Stressed.
What about when they hit the front?
Still stressed
What about when you won?
Relieved
How frustrated were you in the first 10-15mins, in terms of the start against Hawthorn last week?
Well it wasn’t ideal was it, I thought Richmond were super. Their attack on the ball, their spread, they really pantsed our midfield. We didn’t pressure them like we spoke about so all the aims sort of went out the window.
But, to the players’ credit, they re-focused in the second quarter. I thought it was an emphatic response and we should have got more reward. But as always, it takes it out of you coming from four goals down.
In the third quarter I thought we had full control and I thought our forwards had some really easy opportunities. We had five entries that came to nothing, that was really frustrating and then Richmond took some opportunities, so then it was game on and I thought they started the last quarter really well, but then they probably had the edge late.
Look I’ve been there, I saw Damien (Hardwick) on the way out of the box and I said, I feel for you, because we’ve been there, it’s a cruel game and you need a little bit of luck, but we all experience both sides of it.
Win/loss we’re probably where we should be, maybe one more, I’m not too sure.
In the last minute or two, in a game like that, as a coach are you still in control?
I wasn’t in control from the first bounce to the last bounce to be honest.
I think we just try and organise them and we put a lot of work in for our players for them to lead and get it done. If you think you can fix it game day, we’ve got to help, but at the end of the day the players do it.
They got it done. Good third up, good movement, you get it done. I thought the leadership of Jon Griffin and our mids and small forwards at that particular time was exactly what we needed.
What about your forward line, small forwards without Bradley?
We didn’t start small. We brought in Jack Hannath on his debut at 202cm and we had Mayne and we had Kepler so that’s pretty typical of our structure, three talls and then de Boer floats in and out.
Obviously when Bradley went down it put us under pressure, you know, like it did in the Essendon game for the run. Essendon brought on a (Travis) Colyer and they (Richmond) bring on a (Robin) Nahas, so when they’ve got some tickets, it makes it difficult. So we’ve been on the wrong side of the ledger there.
I thought once we created some spill they looked dangerous but I thought they got out marked a little bit as well. Newman was good on Walters I think, a few times on entry they marked it a bit.
It is what it is, you know, we’ll have to go away. Kepler’s done an ACL, we’re pretty confident, scan tomorrow, which is really sad for any player, but when it’s one of your own it makes it worse.
We’ll support Kepler and rehabilitate him, but you know one door shuts, another one opens. So you’ve got Tanner Smith and Jack Hannath will continue. We’ll find a way, that’s what we’re paid to do
Has Kepler been given that news (about his injury) and how is he feeling?
I think it’s obvious he knows if I know, to be frank. As you can imagine he’s not over the moon about it, he’s pretty upset and he’s gone home with his family. Some things are self-evident and an ACL in footy isn’t ideal.
What did you make of Hayden Ballantyne’s game? He seemed to struggle a little bit early but he came back to kick a match-winning four goals?
Yeah, bitter sweet isn’t it? He wasn’t ideal, but he did a lot right. He could have been really influential but his ball use let him down a little bit and we’ve spoken about that. And he kicks the match winner. He’ll feel good about that and we’ll feel good, but plenty of room area for improvement. Because he’s still building to his very best football.
Suban as the sub was pretty effective for you?
Paul Duffield failed a fitness test this morning. Nick Suban was out, comes back in and Tendai goes from the sub. I thought Suban and Tendai were two very good contributors for us so it just shows you it’s a game above the shoulders. When you’re feeling you’re going out the team, you find a level of desperation. It’s a good reminder for us all.
Your half-back line seemed to be very strong today – especially Luke McPharlin. How was it to have him back today?
He’s one of the premier tall defenders in the AFL playing on the premier forwards, but as always we defend well when the midfield plays well and the forwards pressure. Early, they scored as they should. They had a number of shots. They kicked 5.2 off fourteen entries so we didn’t defend super special but then the forwards and the mids lifted and all of a sudden your backs defend well and they get a bit of bounce and rebound.
So we asked for more run and rebound tonight and they gave us that. It’s a combination, but to answer your question, he was the captain tonight and he led us brilliantly.
I think we all sigh a bit of relief. We’ve got a really tough challenge. We bank four, we move on and we go to the Gold Coast, we had difficulties up there last year. So there will be no relaxing here, there will be no breathing out. It’s the longest trip in Australia for us, but we want to be a team that is mentally tough and can handle travel.
What did you make of Matt White’s shot on goal?
To be honest, I thought it looked like a goal, you know, that fresh legs. But then I just draw on my own experiences, I don’t really know what the outcome is and all the ‘hoo-haa’ but I’ve been in the 2009 grand final where Hawkins turned around and hit the goal post from 10 metres out and got given a goal. So I’ve seen the other side of the coin so it doesn’t worry me too much, I’ll leave it with the AFL.
Damien (Hardwick) thinks incidents like that should be reviewed. What do you think?
I thought there was a review process in place but at the end of the day, we are all humans and we all make mistakes. I don’t know the process. I think Damien is entitled to voice his opinion but I’ll leave it to the papers and the AFL to sort it out because it doesn’t really matter what I think does it?
You touched on Jon Griffin’s leadership. How impressed have you been at his ability to take on the #1 ruck role?
Well to be honest, he got beaten last week so he needed to do what he did. I think if you break it down he is about even, so he needs to keep going.
Ballantyne’s goal at the end, and the roar – have you heard anything like that here in your time as coach?
To be honest, with all the stress I didn’t the roar. I was just yelling down the phone at Bondy (Chris Bond). His eardrums will be burst… “Get ‘em back!”
It would have been good for your fans though?
We talk about our members all the time and our fans. It’s the reason we exist and, win or lose, they expect you to give effort. At times our discipline and organisation was poor but, bar the first quarter, I don’t think they would question the team’s effort. This team will give the fans and members their heart and then it’s about always trying to improve the method. So they always play with heart.
