Richmond Tigers Season Preview (contestedfooty.com)

[one-eyed]

Richmond Tigers Season Preview
contestedfooty.com
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
 
Last Year
Richmond had a year to forget in 2009; unfortunately for Tigers fans they won’t be able to forget it anytime soon.

Many thought the Tigers were tanking for a large portion of the season which produced just five wins although Richmond’s victory against the Demons went some way to dispelling that talk.

Richmond have decided to change coaches going into 2010, which has given many the opportunity to criticize their tendency to change coaches, however when you look at how long Terry Wallace had to get it right it is more than fair to move on.


Backline
With an average score against of 109 points in 2009 the Tigers backline let in more points than any other team in the league which is a long way off St Kilda’s benchmark of 65 points. Now no one expects or is claiming you have to defend as well as St Kilda did in 2009 but it does highlight the difference in the two teams.

Richmond’s backline is young and inexperienced but there is plenty of potential there to have a solid back six in the future. As the better teams showed this year, it is about how your defense operates as a unit. Six of Newman, Moore, Rance, McGuane, Mcmahon, Polo, Post, Farmer and Thursfield need to be settled in to a strong consistent unit.



Midfield
Whenever I look at the Tigers list and run my eye over the midfield I can’t believe they don’t win more games. It must come down to a combination of over-rating their midfielders and those same midfielders underperforming. It should become the coach’s role to get the midfielders performing on a more regular basis.

Names such as Deledio, Cousins, Foley, Tuck and Cotchin are all able to influence the outcome of a game and yet rarely do. The addition of Dustin Martin, who barring injury will slot into this team nicely and quickly should make a difference as well as he can win his own ball well and then set up play.

For the Tigers sake I hope the midfield steps up to the level it is capable of, because if it does they’ll give a few teams a scare or two.



Forwards
The Tigers forward line is an interesting one. Jack Riewoldt and Mitch Morton seem good enough players to build around but that pressure could either accelerate or slow their personal improvement, regardless it is likely that’s exactly what will be happening.

So who will the supporting cast be? I’d definitely lock in Nahas but beyond that there are few options. A resting ruckman in Vickery or Simmonds, Resting midfielders such as Cousins, Deledio or Foley or a young player such as Ben Griffiths could get thrown in the deep end in the hope of accelerating their development.



Rucks
Vickery and Simmonds are where it is at in 2010 for the Tigers. Hopefully both can stay injury free and Simmonds can keep his form at the standard of a first choice ruckman. If that happened then the Tigers can develop Vickery nicely as a stuff in 2010 which will help their structure considerably.

This really is an area the Tigers need to improve and hopefully players such as Angus Graham and Andrew Browne can step it up a gear or two in 2010.

Summary
There is still a lot of ability on the Tigers list but they are going to struggle for a few years regardless. I like young Martin and think he’ll have a pretty quick impact at senior level and if the likes of Cousins, Deledio and Foley decide they have had enough of ‘passable ’ football then the Tigers have the ability to snag eight or nine wins in 2010. The reality is though they will be lucky to win six or seven in what will be another long season for Tigers fans.


Expected Finish: 15th-16th



Best 22
FB: Chris Newman, Alex Rance, Kelvin Moore
HB: Dean Polo, Luke McGuane, Jordon McMahon
C: Shane Edwards, Shane Tuck, Ben Cousins
HF: Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt, Dustin Martin
FF: Robin Nahas, Mitch Morton, Tyrone Vickery
Fol: Troy Simmonds, Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley
Int: Ben Griffiths, Richard Tambling, Matt White, Daniel Jackson

http://www.contestedfooty.com/2010/01/richmond-tigers-season-preview.html

[mightytiges]

A reasonable preview. Probably our midfield sounds better than it performs is because in the old days 3-4 good players would play in the midfield for the whole game week in week out. Now days with all the rotations you need about 12 good players moving through the midfield so midfield depth becomes important where it didn't in the past. So despite us being able to rattle off a handful of names that sound half-decent we just don't have the midfield depth yet.

[Stripes]

Richmond Tigers Season Preview
contestedfooty.com
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
 
Best 22
FB: Chris Newman, Alex Rance, Kelvin Moore
HB: Dean Polo, Luke McGuane, Jordon McMahon
C: Shane Edwards, Shane Tuck, Ben Cousins
HF: Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt, Dustin Martin
FF: Robin Nahas, Mitch Morton, Tyrone Vickery
Fol: Troy Simmonds, Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley
Int: Ben Griffiths, Richard Tambling, Matt White, Daniel Jackson

http://www.contestedfooty.com/2010/01/richmond-tigers-season-preview.html

I agree MT though with the inclusion of Martin, Collins, Nahas, Morton, Thompson and White we should be starting to see a bit more of the depth we need. For most of 2009 we didn't have Cotchin or Foley so there is two quality mids out of action.

This year we will have Lids, Cousins, Cotchin, Martin, Tuck and Jackson as our front line mids with Foley slotting in when he is fully recovered. Morton will play more in the midfield this year and given his size, smarts and foot skills he will be a welcome asset. Nahas has also been reportedly playing in the midfield at times and may be a welcome inclusion as an outside midfielder where he can get space on his opponent. Collins may step up again this year and Thompson is reportedly playing well as an inside mid. White is the enigma for mine - pace yes but .... ???

Looking at the team above the writer seems to have only a passing interest and understanding about the Tigers. Here is what I feel is a more likely set up for 2010 - 

FB:  Shane Edwards,  Kelvin Moore,   Jayden Post
HB: Chris Newman,  Luke McGuane, Richard Tambling
C:   Ben Cousins, Adam Thompson, Trent Cotchin
HF: Mitch Morton, Jack Riewoldt,  Dean Polo
FF: Robin Nahas, Graham Polak, Tyrone Vickery
Fol: Troy Simmonds, Brett Deledio, Daniel Jackson
Int: Angus Graham, Dustin Martin, Shane Tuck, Matt White or Alex Rance

I would prefer to see Rance over Edwards, Astbury over Polo and Griffiths over Vickery (who would then swap with Graham) but in the early stages of the year this is a more probable line up. If Foley makes a miraculous recovery he could step in for Cousins who would then either take Polo's place or White's position on the Interchange as an impact player.

Stripes