by Brad » Sun Jun 18, 2006 8:06 pm
Wallace slams Tigers after Hawthorn loss
Sunday Jun 18 19:25 AEST
Fuming Richmond coach Terry Wallace accused his players of getting ahead of themselves after the Tigers were handed a 41-point belting by an undermanned Hawthorn outfit at Aurora Stadium on Sunday.
Richmond would have moved into the top eight for the first time this season had it been able to see off a Hawthorn side riding a six-match losing streak.
But instead of rising to the occasion, the Tigers once again came up woefully short in a must-win game and lost 16.9 (105) to 8.16 (64) to finish the end of the first weekend of the split round 12.
"I'm trying not to take anything away from Hawthorn but the reality is if (the opposition) step on with seven or eight key players out of the line-up, you ought to be able to get the job done," said Wallace.
"That was the disappointing factor - not only did we not get it done, but we never looked likely at any stage of the game to get it done."
Wallace said the worst element of the loss was his players' refusal to put their heads over the ball and win it.
"I just think we were appalling at our ability to man up," he said.
"We had some guys who I thought were more worried about what their numbers read at the end of the day in relation to their own stats than they were worried about playing two-way footy."
Skipper Kane Johnson, who had the better of Hawks star Luke Hodge, was one of the few Richmond players spared Wallace's wrath.
"I don't have any issue with (Johnson's) mindset, where he was at," said Wallace.
"The rest of the group need to have a look at themselves.
"Just a little bit of publicity, it doesn't take much and there's a few little sounds coming out of the rooms over a week where a few things have been said that perhaps a couple were getting a little ahead of themselves.
"You learn a very, very harsh lesson in this competition if that's the case."
Hawthorn's big-name injured absentees included Peter Everitt, Trent Croad, Shane Crawford, Danny Jacobs and Brent Guerra, while Richie Vandenberg was serving the last game of a suspension.
The Tigers, who have a tough month after the mid-season break, are among a glut of four teams locked on 6-6 records occupying positions 7-10 on the ladder.
That group includes Fremantle (ninth), which was the other big disappointment of the weekend having let slip a gilt-edged chance to win a pressure game.
The Dockers were humiliated by Geelong 18.10 (118) to 6.16 (52) at Subiaco Oval, increasing the pressure on Fremantle coach Chris Connolly.
West Coast paid the price for its below-par 13.19 (97) to 8.12 (60) loss to Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night, losing top spot to Adelaide.
The Crows moved to the top with a routine thumping of St Kilda on Friday night, 18.15 (123) to 8.12 (60).
The Western Bulldogs continued their brave form with a sparkling 42-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba, 22.13 (145) to 14.19 (103), despite the loss of Mitch Hahn as the club's fifth victim of a season-ending knee injury.
Melbourne confirmed its status as one of most in-form teams with a 16.15 (111) to 10.15 (75) win over Essendon at Telstra Dome on Sunday.
The Demons started slowly but powered to an eighth win from nine games, which condemned Essendon to its 11th-straight loss - the second-worst in the Bombers' history.
The Kangaroos play Carlton on Friday night and Sydney hosts Collingwood on Saturday night to complete round 12.
Hawthorn's victory was a major relief for coach Alastair Clarkson, who re-signed for two more seasons last week, but had not won since beating Essendon in round five.
This weekend was the first time both Perth clubs had lost since round 22 of last season.