Opinion This Season Just Became More Interesting

[_RT_]

Due to unforeseen circumstances season 2023 has just become a lot more interesting for us Tigers fans.

With Lynch and Nankervis both going down with medium/long term injuries and Soldo still being a few weeks away we're going to have little choice but to rely on the likes of Miller & Ryan to carry the load both in the ruck and up forward. Down back we've finally settled Balta as a KPD and Tylar Young has shown plenty of promise playing as the 2nd KPD with Grimes as a mentor to both.

We've also seen the injection of youth with the likes of Ross Mansell Maurice Sonsie Cumberland Clarke & Ralphsmith all getting a chance so far in the first month of footy. Odds are that we're likely to continue to see the kids getting an opportunity and for mine I believe this is a great opportunity for Dimma and the club to really see where we stand in terms of establishing the next era of Richmond premiership success.

By time Tom & Toby return we'll have a fairly good indication as to whether Miller & Ryan are the answers we're looking for as far as ruck/KPF go. With the back line likely to come under a bit more pressure we'll get more of an idea about Young as a long term option and then there is the likes of Ross Mansell Maurice Sonsie Cumberland Clarke & Ralphsmith plus Banks Dow Green Brown Bauer Bradtke(when he recovers from a broken hand) & Biggie who should all be looking at putting their names forward over the next 6-10 weeks.

As far as I'm concerned wins & losses no longer hold the same importance as they did heading into the season, I actually expected us to be mid table anyway. However now the real interest is in how many of the young kids yet to really establish themselves can step up and show something for 2024 and beyond. This season is far from dead and there is plenty left to gain from it, but the rewards may not be what a lot of us were expecting when sitting there over summer excited by the addition of a couple of ready mades in Taranto & Hopper and how it was going to vault us back into contention for the flag.

 

[Lacustrus]

Timely thread. It’s definitely an opportunity for the club to get games into players, see what they are capable of, to work on game plan.

 

[Groupie_]

will make top 4

 

[_RT_]

will make top 4

If we make top 4 from here the statue for Dimma should be up by Christmas

 

[Tiger_4_Life]

Get Matte in! He'll kick ten goals and get a million hit outs against those swans muppets

 

[Nostradumbass]

What happened to nank?

 

[Groupie_]

What happened to nank?

prolapsed anus from the umpires

 

[Nostradumbass]

prolapsed anus from the umpires

Syndesmosis is the new osteitis pubus

 

[Groupie_]

Syndesmosis is the new osteitis pubus

prob both made up

 

[1980GFVideo]

If we make top 4 from here the statue for Dimma should be up by Christmas

if we make top 4 make a statue of me

no one wants to see a statue of me and no one would agree to do it which is exactly my point

 

[1980GFVideo]

Get Matte in! He'll kick ten goals and get a million hit outs against those swans muppets

He will just be noticeably taller than anyone on the ground. Thats what it is in VFL.

This is his highlight package. Try and keep it together when you see this superstar in the making by clicking the link below... especially the last highlight of the shot on goal

Highlight package of our next superstar

 

[chriso11]

If by interesting you mean watching half the reserves squad being pantsed every week by AFL opposition, so we can see which youngster might make the cut, then I have to admit I find the version where we compete for a premiership with our best players on the park more riveting

 

[Antzzz]

It is what it is …. …. Will be interesting I must say

 

[SleepingGiant]

If by interesting you mean watching half the reserves squad being pantsed every week by AFL opposition, so we can see which youngster might make the cut, then I have to admit I find the version where we compete for a premiership with our best players on the park more riveting

Yeah the interesting part is when you have a 1st round draft pick that allows you to get the next Martin, Cotchin, Deledio (Prestia) WHILE you blood the kids and see the future. It’s not interesting when you load up for a crack at the title and fall nowhere near it, and blow your draft picks. When Taranto and Hopper are past their peak we will be next in contention if we are remotely lucky with no young spine close to what we had when Hardwick took over 1 year in. There is no Rance, Cotchin, Martin, Deledio, Riewoldt on our list who are also young.

 

[SleepingGiant]

It’s honestly like watching us in 2007 knowing you have trading away pick 2 with no Cotchin but blowing over Foley who will never win you a flag.

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

Injuries have given us the opportunity to get 'games into the kids' for years.


Like I said end of last year, who is managing our players? Who are our performance managers and physios? Who are the people managing our playing list?

Unacceptable


Can't be ignored how McRae, Leppa and Caracella leave Hardwick and he hasn't done anything new about our game style to change it.

 

[sante]

Pies lost Grundy early last season and they made a prelim. No one gave them a chance once he went down. Sometimes these injuries are actually a blessing in disguise.

I’m hoping with the lack of Lynch up forward that we might be more careful entering F50 and it will benefit us, instead of bombing it to him every time. The likes of Cumbo, Dusty and Bolton should get hit up on the lead more often

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Yeah the interesting part is when you have a 1st round draft pick that allows you to get the next Martin, Cotchin, Deledio (Prestia) WHILE you blood the kids and see the future. It’s not interesting when you load up for a crack at the title and fall nowhere near it, and blow your draft picks. When Taranto and Hopper are past their peak we will be next in contention if we are remotely lucky with no young spine close to what we had when Hardwick took over 1 year in. There is no Rance, Cotchin, Martin, Deledio, Riewoldt on our list who are also young.

Some could say while your still in contention year after year you attract talent.You only have to look at the cats as perfect example.

 

[Football Tragic]

Interesting…..now that’s an interesting word.

We can only hope that Sampson comes on immediately and Miller kills it in the ruck. I’m terrified when we play Melbourne in two weeks

I have hope but unfortunately, it’s based o flimsy faith at the moment rather than probable reality.

 

[tiger_tough]

Have a look at Darcy Cameron

14

Darcy Cameron

Age

29

Ht

204cm

Wt

103kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.0

1star

K

3.3

1star

HB

2.7

2star

CL

0.3

2star

HO

5.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

CL

0.5

3star

HO

3.5

5star

D

6.0

2star

K

3.3

2star

HB

2.7

3star

CL

0.3

2star

HO

5.3

5star

up until this year. Bit of a nothing footballer. Then bang, Grundy is gone all of a sudden Cameron was ranked the number 1 ruck this season before he got injured.

Ben Miller is a pretty similar type of player I reckon. Big and mobile, never really locked in a position, inconsistent, never got a heap of the ball etc. Hopefully he can thrive with this opportunity to settle into the ruck.

 

[Noidnadroj]

Yeah the interesting part is when you have a 1st round draft pick that allows you to get the next Martin, Cotchin, Deledio (Prestia) WHILE you blood the kids and see the future. It’s not interesting when you load up for a crack at the title and fall nowhere near it, and blow your draft picks. When Taranto and Hopper are past their peak we will be next in contention if we are remotely lucky with no young spine close to what we had when Hardwick took over 1 year in. There is no Rance, Cotchin, Martin, Deledio, Riewoldt on our list who are also young.

Taranto was a pick #2. He’s 25yo with what should be 5-6 years of his best footy in front of him. If we were not planning on contending from 2023-2028 then the club can go at get farked.

We had pick #12 and #19 which could have been Corey Ellis, Ben Lennon, Lochie O’Brien etc…. Just a lottery. So why on earth wouldn’t you get a 25yo gun midfielder? Sure, he’s not playing his very best footy, but he’s been in our system for 5 friggin minutes. And he has been pretty darn good.

Then Hopper has a quiet first week, is BOG his second game but gets a freak knee injury, misses a game and then is average on his first game back, probably still struggling with knee bruising. Give the guy a bloody chance.

2023 is not the be all and end all. TT and Hopper will be great players for us for a long time.

And take me through the alternative - take picks 12 and 19 to the draft and get 2 x kids who wouldn’t be playing yet. Our midfield would be getting demolished 10x as badly as now. Then in 2024 with Cotchin retired, Prestia likely injured … what then?

Don’t people realise that guns like Rioli, Bolton and soon Balta all stay at the club because we’ve shown we are trying to win flags whilst they are in their prime? What would they think if we got draftees in, had a diabolical midfield (like the Roos did for 5-years and the Hawks have now?) and were rebuilding for 6 x seasons…. as we come out of the rebuild the likes of Vlastuin, Broad, Grimes, Nank, Rioli, Short, Macca, Cotchin, JRoo, Soldo, Rioli, Baker, Graham, Martin, Prestia are all retired or getting close to it.

Just because injuries look to have curtailed our 2023 campaign, there’s no reason not to be optimistic about 2024 - players in the prime sweet spot of 23-29yo in 2024:

Hopper: 27yo
TT: 26yo
Baker: 26yo
Vlastuin: 29yo
Short: 28yo
Rioli: 26yo
Soldo: 27yo
Balta: 24yo
Bolton: 25yo
Graham: 26yo
Cumberland: 23yo
Young: 25yo
Miller: 24yo
Ross: 23yo

Imagine you take out TT and Hopper - may as well pack up the next 5-years and go home. No thanks.

Do you honestly believe the group above is not capable of doing great things when you see teams like the Saints and Pies flying?? then you’re being way too pessimistic.

Then who knows what we get from talented youngsters who will hopefully be flying from 2024 onwards:

Sonsie
Gibcus
MRK
Ralphsmith
Brown
Banks
Campbell
Ryan
Dow
Biggy
Smith



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

Have a look at Darcy Cameron up until this year. Bit of a nothing footballer. Then bang, Grundy is gone all of a sudden Cameron was ranked the number 1 ruck this season before he got injured.

Ben Miller is a pretty similar type of player I reckon. Big and mobile, never really locked in a position, inconsistent, never got a heap of the ball etc. Hopefully he can thrive with this opportunity to settle into the ruck.

Darcy Cameron was always a Ruckman first and a foward 2nd
His foward craft improved when he was passed up in his draft year and played 2 years in the wafl

He was always a good ruckman but was very light and needed time to develop and showed good signs when at Sydney

 

[tiger_tough]

Darcy Cameron was always a Ruckman first and a foward 2nd
His foward craft improved when he was passed up in his draft year and played 2 years in the wafl

He was always a good ruckman but was very light and needed time to develop and showed good signs when at Sydney

That 1 game and 3 touches in 3 years he had at the Swans? He did **** all for 6 years.

Miller was a ruck when drafted too. Reckon his mobility as 1st ruck could be a good thing. We will see.

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

That 1 game and 3 touches in 3 years he had at the Swans? He did * all for 6 years.

Miller was a ruck when drafted too. Reckon his mobility as 1st ruck could be a good thing. We will see.

Sydney wanted to keep him

 

[tiger_tough]

Sydney wanted to keep him

And we wanted to keep CCJ