Close games = we no longer suck!!!

[one-eyed]

 

Longest runs of winless V/@AFL games for teams in games decided by 6 points or fewer [ed. it's actually 12 points or less]:

12 - RICH - 2021-23 (3 draws, 9 losses)
11 - nth - 1932-36 (1 draw, 10 losses)
11 - stk - 2010-15 (2 draws, 9 losses)

https://twitter.com/sirswampthing/status/1659896122784243714

Richmond has found itself in an era of late game skill errors/brain explosions.
How did Mansell not at least score?
Tigers used to be ice cold …

https://twitter.com/StevoMedia/status/1659917598392471563

[one-eyed]

Here are the miserable twelve:

R13 2021  West Coast @ Optus  ........ Lead by 22 pts at 14 min Q4. Lost by 4.

R20 2021  Fremantle @ Optus ........... Lead by 9 pts at 10 min Q4. Lost by 4.

R23 2021  Hawthorn @ MCG ............. Down by 31 pts at 19 min Q4. Came back to draw the game.

R11 2022  Sydney @ SCG ................. Up by 31 early Q3. Lead by 14 at 8 min Q4. Lost by 6.

R15 2022  Geelong @ MCG ............... Up by 17 early Q4. Lead by 3 at 26 min Q4. Lost by 3.

R17 2022  Gold Coast @ Carrara ....... Up by 40 early Q3. Lead by 23 at 16 min Q4. Lost by 2 with kick after the siren.

R18 2022  North Melb. @ Docklands ... Lead by 4 pts at 18 min Q4. Lost by 4.

R19 2022  Fremantle @ Docklands ..... Lead by 6 pts at 14 min Q4. Drawn game.

EF   2022  Brisbane @ Gabba ............. Up by 16 pts in Q3. Lead by 4 at 28 min Q4. Lost by 2.

R1   2023  Carlton @ MCG ................. Up by 5 pts at 3QT then down by 7 in Q4. Came back to draw the game.

R4   2023  Bulldogs @ MCG ............... Up by 14 pts at HT. Down by 15 in Q4. Lost by 5.

R10 2023  Essendon @ MCG .............. Lead by 18 pts at 5 min Q4. Lost by 2.



The only close games we've won in the past 3 years were large comebacks.
R9   2021  GWS @ Docklands ............ Down by 28 in Q3. Came back to win by 4.
R20 2022  Brisbane @ MCG ............... Down by 42 in Q2. Came back to win by 7.

https://afltables.com/afl/teams/richmond/allgames.html

[lamington]

We’re like the inverse Collingwood with close games. It’s absolutely heart breaking

[JP Tiger]

Its not a good record, no doubt. 
I think there is a recurring pattern that is a factor in this string of results but I need more info.  I'd appreciate it anybody has the data available. 

I'm wondering if the Sub player rules have had an effect here?  Also, do the close defeats in these games correspond with games we had to go early with our sub due to an injury?

I can definitely place one time when we had to go early with our sub & then ran out of legs late in the game - Round 15, 2022 Vs Geelong - the day Stewart KO'd Prestia early in the 2nd & we went down late in the 4th.  There have been many games when we had to play our Sub to cover an injury, many hammy victims that have robbed us of having tactically advantageous choices. 
It raises other questions too - how often has the opposition used their sub to swing the game against us?  Fresh legs in a close game are a big advantage, are we using the Sub rule as well as other clubs?  We named Soldo as Sub once ... did we lose that game in a close one too?     

[Knighter]

Dimwits' 4th medal in 6 years  .  The record holder of the most consecutive close loses ever.

[Francois Jackson]

Its a choking record that is what it is. Clubs know it now and that is our brand now unfortunately. Built on the fact they are not fit IMO, but more importantly unable to be carried to the line by Jack, Cotch, Prestia and Dusty, Grimesy, as they are all ageing. That is a fact which isnt their fault.

2 years ago Nank takes that mark in the square, and in last years EF gets us over the line. Now he is a b grade ruckman bordering on c ,whose skills have dropped off more than any other player, with grimes marginally better. Very disappointing the pair of them, especially the former as age is not an excuse.

As you get older you are slower, and the younger who played on the weekend that are quicker were very poor. The talent pool is very dry unless someone has any intel on these vfl guys.

[Tiger Khosh]

Without deep diving into any stats and purely just based on my memory of watching all these close losses, I’d have to agree the majority have been choke jobs. Just poor decision making and skill errors from very experienced players who have played and won in much more pressurised games. That 40 point comeback, goal after the siren win by Gold Coast is the biggest example.

[one-eyed]

Close wins/losses obviously make a huge difference. Take Port who had the yips last year but have corrected it this year.

Games decided by less than two goals:
Port in 2022:  2 wins 7 losses .... 11th on the ladder.
Port in 2023:  4 wins 0 losses ....  2nd on the ladder ..... all four wins by 7 pts or less have come in their current 7-win streak.

A big difference between being 8-2 and 4-6 at round 10.

[one-eyed]

Richmond's record in 2023 in games decided by 20 points or less:

Rounds 1-10:
0 wins
1 draw
4 losses

Rounds 11-19:
5 wins
0 draws
1 loss

https://twitter.com/7AFL/status/1682649007691296768

[mat073]

Next we need to improve our record at marvel- or we will miss finals .

[Diocletian]

From what I saw of last night's game - if we can't beat Norf & Saints then we don't deserve to play finals regardless of the venue.

[the claw]

Lol what sucks is we can no longer crush sides like Hawthorn and Sydney or wce for that matter.
Nope we have to scratch and bite just to get a win.
Just scraping over the line against average teams covers over the cracks and really does suck.