Richmond coach Damien Hardwick reviews his team’s 76-point loss to the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
On Richmond’s overall performance against the Crows...
“We started well, there’s no doubt about that. (We) got belted around by contested ball in the second and third quarters, and the scoreboard reflected that.
“I think we went down in the (second and third) quarters by 33 contested possessions, went down by some 70 odd points and the scoreboard is reflective of that. Last quarter, we started to get some consistency back in that area and the scoreboard wasn’t as damaging. We just got belted around the contest that second and third quarter, which was a difference in the game.”
On Adelaide’s intensity…
“They’re top of the ladder for a reason and I think number one in that category. There’s no doubt their work rate from contest to contest certainly taught our blokes a lesson today.
“We’ll look at the tape and we’ll show our players the work rate required to be the number one side in the AFL. That’s a really good lesson learnt for us. Did we want it to blow out to the margin that it was? No we didn’t. But it’s an opportunity going forward to learn some things that they do very well.”
On how to stop Adelaide’s forward line…
“You could probably ask the previous five coaches that played as well. They’ve got a plethora of talent down there and you’ve got your hands full at various stages. We’ve got some pretty good defenders down there in Rance, Astbury and Grimes that normally stand those three keys. Then you add in Eddie Betts, it starts to be a handful.
“It depends where they (the defenders) line up. At the end of the day, forwards are up the ground and then back deep. Our guys play zones that affect (the game) at different stages, but he’s a good player that got a lot of supply tonight. The way they score – I think they average over 130 points – you’ve got to be a pretty gifted side to be able to do that on a consistent basis.”
On Richmond's encouraging first quarter…
“We thought with our pressure we’d be able to maintain that ball inside our forward 50, but we just couldn’t maintain it. I think they ended up kicking 4.5 from defensive 50 turnovers, which is a massive total. They just move the ball so quick. Their ability to effectively play a handball game through the middle really opened us up at various stages. We were probably off defensively after that first quarter, but credit where credit’s due… they’re 6-0 for a reason. They move the ball incredibly fast; very hard to stop when you allow them to play that way.”
Does Hardwick believe Adelaide is the AFL's benchmark at the moment?
“At this stage you’d probably say yes. Their ability to score and score quickly. The potency when they open up the middle of the ground... We went through it with our players and understood how they play. But, very similar to sides that have been successful for a long period of time - Hawthorn, Brisbane and Geelong - you know how they play, but trying to stop it is a different match.
“They probably had their strongest 22 in all year, but the way they play, it’s very hard to stop that momentum. The crowd gets behind them, it’s such a hostile environment over here, and they get their tails up.
“Adelaide played, apart from that first quarter, a complete brand of football that showed us a lesson.”
