Seasonally bad at Punt Rd
13 June 2005
Herald Sun
Trevor Grant
WINTER may be hiding under a cosy blanket of unusual warmth, but it can't fool Richmond.
Indeed, the Tigers have played with such stunning ineptitude at this time of year for so long, you would be forgiven for thinking they work off a 10-month calendar at Punt Rd.
After all, the first two months of winter have virtually become a wipeout for this club in recent years.
Since 2001 it has not won a game in June and has won only one in July – a 2003 victory in Round 17 against wooden-spooners the Western Bulldogs.
It's now as predictable as the first winter morning frost. Cometh the month of June, cometh the decline of the Tigers.
Last year, beginning nine days before the start of winter, they started on a roll that brought 14 losses from the last 14 games. In 2003 it was 13 of the last 14, and 11 of the last 14 in 2002.
And now, after losing narrowly to West Coast last Saturday, in the first week of June, and then to the Kangaroos yesterday to be 7-5 after 12 rounds, there is an eerie sense of deja vu about it all.
However, the idea that this statistic means something is anathema to the Tigers' new coach Terry Wallace.
At his post-match media conference, a question was ventured about whether, given the club's history of unravelling mid-season, the team needed to regroup urgently after the insipid capitulation to the Kangaroos.
Before the question was completed, he cut it off. "I don't believe in history. I've got no interest in history at all," he said firmly.
Wallace may well be a disciple of the Henry Ford school of thinking on history. But, for others, it's difficult to ignore the pattern that appears to be re-emerging.
The unpalatable, but unavoidable fact is that Richmond has a habit of rolling over and playing dead in the middle of the season. It's as if every ounce of confidence and belief dissipates as soon as things begin to awry.
It is too early to make a similar call on this year's outfit, but the signs were not good yesterday.
Having seen its superior control of the ball in the first half ruined by poor decision-making, reckless disposal and shoddy goalshooting, the Tigers' resistance fell away immediately the Kangaroos put together a spurt of high-class football in the third quarter.
Five goals in five minutes. Richmond shattered. Game over. What else is new?
Although he didn't really want to entertain the past, Wallace was happy to concede there was an uneasy familiarity about yesterday's performance.
"I think we went back to a few old habits. We turned the ball over," he said.
"But we still had the ball 62 times inside 50 and had 30 scoring shots. In all our parameters, 30 scoring shots is enough to win most games of footy. The one thing we can't do is kick it for them."
It might have been a pretty shabby loss, in which too many players lacked the discipline to stick to set tasks, but Wallace was at pains to bring some context to the season.
"They lost 14 games in a row (last year). Let's not lose fact on where they were," he said.
"You blokes were putting up signs to me in media boxes (saying) not to do the job because they were a rabble.
"I wasn't saying that. There were people in media boxes next to me saying that was the situation.
"I think we've had a pretty reasonable time (this year). We've lost a couple in a row now. Does that put pressure on us?
"Depends on what pressure you are looking at. I'm looking at a style of play that's sustainable for a long period of time.
"I would say to you if we get the ball in our forward zone that often and have that many shots at goal (as today) for the rest of the season, I'd be pretty comfortable and pretty happy."
Still, there are a few "I-told-you-so" media types who are keeping those signs at the ready, just in case.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,15593145%255E19771,00.html
