Hardwick said for Newman to give away that advantage during a significant period of the contest was disappointing.
"[For] that to come from Chris (Newman) was disappointing. He has got to be better than that and we know that."
However Hardwick knew it wasn't just that isolated incident that proved costly.
The loss of their two ruckmen to injury in two frenetic minutes early in the third quarter against Geelong was enough to throw the Tigers into disarray.
Ivan Maric left the ground with an injured leg and had barely crossed the boundary line when Tyrone Vickery was seeing stars in the centre circle after clashing heads with Steve Johnson.
Hardwick said they did not know whether either player would return – Vickery was eventually subbed off with concussion – and were making decisions at a rapid rate.
It saw them in the situation of having to rob Peter to pay Paul.
"[It] just compounded problems all over the ground," Hardwick said. [We were] constantly trying to chase our tail."
The period has implications for next week with Hardwick uncertain about the availability of either ruckman to take on Port Adelaide in a must win game for the club at AAMI Park next week.
On the bright side, Hardwick said Nathan Foley was close to making a return.
Hardwick also bemoaned some uncharacteristic errors in defence that cost the team goals.
"They are the sort of mistakes that the good sides make you make, but we have to eradicate," Hardwick said.
"[It's] probably unlike us for the majority of the year so we just have to make sure we iron those out, regroup and restock and get better."
Although disappointed with the result he said injuries led to the margin blowing out and the players would remain positive.
"We're three and three. We're in the pack. Those sides, particularly Geelong, have shown us the level we have got to play at," Hardwick said.
