After a tight first term that saw plenty of sloppy footy from both clubs, the Tigers booted the first goal of the second, but then didn’t score again for the half, while the Crows - who were looking for a win to stay in finals contention - kicked 4.9 to leave the Tigers just 19 points down at the long break.
A vastly different-looking Tigers outfit hit the track in the third, and they outscored the Crows 10 goals to four in the half to cruise to a 21-point win in the wind, wet and hail.
Hardwick said the side had reset itself at half-time.
“The Crows would be really disappointed with that second quarter - they had us on the ropes there for quite a period of time and just weren’t able to finish us off,” Hardwick said. “Our guys, to their credit, fought back and we probably dominated the third and fourth quarters in a lot of areas we were hoping to, coming into the game.
“It was good, but it’s a great lesson to our guys that you need to keep doing the things that we go into the gameplan with on a consistent basis, because a few things we tried didn’t got that well in that second quarter.
“I thought our contested game lifted a notch in the last half. I thought we were disappointing in that area early, we were a bit fumbly and overused the ball by hand - I think in the second quarter we had something like 20-odd kicks and 40 handballs, which in those conditions, with the pressure the Crows expert on you, is not ideal.
“We structured up a little bit differently after half-time, and we felt it worked.”
Hardwick again heaped praise on Brett Deledio across half-back, but saved special mention for Shane Tuck, who was on the outer early in the year but who has just agreed to terms for a new deal that will take him through to at least the end of 2011.
“What he can do is win the ball - I thought he was terrific in and around the clinches,” he said. “He probably started off a little bit slow, but then got better as the game progressed.
“And when the wet whether came, that’s Tucky’s domain. He’s very good around stoppages and great at getting that kick forward, which we needed today.
“I think he had it 33 times, had 10 tackles and just as many clearances, so he was terrific once again.”
