In my view it was always the right move to re-appoint ‘Dimma’ as soon as possible, just to nip any media hype in the bud as would no doubt have happened if the process dragged out.
The length of the extension was also spot on.
By the time this new contract runs out Hardwick will have had five years at the club, which will be a good amount of time to ultimately decide whether or not he is the man to take Richmond to its 11th premiership.
We shouldn’t underestimate the size of the job that ‘Dimma’ had to undertake in his first year. A massive cleanout was needed and that’s what he delivered.
Since then the club has slowly but surely began to rise up the ladder after starting from near bottom, so it’s hard to fault Hardwick with the work he has done so far.
How far he can take this club is the next question, but at least now he knows he has the full support of the board and the club as a whole which will take a huge amount of pressure off his shoulders.
Moving now to the club’s on field exploits, a strong Tiger outfit went down to Simonds Stadium and dismantled an under-strength Geelong side which was pleasing to watch.
There have been varying views on what exactly the club can take out of the practice match, but I think with some perspective the Tigers can get a lot of confidence out of a win like that.
As Chris Newman said on AFL 360, you can only go out and play against the opposition that is put out there and there’s always practice that can be put in with regards to structures and playing styles as well.
While some fans are taking the win a little far I think as a whole the supporters are fairly level headed about the result which is important at this time in the season. The club has an incredibly difficult start to the year so it would be remiss to get too far ahead of ourselves.
The performance of Dustin Martin however was certainly something to get excited about. It is simply amazing that he is only just beginning his third season of AFL football. It is scary to think what he might achieve over the next ten years.
While he wasn’t playing against an A-grade Geelong midfield, his ability to find the ball, hit up teammates laces out and kick goals from the middle is something that we will get to see all season long.
It’s an exciting time to be a Tigers fan.
This week the side welcomes back Brett Deledio for his first competitive match of the season against GWS, which will no doubt be a sight for sore eyes. Where he will be used this year on the field still remains somewhat of a mystery, but it offers a tantalising midfield if you play Cotchin, Martin, Foley and Deledio together.
It’s the last competitive hit out the club will have before its round one clash with the Blues, so hopefully the momentum can continue with another big win against the Giants.
Go Tiges!
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