Damien Hardwick just doesn’t get it.
His team keeps losing the same way, and the rabid Richmond army is furious. They are ropable enough at the losses, most of which are following the similar pattern of giving up big leads before going down narrowly. But the public utterances from the coach are worse.
After throwing away a six-goal lead against Sydney to go down by nine points, Hardwick explained it thus, “We’ll keep the games close…we’re not going to win games by ten goals…it’s always going to be an arm-wrestle.”
Richmond supporters are entitled to ask “But…but…why?”
Why would they not want to turn a 36-point lead into a ten-goal win?
Why would they not want to beat a very weak and gettable GWS by ten goals after breaking them down twice, to lead by 31 points at quarter time, and then by 31 points again late in the third quarter?
Why would a 32-point lead over a struggling Western Bulldogs turn into another single figure loss, instead of a big win?
Respect has to be given to the opposition, yes, but a pattern has emerged. There has to be a mentality at play here, led from the top. It’s a mentality that is clearly seized upon by opposition teams who know they are never beaten against the Tigers.
There has been another common theme to the three Richmond losses mentioned above. The leads have been developed through an opening term of blitzkrieg football of high intensity, high pressure, and capitalising on the scoreboard.
(AAP / Julian Smith)
The extinguishing of those leads has been on the back of being worn down over the next three quarters, with the Tigers failing to replicate the pressure and finishing from their opening stanza. This is usually coupled with more conservative ball movement, which allows opposition defences to clog up the forward-line, making it harder to generate quality scoring opportunities.
Against the Bulldogs, Richmond kicked five goals to one to open the game, but kicked only six more for the game.
Against GWS, it was six goals to one in the first quarter, but only four more goals after that.
Against Sydney, it was five goals to none at quarter time, but they were only able to kick five more goals across the last three quarters.
As well as the above, there has also been, and we have to call it for what it is, some good old-fashioned choking. Richmond is not a mentally strong football team. In fact, collectively, they are a mentally weak one.
Simple set shots are missed when the pressure has been on, from Jack Riewoldt on down. Shanks that gift opposition goals at critical moments, from a variety of Tigers. And let’s not talk about the defensive structure abomination that was the last 20 seconds against Fremantle.
Of course, these are not new problems at Richmond. These are not new problems under Damien Hardwick.
Think back to the 2013 elimination final against Carlton. Leading by the best part of six goals, only to be overrun in the second half. Most don’t remember that it was actually the third time that year against the Blues that the Tigers surrendered a lead of five goals or more. History repeats, and repeats, and repeats.
Think back to the 2015 elimination final against North Melbourne. A 21 point lead vaporised.
These big stage losses haunt the club still. So much so that they are now seemingly embedded in the Richmond DNA. But they were not isolated incidents. The Tigers have turned many healthy leads into either narrow wins or crushing losses under Hardwick.
The response from the coach to these performances is usually a variation on “we’ll learn from it and move on.” On Saturday, after the loss to Sydney, it was specifically “We’ll learn a bit out of it and we’ll go forward.”
Move on, they might. Go forward, they do. Learn from it? Well, there’s no evidence of it so far.
The best sides are lauded for their will to win, and can often come from seemingly impossible positions to get the job done. Think of Geelong against Hawthorn in all of those “Kennett’s Curse” matches. The Hawks in recent times are another that comes to mind.
Richmond under Hardwick are the reverse of this. They are never home. They can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in any number of ways.
Once the Tigers develop a lead, and the opposition kicks a couple of goals in a row, every player on the field and every person in the stands knows what is coming next. The mental weight is proving too much for the team to bear.
In order for Hardwick to change behaviour, he has to first acknowledge it. It’s time for him to look in the mirror.
neilwedd
Guest
Richmond is weak mentally. They have made changes, but the senior players can't push the players to do what they need. The Richmond supporters also have the same lack of belief. They sense the change and compound the feeling.
spruce moose
Guest
Indeed. Dimma ain't gonna win in his 8th year either....
Milo
Roar Rookie
James H Lennon was never recruited as a key forward. He's around 188cm and that's not going to make anyone's definition of key forward. He was recruited as a half forward / goal kicker who could possibly develop into an outside mid. For a first round draft pick, (pick 12) its been a disappointing story to date with a mixture of Hardwick refusing to play him as he believes he never works hard enough, and Lennon getting mixed messages from Hardwick (on the rare occasion he is actually spoken to by the head coach) as to what he needs to do to make the team. I think the boy has talent but its unlikely he's going to make it now, as was evidenced when nobody showed any interest in recruiting him at end of last year. Id still like him to be given say four games in a row to see if he can make the grade Id have him in at the expense of Lloyd. He definitely played good solid footy after being given a chance towards the end of 2015 but then inexplicably Hardwick dropped him for the EF against North to bring in Conca who'd played only one or two games for the whole year. (Actually I shouldn't say inexplicable - its Hardwick after all). For mine there's been too many over Hardwick's tenure that have gone by the wayside for want of a decent development plan. And while you can point at the development team, its ultimately Hardwick's responsibility as head coach. He has to know where these kids are and assist in every way. Oh and no question McBean had the talent but not the desire - just lazy, while Elton just doesn't have the talent or the footy smarts. The one they'd be more disappointed about was McKenzie (200cm) who chucked it in last year off the back of depression while canning everything about, and everyone at the club.
JamesH
Roar Guru
I think you're vastly overestimating the coach's ability to put a structure in place on game day. Structures are rehearsed at training - whether or not they are executed in the heat of a game is primarily down to the senior players. They are the ones who should have been screaming at their teammates to get into position for a kick-in/centre bounce. Surely at this level a coach shouldn't have to be running messages out to his players to get numbers behind the ball and plug the hole in the final 30 seconds?!? Across the 2011-2013 drafts the Tigers recruited Todd Elton, Liam McBean and Ben Lennon as key forwards. I don't think it was unfair to believe that at least one of those three, or Griffiths or Vickery, could become a reliable foil for Riewoldt. In any event I'm not saying that their list management has been brilliant, it just hasn't been 'beyond poor'. Rioli and Bolton look likely types, while Prestia and Caddy were important pickups for their midfield.
JamesH
Roar Guru
True, Mark. I missed him (not sure how - I watched him play live on the weekend!).
James
Guest
Totally agree with everything in this article. Hardwick is bloody teflon to all his boy's in the media. On the couch on Monday was absolutely sickening. All Brown, Dunstall and King did were refer to their mate 'Dimma' and constantly ask him wet lettuce questions and nothing of any harsh nature of substance. This bloke should not be coaching an AFL club. He is teflon from the top with a president who has NO IDEA about football and needs to go. Peggy O'Neal has zero football knowledge. Zero.
Peter Butterworth
Guest
You have to realise the poor recruiting that the Tigers are finally getting right, but they still need another forward that can kick goals. The backline has improved, as has the midfield! The style of game they are playing this year is much better than in previous years, when they play well they are a hard team to score against! Remember, the forward line atm has boys...not Men...trying to cope with the rigors of AFL football. At least Hardwick is giving them the opportunity.... next thing they need is to recruit a gun full forward and they will be a dominant force!
Mattician6x6
Guest
Atleast 3 don ,96 was the big failure imho and 91 @ waverly was unfortunate.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Bomber was in his 8th season but its a reasonable point. Hardwick is in his 8th.
spruce moose
Guest
Yup. That was an astounding list.
Don Freo
Guest
Hinkley should be too.
Don Freo
Guest
Malthouse should have had 5 with those Eagles teams.
Gecko
Guest
Macca first of all, I'm not a Richmond supporter - I prefer to feel sorry for them. I think neither team kicks many goals from contested marking (even when Casboult is pulling them in, he's not a reliable kick), so they both rely on smalls for their goals. It may come down to whether Carlton's defence can intercept enough of those long kicks into the Richmond forward line and quickly rebound, or whether Richmond can get the ball to ground enough times when it's bombed in, in which case they've got the personnel to lock it in (at least for the first 3 quarters) and play much of the game in their forward half. One more agile medium tall in the Richmond forward line would really help in this regard but I can't see them filling that gap this year. Did you identify other big factors that might decide the game?
Philby
Guest
God, I'm so sick of non-football, no-name commentators being oh-so-wise after the event. Where did you select Richmond to finish at end of year before season started Cam? For the Sydney game, why no mention of us having the youngest forward line in the competition, AND no centre half forward? Surely they are key factors against a team as tough and hardened as Sydney - who, at the time we played them, were also the form team of the competition, and had just the week before made Bulldogs look 2nd rate. Well, of course don't mention it if it doesn't fit the story.
Philby
Guest
Wrong. List management is only poor if you could have anticipated lengthy injury spells for Maric, Hampson and Griffiths....
Mark
Guest
Was actually a kick (or simply laying some body on Nick Davis) away from a preliminary final in 2005.
Pete
Guest
This is his eighth year as coach and he still looks like maintaining his record of never winning a final. Nothing short of a finals win can justify him coaching again next year.
Swannies
Guest
Hardwick has done a great job this year. Richmond are a different team this year and will finally notch up a well deserved win in September. They'll go close to winning a PF.
Aaron
Guest
It's as much Hardwick's fault as it is the lack of leadership they have on the field. When Mundy kicked the after the siren winner couple of weeks back they were not in position preoperly--I think Houli was yelling at guys to flood into Freo's forward 50 but it wasn't enough. Responsibility for some of those narrow losses must be on Reiwoldt, Cotchin, etc. Coaches can't do much in those situations
Mark
Guest
Sam Reid is Sydneys second tall forward.