One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: WilliamPowell on May 16, 2013, 03:23:42 PM
-
Tigers v Demons: no debate now
DateMay 16, 2013 - 1:45PM
Rohan ConnollySenior AFL writer for The Age
If a week is a long time in football these days, a little over a year is an eternity. And nothing will underline that better than when co-tenants Richmond and Melbourne face-off at their MCG home on Sunday.
For an improving Richmond, eyeing off a long-awaited finals spot, this is not only a chance to jump to within a hair's breadth of the top four, but build some handy percentage in the process. That's because the Demons, should they turn up with the attitude which saw them humbled by Gold Coast last week, will provide all the opposition of a set of training cones.
It's a far cry from when these same teams clashed in round three last year. Back then, as hard as it is to believe now, they were two teams whose developmental curve was constantly being compared, the debate about which would emerge to a position of strength quicker.
Richmond vs Melbourne, 2012. Photo: Paul Rovere
Both had finished 2011 with the same records – eight-and-a-half wins apiece. Indeed, that wasn't seen as good enough by the Demons, who'd sacked coach Dean Bailey and replaced him with Mark Neeld. And going into the game, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was hardly sitting too comfortably either.
Advertisement The Tigers hadn't been blown away in two losses to Carlton and Collingwood, but some key indicators had plenty at Punt Road concerned about just where their team was headed.
Richmond, ranked a lowly 16th for clearance differentials (numbers compared to its opposition) at the end of 2011, had slipped to outright last. Its poor rating of 15th for contested possessions had fallen to 17th.
At half-time in round three, little appeared to have changed, Melbourne having hit the front during the second term, and the Tigers just eight points up at the long break. But that would prove the moment the bigger-picture argument about whose long-term prospects were better changed for good.
And so far has the gap widened since then, that for Demon fans, the fact there ever was a debate is another stark reminder of how dire their situation has become.
Richmond turned up the gas that afternoon with a nine-goals-to-one third quarter, the lack of committed opposition as notable as the scores registered, the Tigers eventually cantering to a 59-point win.
Including that Saturday afternoon, Richmond has won 14 and drawn one of 27 games for a winning percentage of nearly 54. Melbourne has won five in the same period at 18 per cent, four of those five victories coming against the fledgling Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast.
What's changed? Well, the Tigers have picked up a couple more handy recruits, but mostly it's been about effort. Melbourne? The Demons have largely the same personnel, only three who played that afternoon – Clint Bartram, Matthew Bate and Stefan Martin – no longer on the list. But what effort there was seems a distant memory.
Those poor clearance and contested ball rankings for the Tigers have progressed steadily upwards. By the end of last season, the clearance numbers had risen from 18th to third. On contested possession, Richmond climbed from that early low of 17 to outright second. And the numbers have remained steady in 2013.
Melbourne was 15th for contested ball when it took on Richmond in round three last year. It finished the season 16th. Now it's 18th. On the clearance front, the Demons went into that April game 16th. It finished the season 18th. It's still 17th.
Over the last year-and-a-bit, Richmond has been able to concentrate more on ironing out the rough edges in its make-up, finding some goalkicking alternatives to Jack Riewoldt in attack, and improving the quality of its disposal coming out of defence.
Melbourne doesn't have that luxury when it can't even count on making it to football's first base, having a genuine crack.
As Demon recruit Chris Dawes wrote in his column for Fairfax Media on Thursday: “We can't afford to be wasting time coaching one of the fundamentals of any professional endeavour. We need to get better quickly, and a week of remembering how to compete is frustrating because it takes away from time learning how to play finals football.”
And how distant that goal must seem right now. Indeed, if early last season seems a long time ago, consider these words penned by former Melbourne champion Garry Lyon in August 2010, on the eve of another Richmond-Melbourne clash.
“Which of these two young sides, both of which have been so positively embraced by the football community in recent weeks, will further justify the borderline rave reviews bestowed upon them? Lyon asked.
“I think it's fantastic that supporters of both teams can go along tomorrow full of hope and expectation, rather than resignation and despair. I would love to be able to argue with my Richmond mates about the relative merits of our respective lists in the coming years.”
And so would an army of long-suffering Melbourne people, Gaz. But it ain't going to happen. Because this is one football debate well and truly done and dusted.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tigers-v-demons-no-debate-now-20130516-2jo9h.html#ixzz2TQjG5Jpd
;D
-
;D
;D :lol
I hated the Demons so much 2-3 years ago, they toyed with us in those crunch games and I thought that all those draft picks they tanked for were going to see them a superpower for years to come.
Then the karma bus came to town!
-
:lol Kick 'em hard while they're down. No mercy. :clapping
-
The headline should be Tigers vs Garry Lyons legacy.
'Cause that is exactly who Melbourne have to thank for the position the find themselves in right now.
-
:lol Kick 'em hard while they're down. No mercy. :clapping
:clapping
-
;D
;D :lol
I hated the Demons so much 2-3 years ago, they toyed with us in those crunch games and I thought that all those draft picks they tanked for were going to see them a superpower for years to come.
Then the karma bus came to town!
Same!
I will never ever forget the final round in 1998 - all that was required to play finals was to merely lose by no more than 25points and they smashed us by 70odd. There was about 75k crowd that day, biggest roar Ive ever heard for a side running out onto the ground. What a let down.
Smash those tanking scumbag cheats, I hate them and would not think twice if they went down the fitztroy path
-
;D
;D :lol
I hated the Demons so much 2-3 years ago, they toyed with us in those crunch games and I thought that all those draft picks they tanked for were going to see them a superpower for years to come.
Then the karma bus came to town!
Same!
I will never ever forget the final round in 1998 - all that was required to play finals was to merely lose by no more than 25points and they smashed us by 70odd. There was about 75k crowd that day, biggest roar Ive ever heard for a side running out onto the ground. What a let down.
Smash those tanking scumbag cheats, I hate them and would not think twice if they went down the fitztroy path
Yes. I spoke about that game on another thread.
First time I'd ever left early I was that gutted.
We need to humiliate them on Sunday as sweet payback for that day.
-
At one stage I thought Melb forward line was looking good:
Austin wommerii.L.jurh. Pettard. Cook. Etc.
Then they delisted em
-
At one stage I thought Melb forward line was looking good:
Austin wommerii.L.jurh. Pettard. Cook. Etc.
Then they delisted em
Jurrah had talent
-
;D
;D :lol
I hated the Demons so much 2-3 years ago, they toyed with us in those crunch games and I thought that all those draft picks they tanked for were going to see them a superpower for years to come.
Then the karma bus came to town!
Same!
I will never ever forget the final round in 1998 - all that was required to play finals was to merely lose by no more than 25points and they smashed us by 70odd. There was about 75k crowd that day, biggest roar Ive ever heard for a side running out onto the ground. What a let down.
Smash those tanking scumbag cheats, I hate them and would not think twice if they went down the fitztroy path
Yes. I spoke about that game on another thread.
First time I'd ever left early I was that gutted.
We need to humiliate them on Sunday as sweet payback for that day.
That day I will never forget. Still riles me. Not only because we lost but it was a skata club too.
I would love Sunday to be the day we smack them by so much that we grind the ashes of their club that still remain into the MCG turf and we just belt that footy club to a point where it will take forever and a day to stick their heads out of the abyss that is the Melbourne Fairy Club.
Show them why they should stick to quoits on ships, yachting, tennis, skiing and sipping Merlots and Shiraz in front of an open fire on Mt Buller.
F off Melbourne Fairy Club.
-
At one stage I thought Melb forward line was looking good:
Austin wommerii.L.jurh. Pettard. Cook. Etc.
Then they delisted em
Jurrah had talent
He did he was a cut above the rest.
They weren't much chop next to Jurrah.
Jurrah could take a big grab and slice through a defence.
-
At one stage I thought Melb forward line was looking good:
Austin wommerii.L.jurh. Pettard. Cook. Etc.
Then they delisted em
Jurrah had talent
He did he was a cut above the rest.
They weren't much chop next to Jurrah.
Jurrah could take a big grab and slice through a defence.
Give him a rookie spot :shh
-
At one stage I thought Melb forward line was looking good:
Austin wommerii.L.jurh. Pettard. Cook. Etc.
Then they delisted em
Jurrah had talent
He did he was a cut above the rest.
They weren't much chop next to Jurrah.
Jurrah could take a big grab and slice through a defence.
Give him a rookie spot :shh
Yeah at the Big Butcher in Thommo. :cheers
-
At one stage I thought Melb forward line was looking good:
Austin wommerii.L.jurh. Pettard. Cook. Etc.
Then they delisted em
Jurrah had talent
He did he was a cut above the rest.
They weren't much chop next to Jurrah.
Jurrah could take a big grab and slice through a defence.
Give him a rookie spot :shh
Yeah at the Big Butcher in Thommo. :cheers
I remember a goal he kicked in 2011 against Brisbane. Was Buddy-esque from outside 50 on the wing
-
The article is a sweet reminder of what Hardwick has done right with the side despite worse draft picks than Melbourne. Those calling for his head should always compare what other teams at a similar level of development when he took over have achieved compared to us.
-
Us to only win by 40 and all the news articles will be about how well Melbourne stood up despite losing
-
For our development we need to thrash Melbourne to show we are on the right curve. Unfortunately I don't think we will win by 100 plus points because of weather but boy I hope I am wrong and we thrash them by at least 120 points.
-
The article is a sweet reminder of what Hardwick has done right with the side despite worse draft picks than Melbourne. Those calling for his head should always compare what other teams at a similar level of development when he took over have achieved compared to us.
Add to that a great CEO. Makes a big difference to have the finances too to invest in the footy department. Schwabb doesn't have a great record.
A better recruiting department also has made a difference but we aren't up to Geelong standard yet.
A better development department ensures a club doesn't ruin careers as we have done so well in the past and the Dees continue to do still. But we still have to improve in this area but a reserves team next year will do a lot to hopefully see a big difference in the future. Hopefully we will see the emergence of some of our bigger boys soon ie. Griffiths.
-
Jurrah could ................ slice through a defence.
Among other things.
-
Jurrah could ................ slice through a defence.
Among other things.
Chopped up our defence a couple of times
-
Clarkson answering the question of what margin the Dawks should win by
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-05-17/youre-asking-foolish-questions (http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-05-17/youre-asking-foolish-questions)
-
The headline should be Tigers vs Garry Lyons legacy.
'Cause that is exactly who Melbourne have to thank for the position the find themselves in right now.
I'd like to hear Garry do a post-game review on the game on the Footy Show.
-
Us to only win by 40 and all the news articles will be about how well Melbourne stood up despite losing
mmmmm pretty accurate
-
If we hadn't have pee farted around with it before Grigg turned it over it would have been 100% spot on.
-
2010 was my favourite Garry Lyon moment
Dees beat Collingwood and he tells everyone it is the re-birth of a superpower and the end the Pies
Pies go on to win the flag and a year later Dees sack their coach ;D
Muppet personified
-
No mass debate needed, the situation is clear
-
No mass debate needed, the situation is clear
Not sure about that. Didn't claw say that they would finish higher than us this year? :lol
-
No mass debate needed, the situation is clear
Not sure about that. Didn't claw say that they would finish higher than us this year? :lol
Funny you mention that I do recall something being said along those lines
-
Joke around all you want guys, the fact we lost to them was a disgrace!
Beating Sydney will make up for it!
-
No mass debate needed, the situation is clear
Not sure about that. Didn't claw say that they would finish higher than us this year? :lol
not exactly that but close. im still adamant they arent that far away from a lot of sides. im incredulous that they would be asking for pps.i dont think it would take a great deal to push for the 8.
i still believe theres a lot of sides very close to each other.
-
So Melbourne are close to us but we are light years away from top 4 teams? :lol :lol
Before you say it, no we aren't a top 4 team but they are no closer to us than we are from top 4