Preview Round 1 Richmond vs carltoon, 7.20pm thursday 16th march, MCG

[want2spoodge_pettifer]

What needs to change against Carlton?

Well firstly, Curnow & McKay will have 15 scoring shots between them if we play without Tarrant and our midfield doesn't give our defense time to set up.
We really looked average against Melbourne and my concerns from last year haven't been addressed with the evidence of two practise matches.

We struggle to defend the ground now. Teams move the ball too easily against us and it's infuriating because it's so unlike Richmond from the past.


Defending Kick Ins
We are the lowest tackling team in the AFL. In 2022, we came dead last for tackles. Who was 2nd and 3rd worst? Essendon and North Melbourne?

Tackles inside 50 help stop transitional football, they encourage turnovers, stoppages and they buy time for your team defense to set up. We're third worst in the competition above WCE & North. The top four in the AFL were Sydney, Melbourne, Collingwood and Fremantle.

Against Melbourne in our praccy match, there were some worrying signs for us. The Demons cleared the defensive lines with ease, at times, Jack Riewoldt was the man on the mark, who provided zero pressure as the Demons pushed forward and cleared 80 metres of space, giving themselves ascendency in the ground game. There was no evidence of one player in particular being slow - I watched the footage closely before I wrote this, trying to find examples of Cotchin being burned off by a Melbourne opponent - but I couldn't find any example.

What I did find was a confused midfield.

Midfield Confusion
We're all just hoping Taranto and Hopper can replace Cotchin and Martin, and we're good. But we must remember that firstly, Hopper isn't an all round player like Taranto. There's one example of Clayton Olive blasting past Hopper - creating an open shot on goal. The Demons have done this in the grand final and it's become a signature of their play. To see our man Hopper look helpless is a cause of concern.

Our midfield looked odd - Dow, Clarke on the wing, Hopper and Taranto playing ball. Cotchin, Dusty, Prestia & Shai all MIA from the midfield - the bigger loss was Marlion Pickett. Whose physicality on the wing was completely absent. Clarke did some nice run and carry, but nothing led to scores and at no point does he have the aerial prowess of Pickett or the sheer strength to defend both ways.

Dow was another odd choice - why not play them in the midfield and see what they've got in a practice match? But at this stage, Thomson Dow may not have much time left in his AFL career. I didn't see enough defending from him, he read the ruck contest okay - but he was a deer inside a lions den, uncompetitive and helpless to stop Oliver, Petracca, Hunter, etc. We looked like we were a man or two down.

Our midfield will need time to gel, and we need to get our midfield mix right - contending teams don't just take their prime midfielders and move them forward, they adjust their rotations. Cotchin must be midfield. Shai and Dusty can rotate and support with Hopper, Taranto and Prestia - along with Cotchin, are your full time midfielders. If we're insistent on youth to push through, we've got Sonsie.

Forward Execution
Some goals were left at the table, easiest of set shots missed by MRJ & Bolton. But the biggest concern, we're not trapping the ball inside 50 well enough. Teams are moving out of the 50 marks too easily against us and we're struggling to do the same. We don't have Butler, Rioli & Castagna's relentless pressure anymore. That's gone, right now, the opposition aren't even manned on the mark.

Anyway, some problems to fix this Thursday night. My concern is that it's not a personnel problem but a coaching problem. Has Dimma lost his hunger? He's got new priorities in life and from what I can see, he's a very well satisfied man (wink), Mrs. Hardwick would have given Dimma other things to focus on, like a Greek Monk from Mount Athos. Now Dimma looks way too happy, all the time. Is he content? Is his hunger gone? I worry it is.

Great post until the end when you went off the deep end attributing these problems to something you can never know nor possibly have any evidence of.


I think the more likely reason you actually suggested earlier is on the money - we’ve changed our team up quite significantly. It’s not only two prime movers who have come in, but the knock on effect of that. We’ve remodelled our entire forward half. It’s going to take time, experimentation and experience for this to work. We have to get to the bye in some shape; I think this team will (as usual) do its best work in the second half when we have put the jigsaw together.

 

[biaseddustyfan]

What I don't want to see is three of our mids drawn to Cripps when he has the ball and he flicks the handball over the top to one of their consequently free B graders and they're away. FMD it happens all the time.

ye hopefully umps ping all the throws

but as that'll never happen I agree we have a huge issue with 3 going to 1 and they all miss the tackle anyway then oppo team has 2 spare in the clear

 

[Orange crush]

Hey guys, what’s the deal with Jack Graham

17

Jack Graham

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

6.3

5star

CL

1.8

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.2

4star

D

14.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

7.0

5star

CL

3.2

5star

…. Where will he fit in with Timmy and Hopper?

 

[biaseddustyfan]

Great post until the end when you went off the deep end attributing these problems to something you can never know nor possibly have any evidence of.


I think the more likely reason you actually suggested earlier is on the money - we’ve changed our team up quite significantly. It’s not only two prime movers who have come in, but the knock on effect of that. We’ve remodelled our entire forward half. It’s going to take time, experimentation and experience for this to work. We have to get to the bye in some shape; I think this team will (as usual) do its best work in the second half when we have put the jigsaw together.

some campaigner journo said we had gastro around the dees practice match so it was prob just that

 

[Area51]

ye hopefully umps ping all the throws

but as that'll never happen I agree we have a huge issue with 3 going to 1 and they all miss the tackle anyway then oppo team has 2 spare in the clear

This is one of the benefits of having a tagger - removes the confusion of who's on him and who should be tackling him.

 

[cairo tiger]

Hey guys, what’s the deal with Jack Graham …. Where will he fit in with Timmy and Hopper?

he won’t

 

[biaseddustyfan]

Hey guys, what’s the deal with Jack Graham …. Where will he fit in with Timmy and Hopper?

that is

 

[prodigy]

It may just be round one, but a win would be nice.

 

[fargothegreat]

Hey guys, what’s the deal with Jack Graham …. Where will he fit in with Timmy and Hopper?

I reckon he'll play. Will probably spend a lot of time as a defensive half forward similar to last year.

 

[Orange crush]

I reckon he'll play. Will probably spend a lot of time as a defensive half forward similar to last year.

Good to hear …. A fav player of mine ut couldn’t see where he fitted in if Cotchin played forward

 

[biaseddustyfan]

It may just be round one, but a win would be nice.

big boy round

 

[Maurice Mitchell]

What I don't want to see is three of our mids drawn to Cripps when he has the ball and he flicks the handball over the top to one of their consequently free B graders and they're away. FMD it happens all the time.

Only needs one to handle Cripps.

Thanks k31th

 

[Triggering Tiger]

Only needs one to handle Cripps.

Thanks k3ith

Wow little guy sure ragdolled a 6 foot 4 monster!

 

[Maurice Mitchell]

Strong man, Marlion

 

[Groupie_]

just farrken win

win win win

 

[richoplzbreed]

Hey guys, what’s the deal with Jack Graham …. Where will he fit in with Timmy and Hopper?

His only hope is mass injuries. Never replicated the form of the 2017 GF. Shame Horne Francis took his spot at Port last year. Unless his contract trigger is play 3-5 games will be goneski next season. Prob get a late 2nd rounder for him at best now. Prob could've gotten a 1st rounder from the Blooose prior to his last extension.

 

[Roachy8]

Jack Graham

17

Jack Graham

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

6.3

5star

CL

1.8

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.2

4star

D

14.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

7.0

5star

CL

3.2

5star

looks unfit - even when he is fit.
Would be folly to play him with a very interrupted pre-season and limited k’s in his legs.

And I say this as a fan of that is.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

just farrken win

win win win

How'd you get a hold of dimma's pregame address?

 

[fargothegreat]

Good to hear …. A fav player of mine ut couldn’t see where he fitted in if Cotchin played forward

With no Short, Cotchin will be back into the middle imo. The forward experiment will most likely be shelved given how poorly he performed there in the two preseason games.

 

[Maurice Mitchell]

Don’t know how it happens but I want Sonsie in there.

 

[biaseddustyfan]

KiwiTiger gearing up to name underdone graham, young and somehow aarts in rd1

 

[Triggering Tiger]

KiwiTiger gearing up to name underdone graham, young and somehow aarts in rd1

 

[Morro]

That's one of the reasons we should have a tagger. Everyone knows whose job it is then to be on Cripps rather than all rushing at him.

I wonder Cotch would go as a Tagger. Lost some pace, but is a mongrel and selfless.

 

[Triggering Tiger]

I wonder Cotch would go as a Tagger. Lost some pace, but is a mongrel and selfless.

Got to nurse him to 300 game somehow and then at the end of the year give him a thank you for your serves letter.

 

[YeOldTiger]

Only needs one to handle Cripps.

Thanks k31th

Yep but he isn't looking likely to be there unfortunately...

He's been...abducted apparently