Richmond coach trots out the development line by: Courtney Walsh
From: The Australian
July 02, 2012 SHORTLY after Carlton's finals aspirations were dealt a significant blow on Friday night, a journalist with Richmond leanings made a quip that will resonate with all Tigers fans.
The heavens had aligned, he noted. Richmond was again ninth. Such a line provokes laughter from rival fans but, after the Tigers blew a golden opportunity to establish themselves as a legitimate finals contender in Adelaide on Saturday, it rubs salt into a gaping wound so sore after 32 years without a flag.
The Tigers started brightly against a Crows team that holds both top-four aspirations and was also motivated to respond strongly after a weak effort against North a week ago.
The problem is maintaining consistency and composure when pressed. After kicking eight goals in the first term, the Tigers managed just five more for the day.
The errors flowed too freely in the later stages, and the Tigers were not helped by the howler awarded against Steven Morris that may result in Taylor Walker earning a sanction from the match review panel for what appeared to be a spear tackle.
Damien Hardwick, who admitted to feeling both angered and disappointed after the loss, stressed a line about Richmond's forwards that Tigers fans will acknowledge with frustration -- the development line. It is one they have heard too many times.
"We have to keep persevering and wait for those young guys to get better. They will get better over a course of time," he said.
"We realise it is a development area of our structure. We just have to make sure we keep working on that."
Hardwick stressed his disappointment at Richmond's failure to convert opportunities in attack from quarter-time and also its lack of presence at the stoppages in the final term.
"To lose the way we did towards the end of the game was really disappointing; we just couldn't win the contests," Hardwick said.
"At the end of the day, we had more scoring shots than Adelaide. We've just got to make sure that when we do have a chance to convert, we convert. We had more inside-50s, more forward-half turnovers. We had a lot of stats going our way."
But despite the angst over an opportunity blown against a "bloody good side" that leaves it behind Carlton as one of four sides a game from eighth position, it remains the Tigers and not the Blues who are best placed to challenge for September.
Of the five sides that began the weekend on six wins, only North managed a victory, with that enough to claim eighth position.
"There is still a lot of footy to go." Hardwick said.
"Fremantle lost . . . so no one really put the jump on anyone else but we certainly had an opportunity to get the four points, especially the way we started the game.
"We will lick our wounds, we will get back and face our opposition next week."
It is that opposition, in comparison to Carlton, that gives the Tigers the chance to end a finals drought dating back to 2001. In the last nine rounds, the Tigers play just two sides that are currently in the eight.
The next fortnight shapes as an opportunity to build momentum against Melbourne and the Gold Coast before a fortnight that could determine whether that September drought will break.
The Tigers play North Melbourne in round 17 and the Blues a week later.
Claim at least three of the next four matches and the season will be well and truly alive for the Tigers.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/richmond-coach-trots-out-the-development-line/story-e6frg7mf-1226413876819
