One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on April 20, 2012, 10:39:02 PM
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Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy explains why underperforming trio hold the key to Richmond's fortune
By Gerard Healy
FOX SPORTS
April 20, 2012 4:31PM
Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt and Tyrone Vickery were expected to roar as Richmond pushed for a return to finals football but, to this point of the season, the trio have been hardly heard.
Richmond picked up their first win of the season against a shattered Melbourne side last week.
Before that Damien Hardwick's side were not disgraced in matches against likely top-four contenders Carlton and Collingwood, despite minimal input from three players who they regard as capable of pushing into the elite category of the competition.
The Tigers headed into the season riding a wave of enthusiasm from their success-starved supporters, mainly on the back of their 10-goal win over Geelong in the NAB Cup.
It was an impressive display but, put in its true context, not confirmation that the Tigers had finally arrived under Hardwick - as many suggested.
The Cats were just a shell of the team who won the premiership last year in that game in March and offered little resistance.
However, the performance of Martin in particular suggested he had matured over the pre-season.
Granted we are just three rounds into the season, but the numbers indicate Martin's slow start to the year.
He is averaging three fewer disposals than last year, down to 18.7 per game.
Anything under 25 per game is sub-par for where this prodigious talent should be - even if his endurance is not elite.
Martin's capacity to have an impact on the scoreboard is his greatest asset and like Cyril Rioli means he doesn't necessarily have to be a 35-possession midfielder to be a match-winner, but this is where he is most down and where the Tigers need him to improve quickly if they are to challenge Geelong on Sunday.
Last season he impacted regularly on the scoreboard, making him a dangerous proposition for opposition coaches. A bag of five against Brisbane and four against the Kangaroos helped him average 1.5 goals per game in 2011.
The most glaring dip in Martin's game to this stage of his third AFL season comes in the assists category. Last year he had 30 and he's yet to record one this year.
Ball-winning down, efficiency down, scoreboard impact down - it's not great reading for one so gifted.
Riewoldt, on the other hand, is having no trouble finding the footy. His problem is conversion.
The key forward is averaging a career-high 14 touches per game but he's kicked just 5.9 at an un-Jack-like 37.5 per cent. Last year he kicked 62.26 at just over 70 per cent.
Fellow key forward Vickery, who looked to be making progress in 2011, has opened this season without the enthusiasm we saw from him in some improved performances last year.
The Tigers invested an early draft pick in Vickery and a return this season of just five disposals and 1.3 marks per game is far from good enough.
Last year he was taking 4.3 marks per game and averaged 11.5 disposals. That doesn't make you a top-liner but it was trending in the right direction.
Vickery was a good foil for Riewoldt and made the Tigers far less predictable in attack when he commanded the footy and drew defenders as his form picked up last season.
He has been the inside-50 target just eight times in three matches as his teammates have found Riewoldt (23 times) and Brad Miller (14) with more regularity.
Vickery has taken just two marks inside 50 and kicked only two goals after 36 in 22 games last year.
The drop in output from Martin, Vickery and Riewoldt is a challenge for Hardwick to turn around as they are going nowhere unless this group hit top form, beginning this weekend against Geelong on their home ground.
Their last meeting with the Cats at Kardinia Park raised the bar of expectation and it's an opportunity for Martin, Riewoldt and Vickery to re-launch their season.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/brownlow-medallist-gerard-healy-explains-why-underperforming-trio-hold-the-key-to-richmonds-fortune/story-e6frf3e3-1226334576241
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Just a little bit of pressure on the young fellows. ::) Yes they have started the season down on form but, besides Melbourne who has some talented backman, we have played some strong opposition. A little bit of confidence and they will improve with every game. :thumbsup
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Just a little bit of pressure on the young fellows. ::) Yes they have started the season down on form but, besides Melbourne who has some talented backman, we have played some strong opposition. A little bit of confidence and they will improve with every game. :thumbsup
Young? Riewoldt is 24 this year and is a Coleman medalist. No excuses for his start to the year. Martin is a #3 draft pick and there's no excuses for him putting in poo defensive efforts. Vickery is young for a tall but he's played 50 odd games. Time to stand up.
Agree with WAT. No excuses for these blokes. Sick of excuses.
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The article is a positive and negative that these guys aren't playing well and were still in and out of matches without there input.Totally agree tho the 3 have to stand up and lead the way.
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Hard not to agree with this.
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Teams are putting a lot of time into our young stars. Hardling surprising then that Riewoldt and Martin are finding the going tough.
The key is spreading the load, as for too long at Richmond too much has been left to too few.
We did that well against the Dees last week but it will be tougher against Geelong.
Need the likes of Grigg, Tuck, Foley, Conca & Miller to do it against quality opponents.
Then and only then will we be considered a good side.
If others create headaches for the opposition, then it makes it infinitely easier for our guns over the journey.
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I agree it is time to stand up and deliver, with these 3 firing we could be match winners more often.
The Tigers headed into the season riding a wave of enthusiasm from their success-starved supporters, mainly on the back of their 10-goal win over Geelong in the NAB Cup.
Dont agree with this though, the enthusiasm was built after the teams purple patch in the last 6 games, solid recruiting in the draft, recruiting Ivan Maric, resigning of players, plus also more recently the re-signing of Dimma and Lids
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Just a little bit of pressure on the young fellows. ::) Yes they have started the season down on form but, besides Melbourne who has some talented backman, we have played some strong opposition. A little bit of confidence and they will improve with every game. :thumbsup
Young? Riewoldt is 24 this year and is a Coleman medalist. No excuses for his start to the year. Martin is a #3 draft pick and there's no excuses for him putting in poo defensive efforts. Vickery is young for a tall but he's played 50 odd games. Time to stand up.
Agree with WAT. No excuses for these blokes. Sick of excuses.
There are no excuses for not making tackles stick and jumping flying on the back of people like a lunatic.
Jack plays very selfish football and time to stand up like the Duck said and stop parading around like a hero.
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when people use the excuse of,we have played against some great competition,i see it as our players not being good enough.
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I agree it is time to stand up and deliver, with these 3 firing we could be match winners more often.
The Tigers headed into the season riding a wave of enthusiasm from their success-starved supporters, mainly on the back of their 10-goal win over Geelong in the NAB Cup.
Dont agree with this though, the enthusiasm was built after the teams purple patch in the last 6 games, solid recruiting in the draft, recruiting Ivan Maric, resigning of players, plus also more recently the re-signing of Dimma and Lids
yep what absolute rubbish, yes our supporters are success starved but the vast majority are pretty cynical as well about where we're at. I dont know many tigerheads that were pumping up our tyres after the big pre season win, we knew they were missing a few players as well as having a vast majority of their senior players having their first hitout. Added to that, 2 years ago we saw the same, with a 50 point win so stuff you journos, always like to paint us us desperate dumb unrealistic supporters. 10 years ago yes, not now..
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Article is spot on
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Just a little bit of pressure on the young fellows. ::) Yes they have started the season down on form but, besides Melbourne who has some talented backman, we have played some strong opposition. A little bit of confidence and they will improve with every game. :thumbsup
Young? Riewoldt is 24 this year and is a Coleman medalist. No excuses for his start to the year. Martin is a #3 draft pick and there's no excuses for him putting in poo defensive efforts. Vickery is young for a tall but he's played 50 odd games. Time to stand up.
Agree with WAT. No excuses for these blokes. Sick of excuses.
Now that's what I'm talking about and this is exactly what I was alluding too with my thread......these players need to stand up, their performance has been shocking.
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People are too hard on too few. If you're a plodder like Jackson, Edwards, Gus etc your critised but if your a genuine talent and have a few weeks of poor form then you're equally judged harshly. I agree with MM, our better players are being heavily defended so really it is our depth we should be judging and focusing on. To say a 20 year old is not young is rediculous.
Sometimes we Richmond supporters, are our own worst enemies. Expect the best from players but don't save your judgements for our best and worst. Focus on the team and all players equally.
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when people use the excuse of,we have played against some great competition,i see it as our players not being good enough.
I agree totally.
The excuses annoy me also. Teams like the bombers, hawthorn, collingwood & carlscum can show something even when it seems they haven't got the cattle. Teams that have a success mentality will prevail. West Coast on the bottom for a year or two now a likely premiership team. All the teams I mentioned have success driven and excellence mentality that drives their clubs. That's why they aren't hoping to be just playing in finals every year but they actually play finals most years.
I think it's absolutely necessary for our club to find this secret ingredient that all these clubs possess. Otherwise mediocrity will always plague our club like it has for the last 30 years and like it does for all the loser teams like footscray, Melbourne, St.kilda.etc.
Hopefully Benny Gale, Hardwick and co. will oneday find this secret elixir and rid our club of mediocrity forever.
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People are too hard on too few. If you're a plodder like Jackson, Edwards, Gus etc your critised but if your a genuine talent and have a few weeks of poor form then you're equally judged harshly. I agree with MM, our better players are being heavily defended so really it is our depth we should be judging and focusing on. To say a 20 year old is not young is rediculous.
Sometimes we Richmond supporters, are our own worst enemies. Expect the best from players but don't save your judgements for our best and worst. Focus on the team and all players equally.
Riewoldt is 20 years old? So he was 14 when he got drafted in 2006?
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Leave the kids alone
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Vickery aside, the player who should be under the most scrutiny is the skipper.
Has had a very ordinary start to the season, when he needs to be leading by example.
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Leave the kids alone
Gerks you should change your username to "Gerks <edited by WilliamPowell>"
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haha
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Hard not to agree with the article. We need these guys to play better. If the ball isn't bouncing their way, they need to concentrate on defence and tackle and harass! The lesser lights playing well is a no brainer, as they can get us over the line against ordinary teams but we need our best players playing good team football for us to beat teams like Geelong. Everybody needs to contribute.
And dear Tyrone, use your 200cm height to take a few grabs please. If you cannot, you might find guys like Elton, Griffiths will take your place in the team. And once given a sniff, they might not let you back in!