This was originally posted on Yellow & Black Info. It was written by one of their posters Chris88, who has now joined up here at OER
See link:
http://yellowandblack.info/forums/showthread.php?t=2078&page=1&pp=10Over the last couple of weeks these editorials written by Chris have appeared on the RFC web-site. Congratulations Chris
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Please read and enjoy
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Chris' Round 5 Editorial - Thudding Back to Reality … Now the Challenge Begins Anew
The phrase “reality check” gets bandied around a lot in football, but there have been fewer more savage in recent times than the 68-point drubbing a rampaging St Kilda side dished out to Richmond on Sunday evening.
Ignore the margin; a truer indication of St Kilda’s dominance was how long the Saints took to actually beat a Richmond team fresh from three straight wins.
It wasn’t three quarters or a half … and only the most optimistic Tigers fan would’ve felt their team was still in it at quarter-time. No, a true measure of the difference between St Kilda and Richmond was that the game was done as a contest halfway through the first quarter – about 16 minutes in.
Any skill, teamwork or hardness at the ball Richmond showed in that first quarter – and there were flashes of all three - was instantly, ruthlessly and effortlessly topped by St Kilda.
In short, the gulf between the two sides on the field and on the scoreboard was probably a fair indication of where both are at – St Kilda, unlucky in some ways to miss the grand final last year, are second only to West Coast in flag favouritism in 2005. Richmond, wooden spooners in 2004, are in the midst of a rebuilding process and are, quite simply, nowhere near ready to take on the “big boys” of the AFL just yet.
St Kilda made plain many of Richmond’s deficiencies – The lack of midfield depth and ability. Despite their best efforts, the young and below full-strength Tigers midfield was quite simply unable to cope with the sheer quality and quantity of classy St Kilda midfielders.
The lack of quality run and disposal out of defence. Players like Austin Jones, the magical Clarke brothers and even Matt McGuire didn’t just repel Richmond’s attacks, but used their run, skill and precise kicking to turn them into a springboard for Saints’ attacks. This allowed their outside running players to run forward of the ball with confidence – resulting in easy possessions and pinpoint delivery into their forward line. Richmond, on the other hand, sorely lacks this type of pinpoint disposal out of defence, and was prevented from breaking the lines by St Kilda’s pressure.
An inability to cope with constant, sustained pressure. Against Hawthorn, the Bulldogs and Fremantle, Richmond did not face four sustained quarters of pressure tackling, chasing and harassing – a factor which allowed the Tigers to dictate terms at various stages in those games and apply pressure of their own. From go to woe, St Kilda did not allow the Tigers onto the front foot.
The lack of a quality crumbing forward. Steven Milne’s five goals served to highlight Richmond’s complete lack of a dangerous crumbing forward. Richmond’s two best performed “small forwards” this year - Nathan Brown and Kayne Pettifer – play in fact more like medium-sized marking forwards. This, combined with David Rodan’s injury, leaves Andrew Krakouer as the Tigers’ only constant crumbing forward – and Krakouer’s continued poor form must now be of great concern to Wallace and his coaching staff.
These are the deficiencies that Terry Wallace has been given five years to address. Some will be remedied more quickly than others, but none will be fixed without some short term pain – an example of which Richmond experienced on Sunday night.
Amidst this there were still some positives for Richmond – The improvement of Shane Tuck and Chris Hyde. These two members of the Tigers’ young midfield are enjoying great seasons. Tuck grows into his new midfield responsibilities as each week passes, while Hyde’s willingness to run, work ethic and bravery (highlighted by his spoil on Matt McGuire in the last quarter – an action which saw both players knocked unconscious) are wonderful for a youngster only 30-odd games into his career.
Mark Coughlan’s second coming. Now looking to be over the pubic instability that derailed his 2004, Cogs was virtually the only Richmond player who could say he beat his opponent comprehensively on Sunday night. His efforts in negating Luke Ball (23 touches to 14), as well as six clearances, three tackles and some tough in and under work brought to mind his 2003 best and fairest form.
Darren Gaspar and Greg Stafford. Gaspar’s efforts on Fraser Gehrig were superb – beating him in the majority of one-on-one contests. Gehrig’s four goals came mainly from pinpoint passes no backman could stop – and a soft goalsquare free kick. Meanwhile, Greg Stafford’s four goals and improved mobility were positive steps forward after an interrupted early season.
This coming week sees another huge challenge for Terry Wallace and for Richmond – a wounded Port Adelaide at Docklands on Sunday.
Port Adelaide’s own reality check against Geelong in Adelaide last Friday left looks of frustration and disbelief on Port Adelaide players faces. With some help from a Mark Williams’ tongue-lashing, expect those expressions to have changed to glares of steely resolve, gritted teeth and a desire to atone by the time next Sunday rolls around.
This will be the challenge that faces Richmond – not that the Tigers won’t have their own desire to atone and celebrate Matthew Richardson’s 200th with something they couldn’t deliver Darren Gaspar for his 200th on Sunday – a win. Richo himself will be keen for a better display than his forgettable effort on Sunday.
How the Tigers bounce back against this quality opposition will provide a true indication of how much improvement there has been at Punt Road early in 2005. Terry Wallace was quick to throw out the challenge to his players after the match – saying it was vital Richmond were not thrashed week after week, and that they recovered from losses better than they did in 2004.
Ultimately, Sunday’s game against Port Adelaide won’t be the last of the challenges for the Tigers this season. Some they will pass, some they will fail. But whatever the week-to-week fluctuations may bring, there is still one final reason for Tigers’ supporters to have some heart.
After all, it wasn’t so long ago that St Kilda were the league easy beats – a team whose on-field performances were not up to scratch, a team with an almost non-existent forward line, an undermanned and inexperienced backline, and whose young midfielders (like Hayes, Ball, Del Santo, the Clarkes and Goddard) were brushed aside with week after week.
Success for St Kilda has only come with persistence and hard work, changes on and off the field, the instilling of a new culture and the recruiting of talented youngsters and mature players through drafting and trades. It hasn’t come overnight, and it hasn’t come without a few beltings along the way.
Now it is the Tigers who are taking those first tough steps towards on a climb towards success – with a new coach and support staff trying to change the club’s culture and set in place a new game plan for a side with its share of young players (including midfielders like Deledio, Hyde, Tuck, Coughlan, Raines, Tambling, Roach and even Jackson).
Richmond fans should now look at St Kilda, remember what it has taken for them to rise up the ladder, and hope the Tigers’ rise follows the same trajectory.
