I feel disappointed for them and for the club , we all want success
if it came out they were getting loose at strip clubs and partying I'd be very disappointed in them
Review Mid Season 2024
- Thread starter _RT_
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if it came out they were getting loose at strip clubs and partying I'd be very disappointed in them
Spot on but the Club from top down is still acting like we are a flying on and off the field ... before Dusty300 3 game $65 memberships came on board ... we only had 94K members... so the 100000 comes with an asterisk that should be next to the Collingwood numbers each year. So here are a few tips from cheap seats in no particular order:
1) Injured players need to come back through the VFL ... including premiership players ... and don't go taking youngsters out of VFL to play less than a quarter ... a full game in Steve Morris program is doing wonders.
2) Shelve the new grandstand ... or just do Stage 1 with the $65M we have ... leave the Swimburne Centre and just do the part that is inside the Grandstand footprint leaving room the planned increase in size ... revenue is falling ... act accordingly
3) Appoint a new CEO now, even if he works alongside Gale for the remainder of the year.
(Didn't the club learn from taking their time on the coaching appointment ... it removed the urgency and resulted in less interest)
The Board needs to wake up to Benny Gale's modus operandi ... nepotism ... Matt Finnis, his deputy, got the AFLPA gig after him .... Louie Meehan was appointed to run the Strength and Conditioning program ... and Yze was the only non Richmond person that applied for the job because perception we would appoint one of our own ... and now Gale is hanging around trying to have his 2IC appointed to continue the legacy ...
Absolutely no ... new ideas needed
4) Appoint an independent review of conditioning and rehabilitation at the Club so that the new CEO and his team have information to act on
5) Play Dusty 60% game time so he can be the power athlete he is. Will have twice the impact (Give Dusty a 4 year contract so he can be our second 400 game player -we gifted Edwards about 150 games to get him to 300
)6) Yelling makes me thirsty
Start selling cans again at VFL games ... (Make a dry area for families if you have to) ..
7) Trade some premiership players for other good players ... losing the drive is human ... even Michael Jordon had to take a break after he won 3 ... Short and Graham are good role players and there are clubs that need their skill set ... in return for some players that are HUNGRY and have leg speed.
Last edited:
Cam Payner
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If that's the case then he only ever played 50 good games in his career because it took him about 100 to become a decent player...-we gifted Edwards about 150 games to get him to 300
I was including that 100 in the 150
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Meehan and crew are to blame for everything wrong with the season
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- Dec 20, 2023
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Keep the riolis, trade/retire Short and delist Mate Colina and Pickett would be my adjustments to your list.
I’m starting to think Mate doesn’t have a back at all anymore. Like wtf is wrong with it?
Good job RT, I'll follow your format:
Most Disappointing Aspect:
Clearly injuries, and compounding that now is the worry that our physio/medical team might not be up to it? I still don't know if my thoughts on them are based in reality or if I'm just looking for someone to blame, but the sheer amount of injuries and reoccurring injuries we've had to me kind of signals that this has to be more than just luck. We simply cannot afford to have a repeat of this year on the injury front, not only as it impacts us being able to win games, but it also has the ability to take years off of players careers or at the very least curtails them, plus its a bad look for prospective players who might want to join us\. It's not JUST about the wins and losses.
The other disappointing thing on this front has been the players that have been struck down, particularly with the ACL's. Gibcus, Lefau and to a lesser extent Clarke are all part of our future plans and have shown enough to get us excited, I just hope that they can all make full recoveries...just a shame that we're probably two years away now from seeing them in full flight again.
Most Positive Aspect:
Being able to have a proper look at basically our entire list has been a positive. Not often you get to the bye and you've pretty much played everyone, but here we are. At different stages I feel like MRJ, Ralphsmith, Dow and Brown have shown that they can certainly be part of our best team moving forward, while debutants like Campbell and McAuliffe have also shown plenty with the opportunities they've been given. We still have a good 8-9 games to go and I dare say we'll also get to see the likes of Blight, Gray, Bauer, Gray and Smith either for the first time, or a bit more often which will be another highlight.
Best Performed Players:
Vlastuin, Baker, Rioli, Balta (when fit) and Nank can certainly hold their heads high from the older brigade. It's no mean feat to try and create cohesion in a team that has been so bereft of it this year, but these guys have usually been pretty consistent with their performances throughout the year. Another guy I'd like to highlight is Ben Miller. Again with injuries to the likes of Gibcus, Grimes and Balta for portions of the season, he has been given plenty of opportunity and has taken it with both hands. I genuinely feel like we've got someone who can hold down a key post for us for the next 4-5 years given his elite one on one work. He's been a great success story.
Most Disappointing Players:
Ruling out the guys who have had their years ruined by injury, it's hard to be too critical as it doesn't leave much else! Shorty has probably had a year he'd rather forget, save for his game against Adelaide which showed that he's good form is still in there somewhere, but I do worry that he will never be the player he was 3-4 years ago. I also maybe hold him to too high of a standard, but I just wish Bolton would tone it down 20% with everything he does to become a more effective footballer for us. I would never want to silence his creativity as that is part of who he is and part of what makes him great, but there are multiple lapses in concentration every game where his disposal is lacking, or he'll go for the harder option when there's a perfectly good option staring him in the face, his finishing around goal has been down this year too IMO. He can still be elite, but I guess I'm just wanting a bit more maturity to come into his game.
Looking Forward:
As much as I'd love to have Pick 1, I'd much prefer to see this young group be able to celebrate a few more wins together in the back half of the year to create a bit of a launching pad into next year. I think it's a given we'll have a top 3 pick regardless so I'm looking forward to November. As mentioned earlier, looking forward to seeing more of Smith, Bauer, Green etc. and hopefully a couple more debuts. Blight in particular I'm super interested to see play.
Possible List Changes:
Retire: Grimes Martin
Free Agency: Graham
Trade: Baker
Delist: Cumberland, Colina
I know more changes will need to happen than the above! But these I think have a very high chance of happening
Most Disappointing Aspect:
Clearly injuries, and compounding that now is the worry that our physio/medical team might not be up to it? I still don't know if my thoughts on them are based in reality or if I'm just looking for someone to blame, but the sheer amount of injuries and reoccurring injuries we've had to me kind of signals that this has to be more than just luck. We simply cannot afford to have a repeat of this year on the injury front, not only as it impacts us being able to win games, but it also has the ability to take years off of players careers or at the very least curtails them, plus its a bad look for prospective players who might want to join us\. It's not JUST about the wins and losses.
The other disappointing thing on this front has been the players that have been struck down, particularly with the ACL's. Gibcus, Lefau and to a lesser extent Clarke are all part of our future plans and have shown enough to get us excited, I just hope that they can all make full recoveries...just a shame that we're probably two years away now from seeing them in full flight again.
Most Positive Aspect:
Being able to have a proper look at basically our entire list has been a positive. Not often you get to the bye and you've pretty much played everyone, but here we are. At different stages I feel like MRJ, Ralphsmith, Dow and Brown have shown that they can certainly be part of our best team moving forward, while debutants like Campbell and McAuliffe have also shown plenty with the opportunities they've been given. We still have a good 8-9 games to go and I dare say we'll also get to see the likes of Blight, Gray, Bauer, Gray and Smith either for the first time, or a bit more often which will be another highlight.
Best Performed Players:
Vlastuin, Baker, Rioli, Balta (when fit) and Nank can certainly hold their heads high from the older brigade. It's no mean feat to try and create cohesion in a team that has been so bereft of it this year, but these guys have usually been pretty consistent with their performances throughout the year. Another guy I'd like to highlight is Ben Miller. Again with injuries to the likes of Gibcus, Grimes and Balta for portions of the season, he has been given plenty of opportunity and has taken it with both hands. I genuinely feel like we've got someone who can hold down a key post for us for the next 4-5 years given his elite one on one work. He's been a great success story.
Most Disappointing Players:
Ruling out the guys who have had their years ruined by injury, it's hard to be too critical as it doesn't leave much else! Shorty has probably had a year he'd rather forget, save for his game against Adelaide which showed that he's good form is still in there somewhere, but I do worry that he will never be the player he was 3-4 years ago. I also maybe hold him to too high of a standard, but I just wish Bolton would tone it down 20% with everything he does to become a more effective footballer for us. I would never want to silence his creativity as that is part of who he is and part of what makes him great, but there are multiple lapses in concentration every game where his disposal is lacking, or he'll go for the harder option when there's a perfectly good option staring him in the face, his finishing around goal has been down this year too IMO. He can still be elite, but I guess I'm just wanting a bit more maturity to come into his game.
Looking Forward:
As much as I'd love to have Pick 1, I'd much prefer to see this young group be able to celebrate a few more wins together in the back half of the year to create a bit of a launching pad into next year. I think it's a given we'll have a top 3 pick regardless so I'm looking forward to November. As mentioned earlier, looking forward to seeing more of Smith, Bauer, Green etc. and hopefully a couple more debuts. Blight in particular I'm super interested to see play.
Possible List Changes:
Retire: Grimes Martin
Free Agency: Graham
Trade: Baker
Delist: Cumberland, Colina
I know more changes will need to happen than the above! But these I think have a very high chance of happening
Most Disappointing Aspect:
Injuries - Long term injuries to Gibcus, Lefau, Lynch, Balta, Taranto, Hopper & Ross.
The depth of our list, I know injuries to our younger guys as well as our senior guys hasn't helped but finding how far back some of our younger players are has been extremely disappointing, Sonsie, Ryan, Green, Banks, Dow to name a few.
Most Positive Aspect:
Injuries - Hear me out, I had this belief that our season was going to be average anyway and its been evident that some players who got injured this year would have got games ahead of some kids, would have we won a few more games? Yes but we would be middle of the road. Injuries have in some way giving us a chance at the top end of the draft.
Best Performed Players:
D.Rioli - always performs for us, it quite amazing really considering he was once a whipping boy early on when our team was up and about
T.Brown - For a young kid he has been great this season, just a shame a few others haven't come on like he has so far.
Vlastuin - he went through a stretch where he was clearly our best player but I think the past couple of weeks the season has caught up with him
Most Disappointing Players:
I could name half a dozen players here but most of them I didn't rate much to begin with such as Graham, Dow, Ryan, & Koschitzke.
Short - Maybe it was the players around him that made him look good but for one of our senior players, I have felt he has been down on what we needed.
Bolton - the guys oozes talent but my god he is too inconsistent and doesn't play a game out. I actually think he has gone backwards this year.
Looking Forward:
The Draft - I want to see what happens with our picks, our potential picks (depending on Laura Kane)
Possible List Changes:
Retire: Grimes, Prestia, Naismith
Trade: Martin - (Possible) Won't get anything for him if he does leave going by what Gold Coast has offered him.
Delist: Coulthard & Cumberland
Injuries - Long term injuries to Gibcus, Lefau, Lynch, Balta, Taranto, Hopper & Ross.
The depth of our list, I know injuries to our younger guys as well as our senior guys hasn't helped but finding how far back some of our younger players are has been extremely disappointing, Sonsie, Ryan, Green, Banks, Dow to name a few.
Most Positive Aspect:
Injuries - Hear me out, I had this belief that our season was going to be average anyway and its been evident that some players who got injured this year would have got games ahead of some kids, would have we won a few more games? Yes but we would be middle of the road. Injuries have in some way giving us a chance at the top end of the draft.
Best Performed Players:
D.Rioli - always performs for us, it quite amazing really considering he was once a whipping boy early on when our team was up and about
T.Brown - For a young kid he has been great this season, just a shame a few others haven't come on like he has so far.
Vlastuin - he went through a stretch where he was clearly our best player but I think the past couple of weeks the season has caught up with him
Most Disappointing Players:
I could name half a dozen players here but most of them I didn't rate much to begin with such as Graham, Dow, Ryan, & Koschitzke.
Short - Maybe it was the players around him that made him look good but for one of our senior players, I have felt he has been down on what we needed.
Bolton - the guys oozes talent but my god he is too inconsistent and doesn't play a game out. I actually think he has gone backwards this year.
Looking Forward:
The Draft - I want to see what happens with our picks, our potential picks (depending on Laura Kane)
Possible List Changes:
Retire: Grimes, Prestia, Naismith
Trade: Martin - (Possible) Won't get anything for him if he does leave going by what Gold Coast has offered him.
Delist: Coulthard & Cumberland
Most Disappointing Aspect:
As others have mentioned…inhjuries, injuries, injuries….We bang on about Meehan…but mostly it’s horrible luck
I’m concerned about Gibcus …he,s been off injured for practically 2 years now….im hoping he is simply not injury prone and will eventually get a good crack at
Other aspect of the significant injuries to senior players has been the impact on younger players development
Without bigger bodies (particularly in the guts and up forward) younger players have had to pick up the slack when normally they’d be eased into it
Most Positive Aspect:
the 2 wins against quality opposition has shown that when we click….we are a good side….the inconsistency is due to pressure on entire team and mix of very raw and inexperienced players.
Players like Hugo, Seth, Kano, Miller, Brown, Dow have shown qualities worth persisting with
Best Performed Players:
Vlastuin, Dan Rioli, Baker and for most part Nank
When on the park, Taranto has been quality
Miller has been rock solid down back and Brown growing in confidence
Hugo needs to be given credit for perseverance …he looks quite good
Since he was dropped….and took his medicine in the twos…and played a great game helping the vfl team, KMac has been great
Most Disappointing Players:
Our senior players have not clicked as a cohort for each game
There has always been a few who haven’t delivered …Short, Graham, Broad (at times) Pickett, KMac early on…Nank at times…Grimes when he played…Prestia (playing at 60%)
I’ve felt there has been a lack of consistent leadership on the park…this has been glaring when there are so many young players on the park looking a bit lost and needing to find their way
Looking Forward:
Our young players continuing to develop …they’ll have a great pre season and will grow in confidence into 2025
Want to see Blight and Gray get games in the seniors to see where they are at
An injection of quality from this draft will further assist
We need 1-2 mids and KPF
Dare I say, I’m looking forward to fewer injuries….and a fit Tim Lunch
Possible List Changes:
Retire: Crayfish, Grimes, maybe Prestia,
Trade: Graham ( if we can) …doubt we would trade Baker….We might be open to trading Short though
As others have mentioned…inhjuries, injuries, injuries….We bang on about Meehan…but mostly it’s horrible luck
I’m concerned about Gibcus …he,s been off injured for practically 2 years now….im hoping he is simply not injury prone and will eventually get a good crack at
Other aspect of the significant injuries to senior players has been the impact on younger players development
Without bigger bodies (particularly in the guts and up forward) younger players have had to pick up the slack when normally they’d be eased into it
Most Positive Aspect:
the 2 wins against quality opposition has shown that when we click….we are a good side….the inconsistency is due to pressure on entire team and mix of very raw and inexperienced players.
Players like Hugo, Seth, Kano, Miller, Brown, Dow have shown qualities worth persisting with
Best Performed Players:
Vlastuin, Dan Rioli, Baker and for most part Nank
When on the park, Taranto has been quality
Miller has been rock solid down back and Brown growing in confidence
Hugo needs to be given credit for perseverance …he looks quite good
Since he was dropped….and took his medicine in the twos…and played a great game helping the vfl team, KMac has been great
Most Disappointing Players:
Our senior players have not clicked as a cohort for each game
There has always been a few who haven’t delivered …Short, Graham, Broad (at times) Pickett, KMac early on…Nank at times…Grimes when he played…Prestia (playing at 60%)
I’ve felt there has been a lack of consistent leadership on the park…this has been glaring when there are so many young players on the park looking a bit lost and needing to find their way
Looking Forward:
Our young players continuing to develop …they’ll have a great pre season and will grow in confidence into 2025
Want to see Blight and Gray get games in the seniors to see where they are at
An injection of quality from this draft will further assist
We need 1-2 mids and KPF
Dare I say, I’m looking forward to fewer injuries….and a fit Tim Lunch
Possible List Changes:
Retire: Crayfish, Grimes, maybe Prestia,
Trade: Graham ( if we can) …doubt we would trade Baker….We might be open to trading Short though
- Dec 24, 2022
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Why would we get rid of Steely Green when hasn't been given real crack at it yet?
Karp3_dm
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Cos he averages 6 touches at VFL level
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6 quality touches, give him a go he'll get better.
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Oooohhhhh, but he only has little boy pants. Be nice Robert.
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Most disappointing aspect has been Gale. He sold his sole to the CFL at the expense of the RFC.
tigersnag
Club Legend
- Mar 29, 2022
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Most Disappointing Aspect:
The Fitness staff.
The fact that the club stuck with Meehan when a blind man could see he was a disaster.
A distant 2nd is the lack of even a yelp from RFC to its members about our treatment from the umps. A dead set disgrace from the club.
Yze hasn't shown me that he can coach. He's a failure so far.
Club might have made a bad call. They've been making them constantly for 3 years so wouldn't surprise me.
Most Positive Aspect:
We'll get a new fitness team that have a clue. Gale will move on and we'll get someone fully invested.
Best Performed Players:
A very short list but D Rioli has been good.
Brown and Ralphsmith have shown they will be good.
McAuliffe going to be very good.
Most Disappointing Players:
Jayden Short must get embarrassed when he's paid every week. Absolute robbery. Trade him for a bag of beans.
Bolton looks disinterested. Entertain trades if we get something very good in return.
Looking Forward:
Trade whoever wants to go. Given our coach and the fitness staff there might be a lot. And a couple of big names.
Possible List Changes:
McIntosh
Pickett
Delist the ruck guy with the bad back that will never play.
Cumberland won't make it.
Young is a country footballer
Green doesn't look up to it.
Maurice Rioli - put it on him that he needs to ramp up fitness or leave now. He might walk
The Fitness staff.
The fact that the club stuck with Meehan when a blind man could see he was a disaster.
A distant 2nd is the lack of even a yelp from RFC to its members about our treatment from the umps. A dead set disgrace from the club.
Yze hasn't shown me that he can coach. He's a failure so far.
Club might have made a bad call. They've been making them constantly for 3 years so wouldn't surprise me.
Most Positive Aspect:
We'll get a new fitness team that have a clue. Gale will move on and we'll get someone fully invested.
Best Performed Players:
A very short list but D Rioli has been good.
Brown and Ralphsmith have shown they will be good.
McAuliffe going to be very good.
Most Disappointing Players:
Jayden Short must get embarrassed when he's paid every week. Absolute robbery. Trade him for a bag of beans.
Bolton looks disinterested. Entertain trades if we get something very good in return.
Looking Forward:
Trade whoever wants to go. Given our coach and the fitness staff there might be a lot. And a couple of big names.
Possible List Changes:
McIntosh
Pickett
Delist the ruck guy with the bad back that will never play.
Cumberland won't make it.
Young is a country footballer
Green doesn't look up to it.
Maurice Rioli - put it on him that he needs to ramp up fitness or leave now. He might walk
panatha1908
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With dimmas wage coming off the books I was hoping we could spend a bit more on other areas like development and conditioning. That hasn't really happened
_RT_
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Adem Yze could hardly have been dealt a harsher hand in his first season in charge at Punt Road.
Yze walked into a club already rebuilding after the departure of premiership coach Damien Hardwick and has had to deal with huge personnel changes and a raft of injury to key players. Yet in all the doom, there has emerged some reason for optimism.
Mick McGuane explains why in his mid-season report card on the Tigers.
It’s been a baptism of fire for first-year coach Adem Yze, whose best-laid plans over pre-season quickly unravelled as the injury crisis struck.
Richmond has been forced to use 40 players already this season, with only three — Daniel Rioli, Nick Vlastuin and Thomson Dow — featuring in all 14 matches.
The Tigers’ starting midfield last year was often Tim Taranto, Dion Prestia and Jacob Hopper.
Reigning best-and-fairest winner Taranto has played only seven games, Prestia has played six including two which he hasn’t finished and Hopper has managed just three matches.
Won: 2
Lost: 12
Drawn: 0
Percentage: 63.9
Average Points For: 63.8 (Ranked 18th)
Average Points Against: 99.8 (Ranked 17th)
Quarters Won: 17/56 (30%)
Local Record: 1 win, 8 losses
Interstate Record: 1 win, 4 losses
Record v Current Top-8: 1 win, 5 losses
Players Used: 40
Down back, experienced leader Dylan Grimes has played just five matches and impressive young key defender Josh Gibcus suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the second game of the season.
Up forward, focal point Tom Lynch returned for just his fourth game of the season last weekend.
It has been a horror show.
Given the cattle that have been missing, it’s easy to understand where the Tigers sit where they do at the bye.
The one positive has been that the injury issues have created significant opportunities for some of the younger players, who have taken their chances with both hands.
Rebounding defender Tom Brown has played 12 games and looks a player of the future with his elite kicking and great composure and decision making.
I also like the look of forward Seth Campbell, who reminds me a little of Jason Castagna.
Campbell possesses good footy IQ, consistently finds space in the forward half, applies pressure and has been impacting the scoreboard.
The Tigers found a forward in Mykelti Lefau before his season-ending knee injury in round 12.
Lefau brings a strong competitive edge in attack, can take a strong mark inside-50 and kicked 14 goals from his first 10 AFL games.
Tyler Sonsie, Rhyan Mansell and Kane McAuliffe are other players who have received more exposure as a result of the injuries and have also displayed positive signs.
With so many young players in the side most weeks, the pressure game which Richmond became known for during its golden era has largely dropped away.
The Tigers have the worst pressure rating in the competition.
They have shown an ability to bring the heat at times, but sustaining that is another matter.
We saw sky-high pressure for two-and-a-half quarters against Geelong in round 13, before it dropped off and the Cats powered to a 30-point win after trailing by 16 points at halftime.
The only thing Richmond can do is to build more miles in the legs of the younger players so they can sustain that pressure for longer.
24 votes – Shai Bolton
16 votes – Tim Taranto
14 votes – Nick Vlastuin
10 votes – Toby Nankervis, Noah Balta
SUPERCOACH AVERAGE TOP 5
1. Toby Nankervis (110 points)
2. Tim Taranto (103 points)
3. Nick Vlastuin (92 points)
4. Daniel Rioli (87 points)
5. Liam Baker (84 points)
GOALS TOP 5
20 – Shai Bolton
14 – Mykelti Lefau
10 – Dustin Martin, Rhyan Mansell
9 – Liam Baker
BEING BEAT IN THE AIR
The biggest issue for Richmond — injuries aside — is its inability to control the air.
Contested marks and intercept marks are too often few and far between and it means that opposition sides are consequently punishing the Tigers’ turnovers and are moving the ball with ease out of the back half.
Richmond ranks 17th for stopping opposition ball movement from defensive 50 to inside-50, as well as 17th for scores against from turnovers.
Good teams have intercept stars like Greater Western Sydney’s Sam Taylor, Brisbane’s Harris Andrews and Western Bulldogs’ defender Liam Jones.
At their best, Richmond defenders Nick Vlastuin and Noah Balta (admittedly he started as a forward) can take strong intercept and contested marks.
However, neither have been as good in those departments this year as they have been previously.
Form
Richmond
2
Wins
17th
Position
12
Losses
Point Difference: -504
L
49 - 97
HAW
Rd 14 - 15/06
W
79 - 71
ADE
Rd 13 - 06/06
L
69 - 99
GEE
Rd 12 - 01/06
L
74 - 86
ESS
Rd 11 - 25/05
L
44 - 163
BRI
Rd 10 - 18/05
L
42 - 133
WBD
Rd 9 - 11/05
Captain Toby Nankervis is another one who needs to provide more in the air, having taken just 13 contested marks from his 13 games.
I’d also love to see key defender Ben Miller back himself in to take more marks.
Miller has been impressive one-on-one and is averaging an elite number of spoils this season at 7.7 a game.
However, he needs to try and convert at least some of those spoils into intercept marks, even if that creates a small element of risk in the process.
RUN HOME
A round 21 clash against North Melbourne could determine this year’s wooden spoon.
Lose that, and Richmond might have the No. 1 draft pick coming its way in November.
The Tigers have a tough run home and it is hard to see any more wins coming before the clash with the Kangaroos, even if they do get a few players back in coming weeks.
A huge challenge awaits after the bye against arch rival Carlton.
I doubt the Tigers will be able to beat the Blues, but they are capable of giving them a run for their money.
R15: Bye
R16: Carlton (H)
R17: Fremantle (A)
R18: GWS Giants (H)
R19: Port Adelaide (A)
R20: Collingwood (A)
R21: North Melbourne (A)
R22: St Kilda (H)
R23: Hawthorn (A)
R24: Gold Coast (H)
Champion Data Fixture Difficulty Ranking: 2nd Hardest
Yze walked into a club already rebuilding after the departure of premiership coach Damien Hardwick and has had to deal with huge personnel changes and a raft of injury to key players. Yet in all the doom, there has emerged some reason for optimism.
Mick McGuane explains why in his mid-season report card on the Tigers.
MICK MCGUANE’S MID-SEASON RATING: D
No team has been hit harder by injury this year than the Tigers.It’s been a baptism of fire for first-year coach Adem Yze, whose best-laid plans over pre-season quickly unravelled as the injury crisis struck.
Richmond has been forced to use 40 players already this season, with only three — Daniel Rioli, Nick Vlastuin and Thomson Dow — featuring in all 14 matches.
The Tigers’ starting midfield last year was often Tim Taranto, Dion Prestia and Jacob Hopper.
Reigning best-and-fairest winner Taranto has played only seven games, Prestia has played six including two which he hasn’t finished and Hopper has managed just three matches.
RICHMOND'S SEASON SO FAR
Played: 14Won: 2
Lost: 12
Drawn: 0
Percentage: 63.9
Average Points For: 63.8 (Ranked 18th)
Average Points Against: 99.8 (Ranked 17th)
Quarters Won: 17/56 (30%)
Local Record: 1 win, 8 losses
Interstate Record: 1 win, 4 losses
Record v Current Top-8: 1 win, 5 losses
Players Used: 40
Down back, experienced leader Dylan Grimes has played just five matches and impressive young key defender Josh Gibcus suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the second game of the season.
Up forward, focal point Tom Lynch returned for just his fourth game of the season last weekend.
It has been a horror show.
Given the cattle that have been missing, it’s easy to understand where the Tigers sit where they do at the bye.
The one positive has been that the injury issues have created significant opportunities for some of the younger players, who have taken their chances with both hands.
Rebounding defender Tom Brown has played 12 games and looks a player of the future with his elite kicking and great composure and decision making.
I also like the look of forward Seth Campbell, who reminds me a little of Jason Castagna.
Campbell possesses good footy IQ, consistently finds space in the forward half, applies pressure and has been impacting the scoreboard.
The Tigers found a forward in Mykelti Lefau before his season-ending knee injury in round 12.
Lefau brings a strong competitive edge in attack, can take a strong mark inside-50 and kicked 14 goals from his first 10 AFL games.
Tyler Sonsie, Rhyan Mansell and Kane McAuliffe are other players who have received more exposure as a result of the injuries and have also displayed positive signs.
With so many young players in the side most weeks, the pressure game which Richmond became known for during its golden era has largely dropped away.
The Tigers have the worst pressure rating in the competition.
They have shown an ability to bring the heat at times, but sustaining that is another matter.
We saw sky-high pressure for two-and-a-half quarters against Geelong in round 13, before it dropped off and the Cats powered to a 30-point win after trailing by 16 points at halftime.
The only thing Richmond can do is to build more miles in the legs of the younger players so they can sustain that pressure for longer.
THE LEADERS AT RICHMOND
COACHES VOTES TOP 524 votes – Shai Bolton
16 votes – Tim Taranto
14 votes – Nick Vlastuin
10 votes – Toby Nankervis, Noah Balta
SUPERCOACH AVERAGE TOP 5
1. Toby Nankervis (110 points)
2. Tim Taranto (103 points)
3. Nick Vlastuin (92 points)
4. Daniel Rioli (87 points)
5. Liam Baker (84 points)
GOALS TOP 5
20 – Shai Bolton
14 – Mykelti Lefau
10 – Dustin Martin, Rhyan Mansell
9 – Liam Baker
BEING BEAT IN THE AIR
The biggest issue for Richmond — injuries aside — is its inability to control the air.
Contested marks and intercept marks are too often few and far between and it means that opposition sides are consequently punishing the Tigers’ turnovers and are moving the ball with ease out of the back half.
Richmond ranks 17th for stopping opposition ball movement from defensive 50 to inside-50, as well as 17th for scores against from turnovers.
Good teams have intercept stars like Greater Western Sydney’s Sam Taylor, Brisbane’s Harris Andrews and Western Bulldogs’ defender Liam Jones.
At their best, Richmond defenders Nick Vlastuin and Noah Balta (admittedly he started as a forward) can take strong intercept and contested marks.
However, neither have been as good in those departments this year as they have been previously.
Form
Richmond
2
Wins
17th
Position
12
Losses
Point Difference: -504
L
49 - 97
HAW
Rd 14 - 15/06
W
79 - 71
ADE
Rd 13 - 06/06
L
69 - 99
GEE
Rd 12 - 01/06
L
74 - 86
ESS
Rd 11 - 25/05
L
44 - 163
BRI
Rd 10 - 18/05
L
42 - 133
WBD
Rd 9 - 11/05
Captain Toby Nankervis is another one who needs to provide more in the air, having taken just 13 contested marks from his 13 games.
I’d also love to see key defender Ben Miller back himself in to take more marks.
Miller has been impressive one-on-one and is averaging an elite number of spoils this season at 7.7 a game.
However, he needs to try and convert at least some of those spoils into intercept marks, even if that creates a small element of risk in the process.
RUN HOME
A round 21 clash against North Melbourne could determine this year’s wooden spoon.
Lose that, and Richmond might have the No. 1 draft pick coming its way in November.
The Tigers have a tough run home and it is hard to see any more wins coming before the clash with the Kangaroos, even if they do get a few players back in coming weeks.
A huge challenge awaits after the bye against arch rival Carlton.
I doubt the Tigers will be able to beat the Blues, but they are capable of giving them a run for their money.
RICHMOND'S RUN HOME
RUN HOMER15: Bye
R16: Carlton (H)
R17: Fremantle (A)
R18: GWS Giants (H)
R19: Port Adelaide (A)
R20: Collingwood (A)
R21: North Melbourne (A)
R22: St Kilda (H)
R23: Hawthorn (A)
R24: Gold Coast (H)
Champion Data Fixture Difficulty Ranking: 2nd Hardest
