Well if you try sometimes you just might find, you get what you need

Once you tell the little voice in your head that’s asking ‘why did it take 17 weeks?’ to shut up, it’s possible to smile and think that the future, which looked so very dark a month ago, seems a little bit brighter.

Doesn’t matter if you trudged or reluctantly switched on the TV, it was pretty hard to be chipper about this game in the lead in. The lightening quick, über fit contender pretender, against Richmond, neither quick nor fit and I’ve lost track of whether we are a pretender or failed contender.

But something happened, we rediscovered Hardwick footy. Not the Hardwick footy of 2014 but the Hardwick footy of 2011-August 2013 (2010 doesn’t count, that was ground zero).

I’d forgotten how much fun Hardwick footy is – hunting in packs, making them bomb down the line, overlap run, second, third, fourth efforts and moving the ball forward so fluently that midfielders can sneak forward, Jack has time and space and Vickery doesn’t look as if he’d rather be a close friend’s funeral.

People will bemoan late season wins as an unnecessary shuffle down the draft pecking order. But you know what? Screw those people. Draft picks don’t lead to finals, a winning culture does.

Not that long ago, people (including me) wanted Hardwick gone, but we were wrong. Not only has he earned the right to see this through to next year, he is absolutely doing the right thing playing the best 22 players he has available. As much as we’d all like to see McBean, Lennon and McDonough, we lose that game with those three instead of (unfairly picking random names) – Foley, Newman and Petterd.

He comfortably outcoached Hinkley, who looks more like a glorified personal trainer by the week.

That 22 was our best balanced for the year and, trades aside, most of them will likely be there next season. Newman has earned going out on his terms, but I hope that’s this year. By memory Foley is contracted. Batchelor has taken his chance and made the most of it, as has Petterd. People will still call for Vickery to be traded, but he’s our best choice alongside Jack and it’s time for a little bit of respect.

Though not everything list management is beer and skittles. I’ll back our top ten players against most but it’s the pecking order from 11-30 where early 90's WACA cracks appear. Hawthorn’s 25th best player would be 12th at Richmond and vice-versa. But with a reasonable turnover (no longer a clean out), a couple of free agents and some smart drafting, hope is building that this year will be a blip rather than a wipeout.

To the actual game, how good was it seeing the midfield hunt as a pack?

Port got over the back a few times and ran us coast to coast, but by and large we managed to play the game on our terms for four quarters, something that has happened sparingly all season.

Our season hasn’t gone to plan because our midfield hasn’t. Footy went one way over summer, while our midfield went the other. The nine we should be competing with for a spot in the finals (sigh) were training for run and gun while we were prepping for bump and grind.

And once the midfield works, it’s amazing how much better everyone else looks. Rance is an exceptional defender when he’s not forced to stave off repeated aerial assaults, Houli finds it much easier to find space and use that lethal left foot when the ball isn’t sailing over his head, Chaplin doesn’t turn it over when he has someone to kick to and Vickery can be the player we want him to be when the forward delivery doesn’t go via two back flanks, two wings, the Bora Bora and southern Poland.

Two efforts stood out for me:

Vlastuin flying for a mark, laid a tackle, ran for a handball receive and finished with a goal within the space of ten seconds. Richmond players this year have been trusted to make a first and second effort, a third if we are lucky but four is unchartered territory.

Cotchin chasing down Pittard (who as an aside is absolutely bobbins, looks weird and is called Jasper) as he was screaming towards goal. Having given up a 40m start, the skipper didn’t quite get him but got close enough that Pittard heard him coming and shanked the kick out on the full. For the sake of a narrative I’ll say we went straight down the other end and kicked a goal even though I doubt that actually happened but it makes for a much better story.

One of the great philosophers once penned ‘if you try sometimes well you just might find, you get what you need’. When you apply a bit of elbow grease, it's amazing the ball bounces your way, the presumptive Coleman medalist misses sitters and your CHB half back goes forward, snags a couple of goals, gets right up them and their captain is sooking about it 24 hours later.

That’s the minimum standard from here. Footy is fun again and it’s time to go ruin a few finals chances on the run home.

Shameless plug: I'm running the City2Surf next month and raising money for Sylvanvale, who are a disability service provider in Sydney and New South Wales. They're a great cause if you can spare some hard earned, and still a great cause even if you can't. I'm coming from a pretty low fitness base and my legs are very tired, so I can assure you I'll be going through some pain between now and August 10.

Votes

5: Bachar Houli

4: Jack Riewoldt

3: Alex Rance

2: Trent Cotchin

1: Ricky Petterd

Leaderboards

The Benny

28: Brandon Ellis

27: Dustin Martin

25: Trent Cotchin

20: Jack Riewoldt

18: Alex Rance

14: David Astbury

13: Shaun Hampson

11: Bachar Houli and Ricky Petterd

10: Daniel Jackson

8: Reece Conca and Anthony Miles

6: Steven Morris and Ty Vickery

5: Brett Deledio and Shane Edwards

4: Matt Thomas, Sam Lloyd and Shaun Grigg

3: Troy Chaplin

2: Nick Vlastuin, Nathan Foley and Chris Newman

1: Ben Griffiths, Orren Stephenson, Matthew Dea and Ben Lennon

Blair Hartley Appreciation Award

13: Shaun Hampson

11: Bachar Houli and Ricky Petterd

8: Anthony Miles

4: Matt Thomas and Shaun Grigg

3: Troy Chaplin

2: Anthony Miles

Anthony Banik Best First Year Player

4: Sam Lloyd

1: Ben Lennon

Joel Bowden’s Golden Left Boot

11: Bachar Houli

4: Shaun Grigg

3: Troy Chaplin

Greg Tivendale Rookie Medal

8: Anthony Miles

4: Matt Thomas

1: Orren Stephenson

Championship Belt:

Incumbent	Winner	Streak	Wins
NA	Cotchin	1	1
Cotchin	Astbury	1	1
Astbury	Riewoldt	1	1
Riewoldt	Astbury	1	2
Astbury	Petterd	1	1
Petterd	Ellis	1	1
Ellis	Conca	1	1
Conca	Martin	1	1
Martin	Riewoldt	1	2
Riewoldt	Martin	1	2
Martin	Martin	2	3
Martin	Miles	1	1
Miles	Martin	1	4
Martin	Cotchin	1	2
Cotchin	Rance	1	1
Rance	Houli	1	1