What Barty has learnt from Richmond’s run

Ash Barty’s coach Craig Tyzzer and Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick swapped strategies and insight into helping champion teams and athletes.

World number 1 tennis player Ash Barty will present the 2020 AFL Premiership Cup if Richmond wins on Saturday night

At the start of the year, reigning AFL premiership coach Damien Hardwick and WTA Tour coach of the year Craig Tyzzer struck up a rapport.

The connection between the two champion coaches came about via the close relationship Australian star Ash Barty has with the Tigers and it has proven beneficial for both parties.

As Tyzzer said in Brisbane on Friday, the coaching duties between the pair differ to a degree, but they are both tasked with harnessing excellence from the best in the business.

He said spending time with Hardwick, who played in premierships with Essendon and Port Adelaide and is seeking a third flag in four years as coach of Richmond, was invaluable.

“We had a few sit-down chats and talks about coaching at the start of this year,” Tyzzer told The Weekend Australian.

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“Coaching is so different for them because it is a group, whereas ours is so much one-on-one, so our interest was in how he deals with being able to get the message across to so many people.

“They do it brilliantly. They are all so much on the one page. That, for me, was huge, watching how they go about that stuff.”

Barty, who watches Richmond train where possible while in Melbourne, said it was clear in the pre-season that the Tigers retained a burning desire for success.

The world No 1, who has resumed training in preparation for the Australian summer, will present the premiership cup should Richmond win the grand final against Geelong at the Gabba on Saturday night.

“The really simple thing that they get right is that they have the respect for each other to push each other, to not cross the line, but to also know it is competitive and it is 100 per cent intensity,” she said.

“It is all very, very simple things you can control that bring out the best in everyone. That is probably what the best part is.”

When the Tigers embarked on a road trip that has now stretched beyond 100 days, Hardwick quizzed Tyzzer, a Carlton fan, about how Team Barty managed long stretches away.

“Dimma talked to me about the time away and how long we spent travelling,” Tyzzer said. “I said, ‘Our longest stint is in Europe and that is 12 to 13 weeks and you get to the end of that and it is quite a difficult time. It is always a struggle.’ To keep raising the bar and to keep doing what they are doing is great. It is wonderful to see.”

Barty, who has retained the world No 1 ranking, is close friends with Richmond captain Trent Cotchin and has trained regularly at Richmond’s Punt Road headquarters over the past decade.

“I have trained there many a time, for many years,” she said.

“I obviously have a really close relationship with Cotch and Dimma and through Crowey (mindset coach Ben Crowe), that relationship has been able to strengthen. Cotch and I, in particular, share stories and talk about ways in which we can grow as people and as athletes.”

There was consternation from a minority when the Tigers announced Barty would present the premiership cup if Richmond was successful.

Richmond legend Matthew Richardson was among those to issue a stern rebuke to critics of the decision, pointing out several instances where people outside the game have held the honour.

Richmond president Peggy O’Neal said she had received messages from rival clubs congratulating her on making the decision.

“She is the most brilliant choice the club could have made,” O’Neal said.

“Ash embodies all the values Richmond stands for and she has been a great supporter for a long, long time.

“She is the embodiment of all of our fans and for people who can’t be there, I think she is the perfect representative for all we stand for at Richmond.”

Barty is nervous ahead of the grand final but hopeful the premiership falls Richmond’s way.

“I was very surprised and obviously it is a massive honour, a massive privilege to maybe have the honour. I have had a really good connection with the club for a long time,” she said.

“I know for the Tiger Army, that is over 100,000 faces that have got a smile on their face and come tomorrow, hopefully there is a big grin at the end of the day.

“I am just obviously very excited and pretty humbled to hopefully stand there for all of the 100,000 fans.”