Riewoldt, who injured his ankle in the previous round against Fremantle, initially appeared almost certain to miss the GWS match.
But he worked diligently all week on his recovery to ensure he was fit enough to line up against GWS, and he had an impact despite the rain-soaked conditions.
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“He played his part,” Hardwick said.
“We didn’t think he’d play after the incident the previous week. So, for him to get up, was enormous for us.
“He’s just such an important player for us structure-wise, and he hung tough all day.
“He was certainly limited . . . I think he had another injection at three-quarter time to battle on through the game.
“For him to help get us over the line was really important . . .”
