End of season report: RichmondWhat went right? Amid plenty of media fanfare, Ben Cousins was the last player taken in the NAB AFL 2008 draft process. He promptly injured his hamstring in the round-one debacle against Carlton, but has been the club's most significant midfielder since his return.
Sacking a coach midseason is never a fun exercise for a club, but the club did well in the way it handled Terry Wallace's exit. Appointing Jade Rawlings worked nicely, and they handled the interview process well, refusing to be spooked by other clubs going early.
Graham Polak's return is a feelgood story that every footy fan can appreciate. Polak was almost killed when hit by a tram midway through last year, but playing at Coburg in the VFL, he rose from the seconds to the firsts before returning to the AFL in round 21.
What went wrong?Many supporters and pundits had expected the Tigers to finish in the eight this year after they came home like a train in the second half of 2008. Finals hopes were dealt a kicking by Carlton in round one, then Melbourne finished them off in round four.
Matthew Richardson, the club's greatest player of the last couple of decades, finished second in the Brownlow last year, and was cranking out more of the same this year before his hamstring tendon surgery.
No matter how well you handle the departure of a senior coach, the situation still brings difficulties and pressures. Different game plans – however slight – take time to adjust to, different dynamics in the coaches' box, different ways of dealing with the front office . . . never ever a good thing.
Most valuable playerBen Cousins has been invaluable on and off the field. He willed the Tigers across the line when they were clearly flagging at three-quarter time against the Dockers and is teaching the younger midfielders at Richmond how to train and play.
Coach's award for one-percentersDaniel Jackson does his job week in, week out. He has moved from being a pure shutdown player to getting his own ball. It's been a tough year at the Tigers, but Jackson has stood out, despite his sometimes wayward disposal. Should win the B&F in a canter.
Needs a big pre-seasonMost of the list. After a very promising end to 2008, where they won eight games in the second half of the year to finish ninth and had most pundits predicting finals in 2009, they crashed and burned in 2009 to finish just off the bottom. With a new coach, the pressure will be on to impress.
Overall grade: D
http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=83774