Damien Hardwick calls on the umpires to monitor the distance of Sydney’s kicking

Everyone in footy is in love with Sydney’s new game style. But do the umpires need to monitor one element a lot closer? Damien Hardwick thinks so.

Damien Hardwick coaching against the Swans last week. Picture: Getty Images

Damien Hardwick says he will challenge umpires to closely monitor Sydney’s short-kicking game style after it picked apart Richmond’s defence.

The three-time premiership coach conceded his backline struggled to combat the Swans’ fast ball movement in the 45-point loss at the MCG, but questioned the distance of some of their passes.

“Their short probing game was evident,” Hardwick said.

“The distance of kick, the shortness, was really hard to defend.

“That’s something we’ll look at and we’ll challenge the umpires on, that distance of kick.”

Hardwick said he would not be overhauling his defence or move to a man-on-man system in the face of quicker ball movement this year.

“That’s the system we play and it’s held us in good stead over the last few years and will hold us in good stead again,” Hardwick said.

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Damien Hardwick has called on the umpires to monitor Sydney’s short kicking. Picture: Getty Images

“We didn’t implement to the level of our normal capacity. We’ll go to work again.

“Sometimes you have to lose the battle to win the war.

“We’ll still back in our system. The sample size is not to a level where we would make significant change.

“We also have got a really good understanding the game evolves and we may have to evolve with it. At this stage we will tweak our system, we won’t throw out our system.”

Hardwick said captain Trent Cotchin was more likely than not to play Port Adelaide on Friday after he finished the Swans game on the bench with ice on his hamstring and groin areas.

Bachar Houli could also return for his first game since last year’s Grand Final.

Hardwick confirmed the Tigers could also have one or two first gamers with Dion Prestia and Kamden McIntosh set to miss the clash with Port.

“Sydney had a great game, we didn’t play particularly well. I’m a pretty proud coach of a pretty proud playing group. Judge us on the next four weeks, see how we go then,” Hardwick said.

“It’s a great opportunity for players to grow in to roles. It certainly reinvigorates the coaching group and I’ve got no doubt it will reinvigorate the playing group as well,” he said.

“There will be at least one debutant, and possibly two.

Damien Hardwick talking to his players during the loss to the Swans. Picture: Getty Images

“There’s a number of guys we are looking at. We are very bullish on the young talent we have.”

Hardwick threw his support behind the suggestion of an English Premier League-style loan system.

“Anything that gives a young player a chance to play the game, I love,” Hardwick said.

“We’ve got a young kid by the name of Samson Ryan that we’d love to loan (to the Suns).

“End of the day this kid, we’re really excited about what he’s gonna bring but we’ve got Coleman-Jones, we’ve got Mabior Chol, we’ve got Samson – so he’s sitting there playing forward in VFL footy.

“Not that I’d like to give them Samson if he’s playing against us but anything that gives a player the opportunity to play at AFL, I think we should look at, absolutely.”

Originally published as Damien Hardwick calls on the umpires to monitor the distance of Sydney’s kicking