Tigers launch review into fade-outs (Age)

[one-eyed]

Tigers launch review into fade-outs
Caroline Wilson
The Age
July 17, 2012


RICHMOND president Gary March has declared that 2013 will mark the last time his club will sell a home game outside Victoria but stressed a football review of the Tigers' final quarter fade-outs this season was a more pressing issue for the humiliated team.

Questioning the team's on-field leadership in the dying minutes of the two-point loss to the Gold Coast in Cairns, March said the club's failure to stand up in crunch games had to become a priority investigation for the football department.

Meanwhile Richmond's shattered chief executive Brendon Gale said he took ''full responsibility'' for the decision to enter into the three-year Cairns deal - which ends next season and is worth a total of $1.5 million to the club - and admitted the game on Saturday left him ''as shocked as I've been in football''.

''I'll take whatever comes my way,'' Gale said. ''The Cairns agreement was the right decision at the time for the long-term strength of the club. The decision was made in mid-2010 when we had a young, developing side and we were in a weakened financial position.
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''I'll be honest and admit I thought we would certainly win a least the first two games of that deal against a new team. As it happens we haven't but I would add that the deal has enabled us to hasten the development of some players and allowed us to hire assistant coaches and important technology to help that development.''

Gale is believed to have communicated to Queensland football and political representatives on Saturday that the club was unlikely to return to Cairns as the home team beyond next year. Richmond is expected to be debt free by the end of 2013.

Devastated players and staff worked to regroup after the Gold Coast defeat at Punt Road yesterday in the knowledge that a win against North Melbourne on Sunday would keep the club's finals hopes alive. The Tigers will regain suspended pair Dustin Martin and Daniel Jackson for the North clash and remain confident Ivan Maric and Ben Griffiths will be fit to play.

Coach Damien Hardwick is understood to have assured Gale he too had supported the Cairns deal, while football boss Craig Cameron delivered an address to Richmond's senior staff reminding them of the massive steps the club has taken over the past two seasons. Club staffers were bombarded with angry social media attacks and Gale faced angry fans live online.

''Richmond will have a very strong year financially,'' March said. ''When we entered into this agreement that wasn't the case, but the fact is we have got the club into the position now where we will no longer be selling home games.

''That is not the issue for us today. The issue for the club is why we keep losing games when we are in a winning position. That's what we need to look at and that's what we need to review.

''Is it a lack of leadership? Is it a lack of fitness? Is it a lack of maturity or talent? I'm not a coach and I'm not in the football department so I couldn't tell you but I can tell you the club will not be focusing on blaming Cairns.''

The Tigers have won just seven of 16 games this season but two of those wins were over premiership fancies Hawthorn and Sydney.

Only against Carlton in round one was Richmond badly beaten and even in that game it had levelled the scores early in the final term. Since losing by 21 points to Collingwood in round two the Tigers have been in a winning position in the final quarter of every game.

March said he included Richmond's failure to respond in round one in recent years to the massive build-up against Carlton as another example of the team's mental struggle in crunch games.

''It might not have seemed that way but in the context of our season Saturday was a crunch game for the club and they were in a winning position but lost,'' said March.

''The coaches could only do so much. Our captain was off concussed, Trent [Cotchin] had rotated himself off and there were some very poor decisions made.''

The Tigers yesterday confirmed Martin, Jackson and the injured Jake King had flown home early after leaving the Cazaly Stadium at quarter-time along with the injured ruckman Maric in a bid to give those players a full week's lead-up in Melbourne before the round-17 clash.

Martin, who was initially left out of the travelling group, was taken to Cairns to share the load of promotional and clinic appearances and because he was reportedly struggling after being removed for the first week of his fortnight's suspension from senior training.

The club has also confirmed Matthew Richardson's suggestion on 3AW on Sunday that the leadership group had been so disappointed at Martin's behaviour in failing to attend training after a drinking-sleeping pill incident two weeks ago that they had initially pushed for a suspension that also would have seen him miss this weekend's North Melbourne clash.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tigers-launch-review-into-fadeouts-20120716-226id.html#ixzz20oUUqChq

[Jackstar is back again]

Gary who ?

[Francois Jackson]

might as well be Gary Coleman for all i care


Don't you love how they keep bringing up the 2 wins against Swans and Hawthorn as a sign we have improved.

We beat swans most years here and Hawks we have beaten before or we generally come very close.

In denial he is, no improvement whatsoever in 12 months

They have 7 weeks to reverse that

[Ox]

hahahah

That will sort things out.

Will it be an outside body conducting it?

Try looking at unsatisfactory development and drafting of kpp.

[Loui Tufga]

might as well be Gary Coleman for all i care


Don't you love how they keep bringing up the 2 wins against Swans and Hawthorn as a sign we have improved.

We beat swans most years here and Hawks we have beaten before or we generally come very close.

In denial he is, no improvement whatsoever in 12 months

They have 7 weeks to reverse that

At round 16 last year we were 5-1 and 9. We'd had 1 hundred point flogging and 2 ten goal plus floggings. We had been beaten by both Hawthorn and Sydney and had also gone down to the hands of Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs and the Gold Coast. Blind Freddy can see we have improved signifintly this season....it would take a loss in every game from here on to derail that and unfortunatly for some I just can't see that happening.

[Ruanaidh]

might as well be Gary Coleman for all i care


Don't you love how they keep bringing up the 2 wins against Swans and Hawthorn as a sign we have improved.

We beat swans most years here and Hawks we have beaten before or we generally come very close.

In denial he is, no improvement whatsoever in 12 months

They have 7 weeks to reverse that

At round 16 last year we were 5-1 and 9. We'd had 1 hundred point flogging and 2 ten goal plus floggings. We had been beaten by both Hawthorn and Sydney and had also gone down to the hands of Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs and the Gold Coast. Blind Freddy can see we have improved signifintly this season....it would take a loss in every game from here on to derail that and unfortunatly for some I just can't see that happening.

Currently we have improved 1 position from last year. We could fall deeper by years end. So it is a bit premature to say that we have "improved significantly" don't you think. Personally, I will reserve my judgement 'till years end.

[Ox]

Its not about lack of leadership.

As far as i'm concerned our Cotch,Lids,Maric and Morrison are leaders.

The problem is,leadership can't be taught,let alone by 23 years old which means were stuffed as it looks as though a vast number are flat out trying to play footy.

You either have the quality or not.

Maybe what they need is to learn how to be led..........

[Tigeritis™©®]

I agree with the prez.

They need to be better.
Need to be more proffessional.
Need to find out why this is happening and fix the problems.

Nothing wrong with that.

[Penelope]

of course there is nothing wrong with that. If you have a problem, you identify the cause, and find a solution that addresses the cause, to rectify the problem.

Petulant, blood thirsty blame seeking will not do that.

[Big Papa Bear]

The high possession run and spread game style is pretty taxing with regards to fitness and injury. 

I acknowledge that training over a few years can build up a fairly high level of conditioning - however generally the run & spread teams that cops more than one inury early in the game will more often that not lose. The Defensive teams can somewhat cover this more easily as their style requires a less energy.

I think the Tiges look a little knackered and since the St Kilda game, we have not played consistently. The evidence is in the errors and efficiency stats - even if you look at pre & post break - it has significantly gone up. The major factor in this is fatigue which effects decision making.

Every year the bar is raised with regards to fitness - so given that we are improving from last year - would say all is not lost.