Coach Damien Hardwick had an old-school reaction to Richmond’s latest AFL disaster.
The Tigers lost any momentum they gained from last week’s big win over Greater Western Sydney with a woeful 50-point loss to Essendon on Saturday night at the MCG.
First came the post-game blast for the players, which was clearly audible to people on the other side of the closed doors in their MCG change rooms.
Then he was asked in his media conference what Richmond would do next.
“Training, training and more training,” was the coach’s simple prescription.
Some coaches prefer not to say anything more about their post-game blasts, but Hardwick is fed up.
The Dreamtime At The ‘G nightmare left Richmond with only three wins from 10 games.
“The performance validated it,” Hardwick said of his ferocious spray.
“When you dish up that sort of performance, it’s to be expected.
“You get belted in contested ball, you get belted in tackles, you’re a fair chance to expect a spray at the end of the game.
“We’re just really disappointed in the performance that we put out there tonight.
“We’re a very mediocre football side at the moment. Very mediocre.”
Alex Rance’s dreadful turnover early in the third term, gifting Ben Howlett his fourth goal, summed up their night.
“It was circa-2010 all over again,” Hardwick said of Rance, now one of Richmond’s top players.
“It was disappointing. Alex is a better player than that. He knows that, I know that.”
While the Tigers can forget about the finals, Hardwick said their priority would not change.
“We’re still trying to win as many games as we can,” he said.
“We need to start winning some games, not so much from a making finals point of view, but just actually getting some respectability back in our footy club.”