At the end of his second year as Richmond’s senior coach Damien Hardwick talked to Tony Greenberg about how the next phase of the exciting Yellow and Black journey had evolved in 2011. Here, in full, is that interview which appeared in the Fighting Tiger Year Book . . .

What was your overall assessment of the team’s performance in 2011?

There’s no doubt in my mind that we improved – and not just in simple win/loss terms. To see the strong emergence of two young, tall, key-position players in Alex Rance and Ty Vickery was particularly pleasing.  Dylan Grimes looked really good down back, before his season-ending injury.  The big pre-season put in by Robbie Nahas paid dividends for him. And, a fit Trent Cotchin showed the football world what he’s capable of, producing a top-class season. The fact that the average age of the top five place-getters in this year’s Jack Dyer Medal count (Cotchin, Deledio, Martin, Houli and Vickery) was just 22, certainly augurs well for our future. There was also a major difference in how we approached games compared to the previous season. We used to go into games hoping to win, but now we believe we can win, which is a significant step forward for the group.

One of your stated aims for the 2011 season was to have a greater spread of goalkickers and not rely so much on Jack Riewoldt. You must have been pleased with the way that panned out . . .

For sure. That was clearly another major positive out of the season for us. We had five players (Riewoldt, Vickery, Martin, Nahas and King) kick 25-goals plus and there was only one other team in the competition who had more than that. Jack was still a very valuable player for us throughout the season, even though he didn’t kick as many goals as the previous year. His goal assists were well up and, with Ty coming on like he did, they formed a potent combination for us up forward.

How did you gauge the performance of Bachar Houli, Shaun Grigg and Brad Miller in their debut seasons at Tigerland after being recruited from rival league clubs?

I thought they really helped bolster our side. Bachar and Shaun both finished top 10 in our Best and Fairest, while Brad averaged more than a goal a game and was important to our overall team structure. Bachar’s run and carry became an important weapon for us as the season wore on, and Shaun performed some key roles in shutting down opponents, as well as winning plenty of ball himself. The three of them showed just how committed they were to making the most of the opportunities provided to them at the Club. 

What did you make of first-year players Reece Conca, Jake Batchelor and Brad Helbig?

I was impressed with their efforts. Reece and Jake basically established themselves as senior regulars, playing 17 games and 16 games respectively. Despite being young and inexperienced, they both showed admirable composure and maturity. Brad managed 10 games and also showed a fair bit of promise. I think they’re all going to be long-term players for the Tigers.

Nathan Foley was like a new recruit for the team in 2011 after missing so much football in the previous couple of years due to injury.  Were you satisfied with his form on the comeback trail?

Look, I thought Nathan was a fine contributor, especially considering how much time he’d spent out of the game. He played every game, which will do his confidence the world of good, and he was really influential with his ball-getting ability and clearance work in the midfield. With that season under his belt, I reckon he’ll be even better next season.

What did you see as the team’s biggest area of deficiency in 2011?

Defence undoubtedly was a problem for us. I’m not just talking about our backline structure, it was our overall defensive mindset that was an issue, too. We just leaked too many goals throughout the season. Long-term injuries to our most experienced key defender in Kelvin Moore, and talented, young prospects Dylan Grimes and David Astbury obviously didn’t help matters in this regard, however, it’s an area of our game we simply have to improve in 2012. And, when you win just four first quarters for the season, as we did in 2011, clearly that’s something that needs addressing as well.

What’s the key now to the group taking the next step in 2012?

For starters, the players must attack this pre-season like never before. Success in this game is not something that just falls in your lap – you’ve got to earn it. You have to be totally committed to the cause and uncompromising in your attitude. We have planned a really big pre-season and believe the hard work the players do throughout that will hold them in good stead to tackle the 2012 season. The bottom line is, if we all stick strongly to the plan we have in place, and maintain a relentless approach to improvement, then the rewards are bound to follow.