Damien Hardwick has labelled his side’s loss to Richmond as “incredibly frustrating”, before responding strongly on the Victorian premier’s comments around his former player Noah Balta.
Saturday night’s 11-point defeat was the first time the three-time Richmond premiership coach has been on the wrong end of a result against his old side, with the Tigers turning up the heat from the first bounce to catch their visitors off guard.
Speaking to journalists post-game, Hardwick suggested his Suns regressed under the roof at Marvel Stadium, after trailing by 43 points at three-quarter time.
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“It was disappointing … We took a step back tonight, but that’s AFL footy,” Hardwick said.
“It’s not as if we didn’t have enough opportunities — we had +20 inside 50s — we just couldn’t get the scoreboard (ticking).
“It’s incredibly frustrating. It’s frustrating because you know the answers, if that makes sense, we just couldn’t get the job done.
“Credit where credit’s due, I thought they were outstanding. They played really, really well (with) good intensity, good vibrancy and got the job done. We came home hard (and) late, but left our run too late.”
Discipline was a notable talking point in the early stages of the match, with the Suns giving away crucial free kicks in front of goal to help Richmond out to an early lead.
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Key defender Mac Andrew was once again amid the melees, and while had impact through the night, was soundly beaten at times by a Tiger forward line led by former Sun Tom Lynch.
“Poor, it was undisciplined. That sort of stuff happens in footy, but the reality is, it’s not how hard you hit, it’s how firm you hold the line,” Hardwick continued.
“It’s part of the game, but they’re going too far. We gave away a cheap goal that was probably the difference in the game, so much in the end if that makes sense. Guys are going to get frustrated, but you can’t step over the line.
“We expect better, and we demand better.”
“I’ll speak to Mac, but I’d much rather pull him back than have to wind him up — that’s the nature of the beast.
“He’s going to overstep the mark. 80 per cent of the time, he’s going to be really good, 20 per cent of the time he’s going to go over. Today he went over, that’s the reality.
“He’s a young player, people probably judge him unfairly at various stages.”
Hardwick has won just one of his last 11 matches coaching at the enclosed Marvel Stadium — a venue where he has previously expressed his displeasure to coach at.
His Suns now sit in third on the ladder, and will slide to fourth with a Hawthorn win over Geelong on Easter Monday.
A strong talking point heading into the Round 6 clash between Richmond and Gold Coast was the selection of Noah Balta, who is just days away from being sentenced for an assault charge he has pleaded guilty to. His availability for the match sparked great debate, with the importance of his return so close to a verdict on his case questioned.
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Hardwick, who coached the 25-year-old to a premiership in 2020, spoke briefly on his selection either side of a message for Victorian premier Jacinta Allan, who has previously weighed in on his current circumstance.
“At the end of the day, he got a suspension through Richmond, through the AFL (and) a four-week penalty,” Hardwick noted.
“You’ve got a premier (Jacinta Allan) that put her nose in someone else’s business. She should just concentrate on getting the state running well… it’s an absolute mockery of her making comments in regards to that.
“At the end of the day, he’s pleaded guilty — he understands that, he’s going to cop his fair whack … he’ll get better as a result of it.”
The Suns now have an eight-day break before taking on Sydney next Sunday at People First Stadium on the Gold Coast.
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