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Richmond’s huge supporter base is its secret weapon during matches, Patrick Dangerfield writesPATRICK DANGERFIELD,
Herald Sun
June 17, 2018 “I’M high on the hill looking over the bridge to the MCG … “
The opening lyrics to Paul Kelly’s legendary song Leaps and Bounds always comes to the mind as you turn on to Brunton Avenue.
It’s two hours before the game, the glistening light between the trees and the enormous MCG flood lights always make the hairs on the back of my neck prickle.
This would be a familiar feeling for most players when it comes to arriving, and playing, at Australia’s version of The Colosseum.
This is where it all happens, this is where the biggest games every year are played.
It’s where reputations are made individually and collectively.
It isn’t September but any chance you get to play at the MCG is one I always look forward to.
But Sunday isn’t just any old game, it’s Geelong v Richmond, the team who only this week announced its membership base was 96,000.
That’s an enormous number and while they all won’t be there on Sunday, the one’s who are become a serious factor in the game.
Trust me, I know this from experience.
You can call them the Tigers’ secret weapon, although they’re not really very secret, but the point is at last year’s qualifying final I’d never felt anything like what I did running on to the MCG that night.
It was supposedly a neutral game with no home side but the chorus of booing which rung out as Geelong entered the arena was certainly a shock to the system.
There were more than 95,000 inside the stadium that night but it didn’t feel like there were many Cats fans.
It was astonishing.
Did it rattle us? Did it contribute to our poor start? Who knows, but in football you’re always looking for those one percenters and you can certainly put it in that category.
When you play interstate the discussion is always about making sure you start well so you can shut the crowd out.
That same conversation now happens when you play Richmond at the MCG.
Confidence is a really funny thing in footy.
Once you have it in regards to playing at a certain venue then it becomes almost an unshakeable force.
We know at Geelong that we’re very difficult to beat there.
Richmond shares the MCG with other teams but they’ve made the ground their own over the past 12 months.
Last Saturday at GMHBA Stadium was the best the Geelong crowd had been.
They were loud and seemed committed to the contest.
You just felt they were with us the whole time, even during periods when we weren’t playing that well during the game, they were there.
Richmond players would sense that all the time even if things aren’t going their way.
They know that one little act the crowd will jump on whether that be a courageous mark or the creation of a goal out of nowhere.
Then obviously when a goal is scored they go to another level.
The challenge of playing at the MCG is its width compared to other grounds, particularly in comparison to Kardinia Park which is very narrow.
There is no point trying to hide from the fact it’s different, you have to embrace the ground and the dimensions.
You can’t stick to a game style which works elsewhere and not factor in the MCG conditions.
Collingwood had success in 2010 by attacking from the boundary because you can do that at the MCG.
You can kick from the junction at 50m and still centre the ball inside because the oval is so wide and circular.
Geelong fans are loving having Gary Ablett back in the blue and white hoops. Picture: Michael Klein
You feel like you still have plenty of room at the drop of the ball whereas at grounds like GMHBA Stadium and the Giants’ home venue Spotless Stadium it doesn’t feel like that.
Richmond are a very disciplined side. They know how to play the ground, they have a system that they trust and every player is on the same page.
What they particularly do well is their forwards are excellent defenders.
Richmond’s forwards aren’t necessarily interested in taking big marks they’re more focused on making sure the opposition doesn’t mark the ball.
That’s why Sunday is so intriguing because we have a young developing back six who have shown they’re an excellent intercept marking group.
But the Tigers, led by Jack Riewoldt who is an expert at this part of the game, go out of their way to make sure you don’t mark the ball and obviously then rebound quickly.
I’ve read with interest comments from the players about how Richmond turned their fortunes around which culminated in last year’s premiership.
They seemed to have found more of a balance with training and creating a fun environment.
I have no doubt that teams who have experienced sustained success are the ones who make sure the balance with their football programs and time outside of footy is right.
Geelong have been the pioneers of this for the past 12 years and last week’s Retro Round was an excellent example of this.
The theme was something the whole club embraced and the players growing 1970s moustaches for the game was a bit of fun and had all the players talking about it pre-game.
It helped keep things loose and relaxed.
So many players and clubs can get too obsessed with things and take everything too seriously which impacts on performance.
There is no doubt players at some other clubs would think but what if we lose and I’ve got grown this silly moustache, that will be the seen as the reason for the loss.
The thought went through my head but the beauty of Geelong is there is an understanding that players perform better when they’re relaxed and not uptight.
That’s exactly what happened against North Melbourne.
The Ron Burgundy look will get another run around on Sunday with the wife giving the moustache the tick of approval … for now anyway.
And I’m sure she won’t mind my choice of music when we hit Brunton Avenue around 1pm either.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/expert-opinion/richmonds-huge-supporter-base-is-its-secret-weapon-during-matches-patrick-dangerfield-writes/news-story/4e292693eb5a5a61c55913b027d56581
