One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on September 14, 2016, 04:06:51 AM
-
Alex Rance leads the way in Richmond’s trademark values, so shouldn’t he be captain?
JON RALPH
Herald Sun
September 14, 2016
SEPARATE incidents across a remarkable weekend should make Richmond’s hierarchy think deeply as they navigate the path back to respectability.
After a season where the Tigers could have self-destructed, Neil Balme’s acquisition, Dion Prestia’s commitment and Focus of Footy’s ineptitude have dragged the Tigers back from the brink.
It doesn’t mean there aren’t massive decisions with real consequences ahead.
At Thursday’s Jack Dyer Medal count Alex Rance won the club’s Francis Bourke Award for the player who upholds the club’s trademarks values of “awareness, united, relentless and discipline”.
He accepted it for fourth time in a row and fifth time in six seasons on the same night he was unlucky to be beaten into second place in the best and fairest by Dustin Martin.
One of Balme’s first roles at Richmond is to consider the club’s player leadership model, so he is sure to consider the criteria for that award.
It makes fascinating reading given it seems to marry up with every principle an AFL captain should strive for.
Awareness is about a player’s ability to focus on teammates, disciplined and united is playing for the benefit of the team and relentless is about being bold in attacking the game.
If Rance is head and shoulders above the rest in helping others, carrying out the game plan and helping unite the team, why isn’t he Richmond’s captain?
Or at least Richmond’s co-captain for 2017, in concert with Trent Cotchin?
If clubs want their team to play in the mould of their captain, Rance is charismatic, inclusive and an on-field beast who plays aggressive, consistent win-at-all-costs football.
Last off-season so many pushed for Jack Riewoldt as the club’s captain, unaware he wasn’t in the five-man leadership group and by Richmond’s admission not that close to it either.
It is worth noting that one of Balme’s first steps when he arrived at Geelong late in 2007 was to make the decision to change the captain from Steven King to key defender Tom Harley.
Cotchin’s first two-thirds of the year were exceptional — playing courageously a week after a fractured cheekbone and the same week he spent time in hospital for an infection.
But if Balme is examining everything else in the football department might he find after four years as skipper, Cotchin is prepared to share the load or even lighten it by handing the mantle on?
Would giving him a year free of the myriad responsibilities of captaincy — or sharing them with Rance — actually help him be more productive when he crosses the line?
Across town on Sunday in the VFL Aaron Francis — Essendon’s No.6 pick from the 2015 draft — was again showing glimpses that he might end up the best of that amazing collection of talent.
He is just something else, with sure hands, a commanding presence and a bushy red beard that will give him a large slice of cult hero status in years to come.
The trick for Richmond is to get Dion Prestia without handing over the No.6 selection it currently holds.
Given Richmond’s draft history, giving up pick 6 for a 23-year-old highly accomplished midfielder is an extremely solid play with little risk.
Retaining that pick 6 and also getting Prestia would probably take a trade that would include a draft pick and one or more of Brett Deledio and Brandon Ellis.
Neither seem inclined to go north, but given Gold Coast wants midfielders, would they accept a second round compensation pick (for Tyrone Vickery) as well as Ellis and Reece Conca or first-round pick Ben Lennon? Or a combination of some of those assets?
In this year’s best-and-fairest Shane Edwards finished 12th, Nick Vlaustin ninth, Ellis equal seventh, Tyrone Vickery 18th and Ben Griffiths 20th.
None of those positions are enough to exclude those high draft picks from the trade table given Richmond’s year from hell.
The bleeding has been stemmed at Richmond, but what the club does next will instruct whether it contend for finals as its coach hopes or is a bottom-four side as Kevin Bartlett predicts.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/alex-rance-leads-the-way-in-richmonds-trademark-values-so-shouldnt-he-be-captain/news-story/6a40c0f1ed4877a5e6f88c8a099d0a6a
-
It is as plain as the nose on your face that the 'bookends' (Rance/Reiwoldt) should co-captain.
-
Agree with this now. Trent needs to step down and Rance is the better captaincy option. Cotchy should also be playing at half back.
-
Lebron james could be captian - Dimma Hampson Houli grigg and friends will continue to Shyte
-
Let's face it, at best we will have co-captains in Cotch and Rance. The club hasn't got the balls to make tough calls and basically sack Cotch as captain.
I hope Balme comes in and goes WHACK!
-
Really good article by Ralphy
Hard not to argue against the case his put forward
But i cannot see there being any change.
But gettijg leadership right at the club needs to be a priority. Getting it right will have (should have) positive impacts in other areas eg in development
-
Let's face it, at best we will have co-captains in Cotch and Rance. The club hasn't got the balls to make tough calls and basically sack Cotch as captain.
I hope Balme comes in and goes WHACK!
And what difference would it make?
-
What if he holds us to Ranceom
-
What if he holds us to Ranceom
Has anyone told you you'd make an excellent lyricist Ox?
-
Rance was interviewed yesterday and said it's not something he's thought about (him replacing Cotchin as captain) and that Cotch will be his captain for the years to come.
-
Well the good Doctor, Doc Hiscock reckon Cotch should be replaced but wouldn't enlighten us with who he thought it should be :rollin
-
Well the good Doctor, Doc Hiscock reckon Cotch should be replaced but wouldn't enlighten us with who he thought it should be :rollin
You are not a fan of Cotch's leadership so it's surprising that you want to question someone that doesn't want him as captain??
Is the good Doc not aloud an opinion on his club and player?
-
Well the good Doctor, Doc Hiscock reckon Cotch should be replaced but wouldn't enlighten us with who he thought it should be :rollin
You are not a fan of Cotch's leadership so it's surprising that you want to question someone that doesn't want him as captain??
Is the good Doc not aloud an opinion on his club and player?
Everyone is entitled to an opinion
I think I repeated that time and time again. When I voice mine and it's different to others I usually get told by some folks I am wrong ;D :thumbsup
-
Well the good Doctor, Doc Hiscock reckon Cotch should be replaced but wouldn't enlighten us with who he thought it should be :rollin
You are not a fan of Cotch's leadership so it's surprising that you want to question someone that doesn't want him as captain??
Is the good Doc not aloud an opinion on his club and player?
Everyone is entitled to an opinion
I think I repeated that time and time again. When I voice mine and it's different to others I usually get told by some folks I am wrong ;D :thumbsup
That's because you usually are. :thumbsup
They say opinions are like arseholes, everyone's got one.
On Cotch I think he should get back to basics of simply playing footy. Watch some old tapes of himself as I think he is playing like a robot.
He is an a grade footballer at his best but seems to be weighed down with the responsibility of the captaincy.
Why do we think it nessessay to have the same captain for long periods of time?
It can work against players that dont need the extra pressure. But it can also make players better.
I also don't agree that the players should pick the captain, they don't pick the coach and it's as important.
Jack would thrive on it IMO.
Rance is just a star that it wouldn't affect either way.
It would be one of many changes I would make to this basket case of a footy club.
Are we looking at anyone else DECENT in this up coming trade period?
Prestia would be nice but surely we can do more than that??
-
Agree that it seems to be a burden for Cotch. I think it would be best for all of he handed it over to Rance or Jack.
-
Agree with you re the captaincy
Think as a player Cotch has gone backwards. I want Cotch the player from 2012, 2013. That's when he broke games open for us, willed the side across the line
What's interesting in his first year of being captain he had Newman out there and i reckon that helped him. Doesn't have that support around him now.
Just my opinion of course ;D
-
Chaplin Houli Hampson grigg provide excellent leadership as senior players thank u very much
-
Chaplin Houli Hampson grigg provide excellent leadership as senior players thank u very much
I think Chaplin has retired Bents, so he can't be a senior player. :lol
-
Whoa nice contribution
Unfortunately the context was Cotchin time as captian - which troy leadership Chaplin was around for most of before sooking it up and quitting mid season
-
Whoa nice contribution
Unfortunately the context was Cotchin time as captian - which troy leadership Chaplin was around for most of before sooking it up and quitting mid season
Should then have written "provided" not "provide". :shh
-
t’s Mabo, it’s justice, it’s law, it’s the vibe, and…no that’s it…it’s the vibe. I rest my case.
-
:lol
-
Agree with you re the captaincy
Think as a player Cotch has gone backwards. I want Cotch the player from 2012, 2013. That's when he broke games open for us, willed the side across the line
What's interesting in his first year of being captain he had Newman out there and i reckon that helped him. Doesn't have that support around him now.
Just my opinion of course ;D
He had Newman there for his first three years as captain.....and I hardly think his "example" of the soft , unaccountable, selfish Wayne Campbell school of football and 10 possessions a game would've really made any difference, let alone a positive one...
-
Agree with you re the captaincy
Think as a player Cotch has gone backwards. I want Cotch the player from 2012, 2013. That's when he broke games open for us, willed the side across the line
What's interesting in his first year of being captain he had Newman out there and i reckon that helped him. Doesn't have that support around him now.
Just my opinion of course ;D
He had Newman there for his first three years as captain.....and I hardly think his "example" of soft , unaccountable football and 10 possessions a game would've really made any difference, let alone a positive one...
True but in his first year as captain; whic was his best year Newman's influence was evident - he was still in the leadership group. After that when Newman step away from the leadership group Cotchin the player started going backwards or at the very least MIA. The longer he's been captain the more the MIA occurs
-
Bollocks Cotchin is good at football
Your expecting him to carry a dozen plodders is unrealistic.
-
Bollocks Cotchin is good at football
Your expecting him to carry a dozen plodders is unrealistic.
I tend to agree with you but Cotch as a footballer has gone backwards.
I think it's simply Halfwit and his game style that is killing players like Cotch.
-
Cotchin has been brainwashed and ruined by our charlatan couch & his dinky kick crablike 2 steps backwards to go forward gameplan.
Add to this he has to help convince & sell this rubbish style to the rest of the team by "leading by example" and executing the perfect "dinky" the whole bloody game.
When was the last time we saw him take on the opposition and lauch a 60 metre bomb into the goal square? Unfortunately this isn't allowed under the "blueprint" guidelines. :rollin
Get rid of this cancer coach and the team will be free to play footy again.
-
I actually don't think Rance should be captain, I think he's one that it would probably play on his mind a bit. Just let him play the game.