Autopsy 2013, A Season in Review

[aislegi]

From about 2 pods away: "How about those Tiges?"
laughs around the office, I'm thinking he's gunna want to talk about the game itself, get ready for a little discussion
"You blokes can't even hold a 5 goal lead. Judd's a star, does it when it matters not like Riewoldt who only does it against shit teams. How about the crowd, it was like you were in a bloody Grand Final. You blokes are going nowhere. We'll smash the Swans and be into the Grand Final. Where was Martin and Deledio?"

Apart from a touch of hubris about smashing the Swans and getting into the Grand Final, this is pretty much spot on. It hurts because it's true. Living in Sydney, I'm lucky. I was prepared for the capitulation. Having seen it over and over up here for a decade. I mean, even Trent Cotchin took the piss out of Jack Riewoldt the other night in his post-game interview with Matthew Richardson when he said it was "great to have Jack out". Naturally, he added a "just joking" or "just kidding", lest it be controversial, but humour, I believe, is an underexploited avenue for players to say what they really think.

 

[copthat]

a. I've been to 100% of Richmond's games in Sydney for the last decade!
b. The queues are long but that's because one little lady and her son and trying to serve the entire SCG, where the coffee is excellent
c. One goal! One goal! One lousy goal! And you're going on about Jack's "football ability". Three less than Duigan. Three less than Waite. Two less than Betts. And at least my posts aren't costing you $600,000. What a joke. They need to get out the tape of this game every time anyone asks for a pay rise.

So Jack's footballing ability is made up from one game, where he was used as decoy and played far higher than he usually does? I still don't really see what you're basing your opinions of him off. He was involved in the most goals in the competition this year, has two Coleman medals to his name, yet is 'hopeless' and 'the most overrated player in the competition'.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Do Carlton fans buy memberships?

Via Brown paper bags apparently.

 

[aislegi]

So Jack's footballing ability is made up from one game, where he was used as decoy and played far higher than he usually does? I still don't really see what you're basing your opinions of him off. He was involved in the most goals in the competition this year, has two Coleman medals to his name, yet is 'hopeless' and 'the most overrated player in the competition'.

This whole thing about the Coleman Medals is a bit of a joke. I mean, players are winning the thing these days with 60-odd goals. Kayne Pettifer (in an inferior side to today's) wound up with 40 goals or thereabouts one year, so 60 goals in a side with a midfield as vaunted as Richmond's should be seen as a bare minimum, rather than the sign of a player having a stellar year. And yes, I do think he's over-rated. But look, if you're happy for Jack Riewoldt to fit in with the rest of our players and play like a bunch of soulless, over-paid pansies, you're welcome. In fact, the AFL will happily accommodate this by forcing us to spend our salary cap, regardless of how badly our players perform.

 

[DrMike]

It's a weird feeling thinking about this year. We've improved, the results attest to that, but I wouldn't call it a dominant year.

We haven't had the best return from our top end players with Cotchin, Deledio and Jack all below par, this is probably the biggest thing for me.
We've seen very good improvements from Titch, White, Ellis, Martin and Jackson.
Rance, Chaplin and Morris have slogged away in defence all year.
Vickery has significantly improved over the year in his efforts around the ground and ruck work but still lacks some dominance up forward.
Maric has struggled to get out of bed at times with his groin. Orren was handy backup.
Vlastuin has been brilliant for a first year. Yeh to see what McDonough or McBean can really do.
Knights was great before injury and we haven't cemented a player in that 3rd forward position with Edwards and McGuane being inconsistent.
Astbury, Conca, Arnot and Grimes have been serviceable in the games they've played but injuries have hurt their development.
Derickx, Elton and O'Hanlon played zero senior games for us this year.
Houli increased his defensive side, Grigg improved his short kicking and Petterd has been useful all around the ground.
Lonergan, Foley, Newman, Tuck and King have all been serviceable.
Griffiths, Nahas, Dea, Batchelor and Helbig didn't really show much in what they played.

Not much to say about anyone else.

I think all of Astbury, Derickx, Elton, O'Hanlon, Griffiths, Nahas, Dea, Batchelor and Helbig would be available for trade.
Tuck is gone, Derickx will be gone, Nahas probably as well. Griffiths, Elton and O'Hanlon will be given next year to prove themselves.
McGuane might shop himself again but actually get picked up this year, I hope so because it solves us having to do anything with him next year. We might actually have enough depth to cover delisting him anyway. We have to be careful we don't lose White.
Orren will probably retire. Lonergan won't be offered anything more than another rookie spot. Petterd will probably raised to the senior list, Darrou is also a chance although we might just elevate him at the start of the year.

Leaves us with 3-4 senior and 2-3 rookie spots empty not including any traded players.

From our injury list, I can't see anyone that shouldn't be fit for preseason starting in December, even Conca.

 

[Dr Awkward]

I'm just watching the replay now and Jack did quite a few good things throughout the game, mainly in the first half. Played his role reasonably, and really allowed A. Edwards to dominate early on.

Bloody hell, just absolutely no composure in the second half, the defence really needs improvement. If finals are supposed to be revealing then we've just found out a weakness.

 

[Tiger_ Blood]

Just another video, I put together about how the tiger army will be back in 2014. #HearTheRoar2014

Richmond Tigers | We''ll Be Back 2014 | HD

 

[TiggerMan22]

Hopefully Hardwick has learned Carltons tactics against us now. All they do is wear us down while not giving up too much of a lead and then attacking. I swear our forward line was flooded for the whole first half.

 

[TiggerMan22]

c. One goal! One goal! One lousy goal! And you're going on about Jack's "football ability". Three less than Duigan. Three less than Waite. Two less than Betts. And at least my posts aren't costing you $600,000. What a joke. They need to get out the tape of this game every time anyone asks for a pay rise.

You have no clue at all. Stop embarrassing yourself. Yes he did only kick 1 goal, how many did he kick Round 1 playing the same decoy role? The answer is 0. And he was praised after that game for playing such a selfless role. If Jack didn't play the decoy roll, it is very likely that Vickery and Edwards would have had less of a chance, while Jack not that much more. You really need to start using your brain,

 

[TerraTiger]

So I braved the reply yesterday ......off sick from work and had some time to kill.

We've all heard the Mick out coached us, our defense went to water thanks to lack of midfield accountability from 3rd qtr onwards, etc, etc, and no-one really wants to go over all the if/buts and maybes, because what's done is done .....BUT.....

In looking at the reply knowing the result, we were darn unlucky. So many iffy calls or flukey bounces that didn't go our way it is extra frustrating, just a few from memory:

• Long ball to contest in the Blues fwd pocket, Betts/Waite and one of our guys in the contest, looked like ball crossed the line, judged Carlton mark when Waite goals. A little later, long ball into our forward line - similar however not contested, Jack marks by behind post, judged hit the post - which i couldn't see on the reply myself;
• Dusty competing for ball at half fwd, slips and opportunity lost;
• Advantage call on A Edwards when Vickery had a free 45' 20 metres - I'm not sure Edwards would have heard the ump, result no score

......just some i can think of - there are others just can't recall accurately from memory (so short of watching again - shudder - won't try).

Frustrating.

 

[TerraTiger]

So I braved the reply yesterday ......off sick from work and had some time to kill.

We've all heard the Mick out coached us, our defense went to water thanks to lack of midfield accountability from 3rd qtr onwards, etc, etc, and no-one really wants to go over all the if/buts and maybes, because what's done is done .....BUT.....

In looking at the reply knowing the result, we were darn unlucky. So many iffy calls or flukey bounces that didn't go our way it is extra frustrating, just a few from memory:

• Long ball to contest in the Blues fwd pocket, Betts/Waite and one of our guys in the contest, looked like ball crossed the line, judged Carlton mark when Waite goals. A little later, long ball into our forward line - similar however not contested, Jack marks by behind post, judged hit the post - which i couldn't see on the reply myself;
• Dusty competing for ball at half fwd, slips and opportunity lost;
• Advantage call on A Edwards when Vickery had a free 45' 20 metres - I'm not sure Edwards would have heard the ump, result no score

......just some i can think of - there are others just can't recall accurately from memory (so short of watching again - shudder - won't try).

Frustrating.

Oh and i forgot the most annoying one, Cotchin does everything right but still makes frontal contact and Blues goals - no issue with the free, was just unlucky/unavoidable. Exactly same happens in our fwd line last qtr, clear front on with arm chop, no free. Really annoyed me that one and was at the heart of this post - until i forgot to include it.

 

[Dragonss]

Chris Newman 1
Was expecting him to bounce back after a somewhat disappointing year last year, to some extent he did and proved to be a valuable member of our team.
Grade: B

Dylan Grimes 2
A gun player, was a little rusty and inconsistent at times, but I think that the injury really affected him. Hopefully he excels this pre-season and shows us that he's truly a better player than his brother with a more composed mindset, imposing playstyle, lethal kick out of the back and really develops his leadership to another level.
Grade: B/C

Brett Deledio 3
My favourite player. Have his number on my guernsey and I live to see him play. He is my idol.
Was excellent last year, and to be honest I must be critical because he didn't dish up a season I was expecting, he showed flashes of brilliant, truly brilliant games and carved some teams to sheds. However, he just couldn't the early tagging and he moved to become a more team player. In some aspects thats a good thing but he's got that lethal ability to either kicking a long goal, break lines or dish it off to a teammate inside 50. He just couldn't get it done this season. The good thing we can take of Deledio this season is his development to cope with tags. He destroyed Crowley in the second meeting, but not to get ahead of ourselves they did have some good players out.
Him and Cotchin can talk about how the other young players have stepped up all they want, but I still think that Deledio and Cotchin are the muscle that carries us to another level.
I will be expecting Deledio to bounce back and become a good player next year with his improved mindset on trying to break a tag by going to defense, to midfield, to forward.
Grade: B

Dustin Martin 4
A good year for Martin as a whole, was the most consistent season he's had and this could be due to him demanding the ball more and getting to the right spots for teammates to handball him the ball. His lethality was kind of inconsistent, half the time he would just bang it on the boot, which isn't something I like. Get the contract signed and prepare for season 2014. Become a leader and show your dominance. Needs to keep working on his consistency and his gut running so he can get to every single contest to provide an option. At times I saw him being a real Richmond team player by providing teammates protection, which is great to see and something I admire in players, it shows their brotherhood and unity within a playing group.
Grade: B/A

Brandon Ellis 5
Boy oh boy! What a great season for Ellis, knows when and where to go to get the open ball, and has the run and carry to compliment his ability to rack up possessions. I wasn't really a massive fan last season, but now im thoroughly interested. Showed some good passages of play throughout the season, especially some of his first quarters. He should be looking to improve his consistency over 4 quarters and be able to cope with future tags because if he is given time and space he'll drill a goal or pass 8/10 times.
Grade: A/B

Shaun Grigg 6
Mr Slow! Not a great season for Grigg. I like his ability to find open space but the knock I have on Grigg is his tendency to just bang it on the boot without any purpose of spotting up targets. The other thing is that I see him as quite a slow winger. He is smart in a way because he knows how to run and spread, but i think his lack of speed and tendency to hit targets inside 50 is a massive liability. Have not seen us without Grigg but I think he needs to be upgraded upon.
Grade: Low B

Matt Dea 7
Not a fan. That's all I have to say. Does his role but I don't think he offers anything special. I'd say he's better than average defensively but I wouldn't say he's Morris level. Is a good VFL player but I don't think he's up to AFL standard. I'm willing to be proven wrong but unless he's going to provide something other than above average defense I don't want him in our team.

Jack Riewoldt 8
Good season as a whole with him being more of a team man, people say he needs to kick more goals, but the thing is it doesn't matter who kicks them, just as long as someone kicks the goal and we win. I think it's worked out so far. Jack has still kicked a lot of goals and is number 1 at the club. If he passes them off it shows that he's expressing his leadership qualities by bringing other players into the game and giving them some confidence, which Vickery relies heavily on.
Grade: Low A

Trent Cotchin 9
Captain didn't have a blistering season. Maybe it was because of the responsibility of being captain. Maybe it was because of his injury against Freo. Who knows? It's all in the past now and we can't change any of that. We can only go forward. He's still a gun player. He went off the chain at times but sometimes I think perceived pressure got to him at times and really affected his usual class to hit players lace out inside 50. Still needs to improve his goal kicking. He wasn't tagged as much this season because people realized Deledio was a serious killing machine, but when he got tagged again I think it really affected him. Still need him at his absolute best, hopefully he guns out the perfect pre-season. Flashes of brilliance.
Grade: A

Shane Edwards 10
A so-so year for Edwards. Was good in some games and average in others. Didn't like the move of putting Edwards in the middle for a longer time because I think he's better as a predominant forward and part time midfielder. Although I think that he had no choice but to go into the middle because we had some injured mids like Tuck and Conca. However, at times we really missed him. Needs to get better at being more damaging when playing through the midfield.
Grade: B

Jake Batchelor 11
A disappointing year for Batchelor. Had about one good game at AFL level and I think he's now being overlooked because of Grimes and Petterd. He isn't good when player 1vs1 footy with bigger blokes. His expertise is with his intercept marks, but I don't think he had enough opportunities to do that this year, and when he did he often messed them up. I think he's going to be shopped around. GWS, Saints, Gold Coast etc.. could come and bite. Although we might not get anything good for him, worse than his draft position.
Grade: C

David Astbury 12
An average season by Astbury. Managed to get into the team near the end of the year but I don't think he's part of the 22. He's OKAY in defense but Grimes is just the better option as the 3rd tall. The injury might've hurt his footy. He's lost his speed. He might be tried in the forward line next year, but it's unlikely that he'd be able to make it and solidify a spot in the 22. Depth is all I can see for him at the moment, but i'm happy to be proven wrong. Will need to regain his athleticism.
Grade: C

Ricky Petterd 13
A good pickup this offseason and I think that for a rookie pick we've come out good. He is courageous at times and he provides SOMETHING off the back half with some attack. It's just that sometimes he gets caught. Definitely need to upgrade this position as Newman is getting old. Maybe we should try the Brisbane pack and attempt to throw something at Docherty.
Grade C/B

Bachar Houli 14
Another above average season without being too flash for Houli. We really missed him when he was injured. Provides some run and carry off the half back and is courageous. Not his best season but it's also not a bad season, in my opinion.
Grade: B

Chris Knights 15
A good free agent acquisition. Really showed some form before his injury, and I think the recruitment of Chris Knights is a good one because I think him and O'Hanlon play a similar role. He would provide good mentoring towards O'Hanlon, it's just whether or not O'Hanlon wants to succeed or not.
Grade: Little bit above B

Luke McGuane 16
Some sort of revival for McGuane showing some desperation and aggression in the forward line. Don't know if what he dished up was the best he could provide but I liked some passages of play he produced. I don't think he is best 22 material but he does provide that depth and willingness towards the contest, is just quite inconsistent and not damaging enough. He isn't a person who you would really worry about getting off the chain.
Grade: B

Alex Rance 18
Very good season by Rance. I don't know if it was just a structural thing that helped him improve as a player or whether it was a mental thing just having Chaplin cover for him and provide that general leadership in the backline. Best game from him was when he shat on Buddy Franklin. Was hardly a liability this year and has provided good rebound. Still areas to work on to become a complete monster backman but seems good at the moment.
Grade: A

Ivan Maric 20
A dipped year for Maric and I think that's due to injury, but has shown that he's very passionate about playing for us. Also put in some good performances, but I think that being the predominant ruckman in every game is taking its toll on him. Definitely needs more backups to help him out.
Grade: B

Shane Tuck 21
Farewell Mighty Warrior. A graceful season for Tucky. Played some serviceable footy at the beginning before succumbing to injury. Didn't come back as strong but was okay. He shall be missed for his courage, his desperation and his character.
Grade: B/C

Sam Lonergan 22
Didn't really like the appointment of Lonergan and would've liked the opportunity go to an good VFL/SANFL or whatever player or a youngster from the draft. I guess having pressure from the VFL would be a good thing but I see him as a list clogger even on the rookie list. Good VFL player though.

Daniel Jackson 23
Very good season for Jacko. Consistent and didn't make that many mistakes like he used to, can sometimes still be found out against the absolutely elite teams. Did some freakish things like the fadeaway snap from the pocket. Will probably win or be runner up in B&F.
Grade: A

Ben Griffiths 24
The size. The kick. The mobility. All but no heart and aggression. Disappointing that the coaches didn't put him in the forward line more often only until the end of the VFL season, when he showed glimpses of desperation. Needs to have more confidence in clunking marks and smashing contests. Shoulders really killed him. He has all the wow in the world but just doesn't work for it. Next year will be his telling year. #DONOTTRADE
Grade: C

Troy Chaplin 25
Moneyball acquisition. Leads the backline like a leader. Does his job. Hardly makes a mistake. Makes the backline look good and makes other players like Rance shine. Hopefully he continues his form into next season.
Grade: A

Robin Nahas 26
Absolutely gone. Will be lucky if we get anything for him. No currency whatsoever now. Been serviceable showing his ability as a small forward. Come a long way from being rookie listed. I think his 'attitude' as sub was blown out of proportion, everyone's got different ways of expressing their anticipating sub move. Good luck to wherever he ends up. Hopefully he doesn't carve us up when playing against us.
Grade: D

Aaron Edwards 27
Edwards has shown a lot from always presenting an option in the forward line, a good example for other forwards as it shows his work ethic and willingness to make it easy for his teammates. Has got a god-like pair of marking hands. Just been inconsistent most of the season which got him rubbed out. But showed his worth near the end of the season.
Grade: B

Shall do the rest another time.

 

[Michael roach]

Well, what kind I say for today's result. Disappointing.

But I'm gonna try look at some positives to get me over this.

I actually think if we had won, it would be like 95 and 2001. Huge expectation for next year.
Kinda like Adelaide and west coast this year.

If we had won, and get smashed next week would that be better?

Until today, we had a good run with injuries. This may not happen next year.

I think we are still progressing as per plan of the start of the year. Finals was our goal. Experience, although not good, is still experience.

We need to not drop our heads and continue to trade, fa and recruit. We needed this reality check to push harder for next year and go further with finals. The bar has been set, but hopefully not a false hope like 95/01.

 

[Michael roach]

Agree

Mate, I couldn't care if we lost every game, so long as we beat Carlton, that's all that matters, if you were not there in 1982, don't comment

 

[sante]

Dragonss, my god Houli just a okay year? He was brilliant early and serviceable late, had his best season by miles. Will be top 5 in B&F.

 

[PHX]

My thoughts on list management (not including rookies).

Delist:
Brad Helbig - No good and poor attitude.
Robin Nahas - Done.
Sam Lonergan - Didn't work out and if we get Matt Thomas we don't need Sam.
Tom Derickx - Done.
Brett O'Hanlon - Tough call but I don't think he's it. Would have no trouble taking him up as a rookie to give him one more shot though.


Ask other clubs if they'll give us a packet of twisties for:
Jake Batchelor
Luke McGuane

Seriously talk trades for:
Dustin Martin - We can't be held to ransom. If he (and his manager) wants to play games, we must participate. Hear some offers. You never know if you don't listen.
Nathan Foley - Will only lose value from here on in. Very tough decision but again, should be listening to any offers.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Mate, I couldn't care if we lost every game, so long as we beat Carlton, that's all that matters, if you were not there in 1982, don't comment

What?

 

[Riskingheadandshin]

What?

He is saying that if you weren't at that very game, presuming the GF, then you are not allowed to comment on BF anymore

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

He is saying that if you weren't at that very game, presuming the GF, then you are not allowed to comment on BF anymore

Geez,Disco was one of my Fav players back then,We use to tweet all the time.