Mega Thread Hardwick Vent Thread

[_RT_]

With another dead rubber victory under the belt to cap off another finaless season I can't help but wonder what could have been?? Why the hell didn't we play our best team when the season was on the line??? Why was it all about developing over winning then? With Tuck and Miller out of the team in favor of younger players like Helbig and Griffiths?

Why have we waited until now to play our best team, with wins on the back of players who aren't deemed as being part of our future??

It just doesn't make any sense and can only be explained by very poor coaching and management by Hardwick and the RFC!!

Sure we could have played our best side early on and made the finals this year, but what happens when these older players move on and we then turn to guys like Griffiths & Helbig amongst others and ask them to take over and they fail? The answer is we end up back in the bottom half of the ladder in 2 years time and posters like you will be screaming about why we didn't bother developing the kids when there was little to no expectation on them back in 2011.

 

[NQTIGER]

Where did all the Anger come from at quarter time from dimma?

Was he upset that we were two goals down against a 4 goal wind?

Where was this anger against Port? or GC? or in that carlton game?

He was upset that they had 10 scoring shots?

What were Carlton doing to us?

Has RFC_Officoial been reporting some of these threads to him?

Todays display worries me more because it appears to be that he doesnt recognise a poor performance and our first quarter under the circumstances was good apart from a couple of lapses.

maybe he needs to find the BIN with all the tapes.

 

[NQTIGER]

]Sure we could have played our best side early[/B] on and made the finals this year, but what happens when these older players move on and we then turn to guys like Griffiths & Helbig amongst others and ask them to take over and they fail? The answer is we end up back in the bottom half of the ladder in 2 years time and posters like you will be screaming about why we didn't bother developing the kids when there was little to no expectation on them back in 2011.

Not sure if serious about playing our best side.

 

[Jimmy6019]

^^^
Sorry RT I just don't buy how getting 6 games into Helbig and 4 games into Griffiths makes it worth missing finals.

Surely finals experience into Martin, Cotchin and Riewoldt would be infinitely more valuable moving forward???

I just feel like we have blown a good opportunity this year... How much patience do we have to have????

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

^^^
Sorry I just don't buy how getting 6 games into Helbig and 4 games into Griffiths makes it worth missing finals.

Surely finals experience into Martin, Cotchin and Riewoldt would be infinitely more valuable moving forward???

I just feel like we have blown a good opportunity this year... How much patience do we have to have????

Now that is a fair call......

 

[turtle27]

Where did all the Anger come from at quarter time from dimma?

Was he upset that we were two goals down against a 4 goal wind?

Where was this anger against Port? or GC? or in that carlton game?

He was upset that they had 10 scoring shots?

What were Carlton doing to us?

Has RFC_Officoial been reporting some of these threads to him?

Todays display worries me more because it appears to be that he doesnt recognise a poor performance and our first quarter under the circumstances was good apart from a couple of lapses.

maybe he needs to find the BIN with all the tapes.

I suspect he was pissed because we'd worked hard to get back to level, and then let two soft goals through. That aside NQ, you're really starting to come across as someone who watches our games, and listens to Dimma's press conferences, looking for any little moment to criticise. Do you dislike him and his coaching that much?

 

[Mr Magic]

Sure we could have played our best side early on and made the finals this year, but what happens when these older players move on and we then turn to guys like Griffiths & Helbig amongst others and ask them to take over and they fail? The answer is we end up back in the bottom half of the ladder in 2 years time and posters like you will be screaming about why we didn't bother developing the kids when there was little to no expectation on them back in 2011.

Some of you just don't get it !!!

Unless you have moron coaches it is not about you. Lesson for control freaks , it is not about you, the most important thing is the draft and how you use it.

Cattle is the most important ingredient.

Question is, if we are going to end up with 16 instead of 10, why not beat port, GC and others and finish in the 8.

Vote of no confidence if you ask me, but there has been too much incompetence for me now to be bother so I am doing a KB!!

BTW, thanks Mcguane and co for at least bringing Cotc, Martin etc.. to the club

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Some of you just don't get it !!!

Unless you have moron coaches it is not about you. Lesson for control freaks , it is not about you, the most important thing is the draft and how you use it.

Cattle is the most important ingredient.

Question is, if we are going to end up with 16 instead of 10, why not beat port, GC and others and finish in the 8.

Vote of no confidence if you ask me, but there has been too much incompetence for me now to be bother so I am doing a KB!!

BTW, thanks Mcguane and co for at least bringing Cotc, Martin etc.. to the club

I agree... ...

 

[_RT_]

^^^
Sorry RT I just don't buy how getting 6 games into Helbig and 4 games into Griffiths makes it worth missing finals.

Surely finals experience into Martin, Cotchin and Riewoldt would be infinitely more valuable moving forward???

I just feel like we have blown a good opportunity this year... How much patience do we have to have????

Its not just about the games that Helbig(10) and Griffiths played. Its the 17 games Conca played, the 16 games Batchelor played and the 7 games Grimes played until injured. That makes it worthwhile. Lets say we did finish 8th this year we would have come up against the Blues a side who beat us by 103 points not long ago or West Coast who beat us by 10 goals, would it really be worth making finals just to get torn a new one on the big stage and destroy any confidence that the group may have built up?

 

[_RT_]

Some of you just don't get it !!!

Unless you have moron coaches it is not about you. Lesson for control freaks , it is not about you, the most important thing is the draft and how you use it.

Cattle is the most important ingredient.

Question is, if we are going to end up with 16 instead of 10, why not beat port, GC and others and finish in the 8.

Vote of no confidence if you ask me, but there has been too much incompetence for me now to be bother so I am doing a KB!!

BTW, thanks Mcguane and co for at least bringing Cotc, Martin etc.. to the club

Look forward to seeing you back in a couple of days when you get over your latest dummy spit.

 

[turtle27]

Some of you just don't get it !!!

Unless you have moron coaches it is not about you. Lesson for control freaks , it is not about you, the most important thing is the draft and how you use it.

Cattle is the most important ingredient.

Question is, if we are going to end up with 16 instead of 10, why not beat port, GC and others and finish in the 8.

Vote of no confidence if you ask me, but there has been too much incompetence for me now to be bother so I am doing a KB!!

BTW, thanks Mcguane and co for at least bringing Cotc, Martin etc.. to the club

Gee, now we're losing supporters after winning a game rather than losing a game. That's a first even for Richmond.

 

[Jimmy6019]

Its not just about the games that Helbig(10) and Griffiths played. Its the 17 games Conca played, the 16 games Batchelor played and the 7 games Grimes played until injured. That makes it worthwhile. Lets say we did finish 8th this year we would have come up against the Blues a side who beat us by 103 points not long ago or West Coast who beat us by 10 goals, would it really be worth making finals just to get torn a new one on the big stage and destroy any confidence that the group may have built up?

Yes, finals please. If thats the case our 'winning culture' will be destroyed by Carlton in Rd 1 next year anyway. Like we have seen time and time again...

 

[Dusty Cotch]

Where did all the Anger come from at quarter time from dimma?

Was he upset that we were two goals down against a 4 goal wind?

Where was this anger against Port? or GC? or in that carlton game?

He was upset that they had 10 scoring shots?

What were Carlton doing to us?

Has RFC_Officoial been reporting some of these threads to him?

Todays display worries me more because it appears to be that he doesnt recognise a poor performance and our first quarter under the circumstances was good apart from a couple of lapses.

maybe he needs to find the BIN with all the tapes.

Fair dinkum you got no idea , have you not watched our last month.
He lost his shit because we don't want to get into shootouts whether we win or lose, our defensive pressure & press has been the big improvement the last month.We lapsed in the 3rd againts the dees & they got on top of us.We ramped up the pressure in the 2nd half today & it was all over.
We play North a team that turns the ball over as they did last night with a high error count next week.If we bring our press game we will smash them. It is obvious we have learnt from our losses to Port & G C.
Mate we were never going to win every game this year little own the premiership.We are in the best shape we have been in for a long time.If we do finish 9th it will be with a bullet!

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Fair dinkum you got no idea , have you not watched our last month.
He lost his shit because we don't want to get into shootouts whether we win or lose, our defensive pressure & press has been the big improvement the last month.We lapsed in the 3rd againts the dees & they got on top of us.We ramped up the pressure in the 2nd half today & it was all over.
We play North a team that turns the ball over as they did last night with a high error count next week.If we bring our press game we will smash them. It is obvious we have learnt from our losses to Port & G C.
Mate we were never going to win every game this year little own the premiership.We are in the best shape we have been in for a long time.If we do finish 9th it will be with a bullet!

Now that is a fair call... ... like a BULLET!!!......

 

[Rayzorwire]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

Dear Rayzorwire,

Thanks for your submission. If I may, a few notes/suggestions...

1. Repetition of a catchphrase is fine - I hope we haven't heard the last of "man-fetishes".
2. How the hell did you get "Essendon accountant" past the swear filter?? Very daring, but, again, I like it!
3. Muddling your facts is a sign of passion, and passion trumps clear thought and argument every time. Maybe season your piece with a couple more Hampson/Adelaide style blunders next time??
4. I love the way you shoehorn another of your favourite topics into the last par, apropos of nothing ('Tucked" is a great play on words by the way! Never mind the bloke is to Sherrin footballs what Ivan Milat was to backpackers).
5. All that said, it's not perfect. I don't see any threats of harm against yourself or others in there. Something to work on, maybe?

Again, thanks for writing in. Next time you're in Sydney, we'll catch up and I'll take you to a few of my favourite restaurants and oublic toilets.

Best wishes,
Alan Jones.

That's really quite clever soda, certainly well above typical BF fare - even if it does reek just a little too much of the public toilets you really didn't need to include.

For mine, the perfect touch was the obviously deliberate dismissal with no analysis of the facts surrounding Graham (and Vickery for that matter) clearly beating Hampson in the last quarter...and then it all makes sense once you see the sig!

Bravo...6.5/10.

 

[cotchinsoda]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

Rayzorwire, I actually agree with a lot of the points you make in your posts, particularly re: Shane tuck. (Not convinced about Graham, however). What prompted my self indulgent, smartarse response to your last post was the fact that you use absolutely everything - in this case, the b&f numbers, as a stick to beat Hardwick with. I agree that he's made mistakes, but you seem to genuinely despise the bloke.

I think it your use of the term "Essendon accountant" that really set me off... Anyway, thanks for taking it well, go tiges.

 

[Rayzorwire]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

Rayzorwire, I actually agree with a lot of the points you make in your posts, particularly re: Shane tuck. (Not convinced about Graham, however). What prompted my self indulgent, smartarse response to your last post was the fact that you use absolutely everything - in this case, the b&f numbers, as a stick to beat Hardwick with. I agree that he's made mistakes, but you seem to genuinely despise the bloke.

I think it your use of the term "Essendon accountant" that really set me off... Anyway, thanks for taking it well, go tiges.

I really admired Hardwick as a footballer, so I couldn't go as far as despising him, but I don't think he's a good coach or leader at all - he really does think and act like an Essendon accountant IMO and the B&F count was just another example in a long and consistent pattern of behaviour. Voting White and Farmer of all grey form bit-players above Graham from less games says it all.

A person with a genuinely good football brain wouldn't have made the elementary mistakes he has, but that's not my issue with him, that stuff can be fixed, it's the Essendon and the accountant parts...there's no fixing them, they are what he is. Essendon were legendary for their man-fetishes under Sheedy - just one of countless examples is that the man gave Lloyd the captaincy and full license to delist anyone he didn't want. Lloyd was a very good player, but he's also a vain, stupid flog, and the last kind of person who should be given carte blanche to get rid of the players at the club who may have been lukewarm towards him - quite probably for the precise reason that he's a vain, stupid flog. And in an era of professional list managers? Unthinkable, surely? Nope, it happened.

Hardwick undoubtedly has the same 'Essendon' mentality - not running as rampant as Sheedy at his most destructive, but it's there. A truly good leader of men doesn't play favourites and isn't so horribly transparent in their double standards towards the worth of individual players. Shane Tuck's been an outstanding player and person for this club for a long time, but those words aren't ever going to come out of Hardwick's mouth in this lifetime, yet for some players he'll cram a dozen 'outstandings' into one paragraph without batting an eyelid.

In many ways Angus Graham was outstanding for us this year considering he walked into the worst year for ruckmen in the history of football with only 33 games to his name. If I rounded up every really big hit he wore and soldiered on (often several a game), every great tackle he laid, every hitout to advantage and every piece of good play then condensed them into one vid, he'd look like a very courageous young ruck with more than enough talent to keep working at him. A good coach would have worked out what makes Gus tick by now and be applying that back to working out how to take the lapses of concentration out of his game and have him playing as well as he does in last quarters right from the beginning of matches. I've seen heaps of Gus' type of player succeed or fail based almost solely on how good their coach was; they can either be a massive eventual asset to you, or you can let them slip through with zero gain to the club because it was all a bit hard and surely the grass had to be greener elsewhere.

A good coach wouldn't let rumours abound about us chasing a 'solution to our ruck woes' without praising Graham at least a little for his efforts this year and stating something along the lines that any other rucks we bring in will have to prove they're more worthy of the jumper than he is.

A good coach would have made a public point of saying that Graham's VFL form when he got dropped was outstanding in beating the likes of Bellchambers head to head, that he'd really earned his spot back and that we hoped he could finish the year off strong in what was a difficult season for any ruck, let alone a 40 gamer.

A good coach finds the right time to praise everybody for being outstanding when they are outstanding, they do it every time for the blokes who do it less often, and lo and behold, players really do play better when they feel like their coach 100% believes they're capable of being outstanding, not just filling a place until someone *really* capable of being outstanding comes along.

So that's the 'Essendon' in Hardwick as I see it, and then there's the accountant. The bloke who sits down at the beginning of the year and says to his fellow coaches 'this is how I measure our list,' puts too small a number next to the names of all the blokes he doesn't have man-fetishes for, and then decides he needs to wait until he can field a side with better numbers before he can have a serious crack at balancing the books. It was all calculated in advance prior to the season beginning and Hardwick didn't think we had the numbers.

It the kind of coaching and vision you get from a man who thinks like an accountant. What I would like for this club, is a real coach and a real leader. A bloke who can grab Gus Graham's, Luke McGuane's, Will Thursfield's, Shane Tuck's, Jeromey Webberley's and make them believe through the power of that coach's own belief in them, that every minute they spend at the club from the day they walk in the door, they're capable of being outstanding.

I have little doubt that Hardwick will assemble the numbers he thinks he needs, but his lack of a genuinely good football brain will mean that he loses a few gems along the way which he needed way more than he thought, and that he doesn't choose his man-fetishes wisely from a footballing and list management perspective.

He'll take us enough of the way to have many people here jumping up and down about his ability (we have too much talent for him not to have a decent shot at a finals campaign or two), but never to the ultimate success this club so desperately needs.

 

[_RT_]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

Wow just wow. Bookmarking this for the future.

 

[richoatthedisco]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

"Shane has been outstanding in the way he has handled that, and that's why he is much loved by the coaching staff and the players."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ards-at-richmond/story-e6frf9jf-1226114331915

Hardwick would be lying/deluded if he described Shane Tuck as an outstanding footballer. However, "outstanding ball winner who is unbelievably dumb, struggles to follow team rules and kicks blindly far more than any senior player ever should" would be unnecessarily forthright.

As for Graham, wow. He's lazy Ray. Lazy and soft and makes Tuck look like a Mensa candidate. He gets outmarked in body-on-body contests by 185cm midfielders. He as good as never takes a strong mark from a kick-in. He doesn't clear a path for his mids. In short, he's not much chop.

And Lloyd is one of the best, most bluntly honest football analysts in the media. (Notwithstanding that he has absolutely nothing to do with the Richmond Football Club or the way Damien Hardwick coaches.)

What is the opposite of a man-fetish? That's what you've got for Hardwick (but on the plus side, you clearly have man-fetishes for Tuck and Graham). It's irrational. "Essendon accountant"? Please. How about, "dual premiership player and premiership assistant coach credited with not only improving a lot of Hawthorn players but also coming up with 'Clarko's Cluster'" (according to some - I don't know either way). How about "football teacher", which he clearly is. Not a leader? You're joking.

It's too early to say whether Hardwick will lead us to the ultimate glory, but I'd have him easily ahead of any other coach we've had, at least since Northey - possibly since Hafey. Don't even bother reminding me of Wallace's record against big-name coaches. He left us worse off than when he took us on, and that's saying something.

There ain't no conspiracies Ray. No one wanted to give us anything for Tuck last year and I doubt other clubs will have much interest in Graham. I love Tucky but I can see him for what he is. The same cannot be said for you and Hardwick.

 

[deled3]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

Graham is absolutely hopeless, a dumb lazy footballer. You expect every player in the AFL to go out and take the knocks that come their way. He clearly frustrated the coaching staff finishing below the players you have listed in the B&F and despite Farmer too being a woeful footballer, he no doubt would have worked harder to follow instructions and team structures.

 

[Heisenberg_]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

The low ranking of Graham in the b&f is nothing nut a positive, a ruckman that offers zero physical presence, nothing around the ground and you count the amount of contested pack marks he took this year on one hand, should be grateful he got a free feed at said event.
Your obvious dislike for Hardwick is almost as bad as talking up duds like Graham and Wallace at every opportunity.

 

[Rayzorwire]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

Post of the year so far.

It's barely a week since you decided to have a crack at NQT for using a similar one liner to endorse a post of mine in a debate with RT - you warned him to stay out of it.

Am I wrong? What makes you different, apart from the obvious?

And I'm sure I recall repeatedly reading something in the posting guidelines asking posters to not quote large pieces of text solely to follow them up with some pointless one-liner...but maybe I'm wrong about that too?

"Shane has been outstanding in the way he has handled that, and that's why he is much loved by the coaching staff and the players."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ards-at-richmond/story-e6frf9jf-1226114331915

LMAO...well done RatD, you found an outstanding - does it mean outstanding? Reads to me like the only outstanding Hardwick has ever found for Tucky is that he's been outstanding in copping his (Hardwick's) poor judgement and man-fetish antics. "Much loved by the coaching staff?" C'mon mate, al-Sahhaf would blush.

Hardwick would be lying/deluded if he described Shane Tuck as an outstanding footballer. However, "outstanding ball winner who is unbelievably dumb, struggles to follow team rules and kicks blindly far more than any senior player ever should" would be unnecessarily forthright.

Outstanding ball winners are outstanding footballers under good coaches who minimise their downsides and maximise their upsides. If Tuck were really "unbelievably dumb" as you assert, then he couldn't possibly become an outstanding ball winner and he sure as hell wouldn't keep bobbing up taking defensive marks where he's read the play superbly, outmarking ruckmen through better positioning and all the other never ending examples of Tuck's wonderful, innate football intelligence. Surely I don't need to explain to someone of your obvious intelligence and professional background, that intelligence comes in many different forms?

As for kicking blindly, well maybe you missed a few too many games this year or maybe you didn't get the chance to watch as closely as you may otherwise have in the past, but nobody hacked the ball blindly out of the centre more than Cotchin, and not only did he do that right from the outset of the year, the deeper he got into being our main ball winner as the season wore on, the more often he did it. So tell me mate, is Cotchin breaking team rules, wrecking the midfield game plan, or giving us the last thing we want when he hacks the ball out of the middle, or just Tuck? For all the times you've hung Tuck for kicking blindly, do you credit him when that same fast ball movement breaks lines we weren't breaking prior to that and ends in a goal? For all the turnovers, do you concede the possibility he would have been tackled and lost the ball anyway if he hadn't kicked fast and blind, then deduct them from the total? Somehow I doubt these things.

As for Graham, wow. He's lazy Ray. Lazy and soft...

Lazy, soft players can't and don't grind their way over the top of opponents at the end of games like Graham has all year. Lazy, soft players can't and don't lead the league's rucks for tackles and keep pace with many taggers for tackles. Sorry mate, it's pure ignorance to see him do those things week in, week out and then come up with a verdict of "lazy and soft" - it's lazy analysis.

He doesn't switch on often enough to do his role as well as he can, for as long as we need him to - which to me is hardly surprising when we look at the situation properly. Nobody on the ground has to concentrate longer than the rucks now, it's merciless and I've seen all the best rucks put in some mentally fatigued efforts they wouldn't like replayed this year - many of them did it against Graham while he was seriously overpowering them in final quarters. Asking a bloke to go from a casual 2nd ruck concentrating maybe 50 minutes a game and taking 40 contests, to concentrating through well over 100 contests against the best around and 110 minutes of game time, in the space of time that Graham's had to deal with that transition, well, I reckon that could make anyone and everyone look ordinary at times. What matters to me is that he's strong in concentration, commitment, and strength at the end of games. These are qualities which are a hell of a lot more important and a hell of a lot harder to find than the vast majority here - and our coaching staff - seem to appreciate.

He gets outmarked in body-on-body contests by 185cm midfielders.

Do you really think we couldn't find something equally embarrassing or worse from every player we have if we're going to cherry-pick isolated incidents?

He as good as never takes a strong mark from a kick-in.

Dead right, but he equally almost never gets outmarked by his opponent at kick-ins from either end and he brings the ball to ground - a combination which is perfectly fine with me. He took an absolute ripper from a kick-in against West Coast and may have started doing that a bit more often if he'd had a bit more encouragement.

And Lloyd is one of the best, most bluntly honest football analysts in the media.

I'll give you bluntly honest - like his inability to stop barracking for Essendon when he commentates, he's too frickin' dumb for his brain to stop the first thing that pops into his head from coming out his mouth a fraction of a second later. As for one of the best analysts, it's such a poor field that he may scrape into the top half by default.

(Notwithstanding that he has absolutely nothing to do with the Richmond Football Club or the way Damien Hardwick coaches.)

I didn't mention him within the context of either.

What is the opposite of a man-fetish?

I'm pretty sure we see it every time Pia is mentioned.

That's what you've got for Hardwick (but on the plus side, you clearly have man-fetishes for Tuck and Graham). It's irrational. "Essendon accountant"? Please. How about, "dual premiership player and premiership assistant coach credited with not only improving a lot of Hawthorn players but also coming up with 'Clarko's Cluster'" (according to some - I don't know either way). How about "football teacher", which he clearly is. Not a leader? You're joking.

I'm not sure there's any hard evidence to support any of those claims beyond premiership player and assistant coach, there only seems to be speculation and guesses?

Earlier in the year, (before the Carlton game IIRC ), you asked me to shut up about Tuck, I should just accept that he was gone, Hardwick was right etc., so let me ask you this: do you still support Hardwick's decision to leave Tuck and Graham out, knowing that it cost us a finals campaign, millions in revenue, experience for our juniors, and all we could have implemented for next season with better finances? Or, in hindsight, do you believe I was right that Hardwick erred?

If we're going to discuss Hardwick again, I think you owe me a little follow up on the first discussion.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

I really admired Hardwick as a footballer, so I couldn't go as far as despising him, but I don't think he's a good coach or leader at all - he really does think and act like an Essendon accountant IMO and the B&F count was just another example in a long and consistent pattern of behaviour. Voting White and Farmer of all grey form bit-players above Graham from less games says it all.

A person with a genuinely good football brain wouldn't have made the elementary mistakes he has, but that's not my issue with him, that stuff can be fixed, it's the Essendon and the accountant parts...there's no fixing them, they are what he is. Essendon were legendary for their man-fetishes under Sheedy - just one of countless examples is that the man gave Lloyd the captaincy and full license to delist anyone he didn't want. Lloyd was a very good player, but he's also a vain, stupid flog, and the last kind of person who should be given carte blanche to get rid of the players at the club who may have been lukewarm towards him - quite probably for the precise reason that he's a vain, stupid flog. And in an era of professional list managers? Unthinkable, surely? Nope, it happened.

Hardwick undoubtedly has the same 'Essendon' mentality - not running as rampant as Sheedy at his most destructive, but it's there. A truly good leader of men doesn't play favourites and isn't so horribly transparent in their double standards towards the worth of individual players. Shane Tuck's been an outstanding player and person for this club for a long time, but those words aren't ever going to come out of Hardwick's mouth in this lifetime, yet for some players he'll cram a dozen 'outstandings' into one paragraph without batting an eyelid.

In many ways Angus Graham was outstanding for us this year considering he walked into the worst year for ruckmen in the history of football with only 33 games to his name. If I rounded up every really big hit he wore and soldiered on (often several a game), every great tackle he laid, every hitout to advantage and every piece of good play then condensed them into one vid, he'd look like a very courageous young ruck with more than enough talent to keep working at him. A good coach would have worked out what makes Gus tick by now and be applying that back to working out how to take the lapses of concentration out of his game and have him playing as well as he does in last quarters right from the beginning of matches. I've seen heaps of Gus' type of player succeed or fail based almost solely on how good their coach was; they can either be a massive eventual asset to you, or you can let them slip through with zero gain to the club because it was all a bit hard and surely the grass had to be greener elsewhere.

A good coach wouldn't let rumours abound about us chasing a 'solution to our ruck woes' without praising Graham at least a little for his efforts this year and stating something along the lines that any other rucks we bring in will have to prove they're more worthy of the jumper than he is.

A good coach would have made a public point of saying that Graham's VFL form when he got dropped was outstanding in beating the likes of Bellchambers head to head, that he'd really earned his spot back and that we hoped he could finish the year off strong in what was a difficult season for any ruck, let alone a 40 gamer.

A good coach finds the right time to praise everybody for being outstanding when they are outstanding, they do it every time for the blokes who do it less often, and lo and behold, players really do play better when they feel like their coach 100% believes they're capable of being outstanding, not just filling a place until someone *really* capable of being outstanding comes along.

So that's the 'Essendon' in Hardwick as I see it, and then there's the accountant. The bloke who sits down at the beginning of the year and says to his fellow coaches 'this is how I measure our list,' puts too small a number next to the names of all the blokes he doesn't have man-fetishes for, and then decides he needs to wait until he can field a side with better numbers before he can have a serious crack at balancing the books. It was all calculated in advance prior to the season beginning and Hardwick didn't think we had the numbers.

It the kind of coaching and vision you get from a man who thinks like an accountant. What I would like for this club, is a real coach and a real leader. A bloke who can grab Gus Graham's, Luke McGuane's, Will Thursfield's, Shane Tuck's, Jeromey Webberley's and make them believe through the power of that coach's own belief in them, that every minute they spend at the club from the day they walk in the door, they're capable of being outstanding.

I have little doubt that Hardwick will assemble the numbers he thinks he needs, but his lack of a genuinely good football brain will mean that he loses a few gems along the way which he needed way more than he thought, and that he doesn't choose his man-fetishes wisely from a footballing and list management perspective.

He'll take us enough of the way to have many people here jumping up and down about his ability (we have too much talent for him not to have a decent shot at a finals campaign or two), but never to the ultimate success this club so desperately needs.

Rayzor Rayzor Rayzor , here we go again, firstly Dimma isn't the only person who votes upon the Jack Dyer Medal so if you don't share the view of the votes awarded your actually in contrary with more than one ?
Secondly you are doubting the ability of Dimma's ability as a coach by making comments like "A person with a genuinely good football brain wouldn't have made the elementary mistakes he has ".
When appointed the list was widely regarded as the worst list within the competition, thanks to TW, we needed a coach who was firstly able to build a list and now in your words " (we have too much talent for him not to have a decent shot at a finals campaign or two) "
All done from 2 trade / drafts including 1 when he hadn't even coached a training or game .
Your love feasts are clouding your ability to comprehend the blantant obvious.

 

[MightyTiger]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

I think Rayzor wants Wallace and co back, he doesn't seem very happy with the new direction the club is taking.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Re: Trent Cotchin 2011 Jack Dyer Medal Winner

I think Rayzor wants Wallace and co back, he doesn't seem very happy with the new direction the club is taking.

he doesn't like us going up the ladder and winning games?