as it gets rammed down our throats every second week), he plays half back.
From there Hardwick goes on to suggest our "fantastic board, fantastic football department" - the same football department and board that weren't on the same page this year when Daniel Richardson suggested we weren't in for a total rebuild?
In a slap to the face of the loyal, ever-patient and now discontent fan base, Hardwick suggests: "The people that matter are within these four walls." In other words, stop whinging Tiger fans, remain patient - not that we care about you anyways. Then asked to address the potential board challenge what is our maestro's response. "Zero debt, 72,000 members, good luck." Could anyone, but Hardwick get it any more wrong. Sorry, Damien, us Tiger fan want on-field success, of the type you and your 'fantastic board promised. You see, which you soon will, our great club has 'zero debt, 72,000 members' as a result of those 72,000 members., There are no certainties in football, including that 72,000 supporters will renew their membership. Keep dishing up the type of unappealing and unsuccessful football that we have been and you'll be saying 'debt free, 50,000 members, because trust me, Tigers fans have shown they won't stand for it.
Moving on, Hardwick says: "The best organisation in the world are the most stable." Possibly! But when it comes to Richmond I suggest this is the type of mentality that has cruelled us. Few, if any, coaching panel changes, hence a lack of fresh and indeed innovative ideas. The same tired football department and the same, proven unsuccessful recruiting boss, who couldn't pick the quinella in a two-horse race. Our stability is what has caused us to go backwards as we haven't kept up t date with what's going on around us.
Harwick says: "We've had a lot of injuries - it's been above the norm", before acknowledging - rightly - our injuries in 2013-15 were well below the norm. take a peek around, clubs are just as affected us - and winning. But he goes on to bemoan the loss of McIntosh (I'm sure we were about 1-5 when young Kamdyn, who is a fine player, went down - please journos ask the question), Corey Ellis, Connor Menadue (who was dropped about three weeks ago after we decreed we would be playing the kids) and Ben Lennon. Please! Admittedly, Lennon has had a rough trot this year - glandular fever, concussions. But the obvious question remains, Mr Hardwick: If you don't play a guy like Lennon when he's fit and in-form, say like ahead of last year's elimination final (Rising Star nominee in round 22, with 10 marks in wet and atrocious conditions at the MCG v Essendon), why would you play him now? I believe he said he would get his chance, "maybe this week" .... he didn't! We stuck with Tyrone and brought back your other protege Edwards. Enough said. Mind you, when one week say "we have the best in my time as coach", should we not have sufficient depth to cover the loss of a pair of second and third year players? As for the media, when will the question come re Lennon being dropped?
Then the finale - re coaching staff. "It's always my call - I do the interviews and all that," says the head coach. Then he suggest those getting their marching orders: "They will be highly sought after - they are outstanding coaches." That is despite not winning a final in seven years in some cases. I am at a loss to explain how some supporters and indeed the club can advocate the removal of several assistants, yet not replace the main in charge, who admits to hiring these failed assistants. It's just another example of poor decision making by the head coach.
In summary, this guy is just making blind statements on a far too frequent basis, which are erroneous at best, and worse to the detriment our of organisation and forward planning. He's a laughing stock.
That interview was a train wreck!