Five areas new Tigers coach needs to work on
29 June 2004 Herald Sun
Garry Lyon
THE Richmond Football Club is once again in the market for a coach.
It has tried 13 in the past 30 years. Tom Hafey and Tony Jewell delivered the ultimate success in 1974 and 1980, while Barry Richardson (1977), Francis Bourke (1982), John Northey (1995) and Danny Frawley (2001) were successful in guiding their teams to September.
That is a massive turnover in senior coaches. Two finals appearances in the past 21 years would indicate the revolving door to the senior coach's office has not been conducive in producing a winning environment.
Yet coach No. 14 will assume control sometime after the completion of the season and try to produce what few before him have been able to: a team capable of consistently competing at finals time with a legitimate chance of adding the 11th premiership cup to the Tigers' trophy cabinet.
So what will the new man have at his disposal as he tries try to deliver what the Tiger faithful have been seeking so desperately? There are five key areas he will spend plenty of time assessing, and he may not like what he sees in all of them.
1. Leadership
WAYNE Campbell has been, and is, the right man to captain Richmond.
He is an astute football thinker who cares deeply and passionately about his club. His style of play may not be the pack-bursting, overtly physical manner that draws comparison with Jack Dyer or Francis Bourke, but he has performed at a consistently high level for a long time and has the respect of his peers.
His approach is thoroughly professional and he has never been afraid to take ownership, and be accountable, for his own or his team's performance.
He may not be the best captain in the competition, but he has been the right choice for Richmond in recent years.
Ask yourself this question: If not Campbell, who else? The Tigers have a dearth of natural, aggressive leaders to support him.
Andrew and Duncan Kellaway, Darren Gaspar, Joel Bowden and Matthew Rogers have all had their time in leadership positions and are now fully occupied dealing with their own football mortality.
Matthew Richardson has expressed a desire to concentrate on harnessing his enormous ability to the benefit of the club, while Brad Ottens has not demonstrated -- yet -- that he aspires to a leadership role.
Which leaves Mark Coughlan as the anointed one. At just 22 years of age, and in only his fourth year, that is asking a lot.
Nathan Brown may be another contender. Then again, he may have enough on his plate weaving his magic into the fabric of the team.
Kane Johnson may be a more likely running mate. Either way, the options are not obviously bountiful.
2. Spine
RICHMOND'S first choice would read: Hall, A. Kellaway, Coughlan, Ottens, Richardson. Ruck: Stafford.
On paper, it is a decent enough goal-to-goal line. In reality, it remains fragile.
Hall is an honest trier who you would be happy to go into battle with. But up against Fraser Gehrig, Matthew Lloyd, David Neitz, Brendan Fevola, Alastair Lynch, Chris Tarrant or Barry Hall, he would have his work cut out keeping them to fewer than four goals a game.
Andrew Kellaway has been a wonderful competitor who deserves to be able to play out the remaining years of his career on a half-back flank, or on the opposition's third tall forward.
It is asking too much of him to contain Jonathan Brown, Warren Tredrea, Nick Riewoldt or Anthony Rocca.
Coughlan is a star who just needs to regain fitness to resume his place among the competition's elite midfielders.
Ottens should be one of the most imposing key forwards in the game. He hasn't been and the question now remains if he can still become that player.
Richo is capable of kicking 100 goals in a season, but there are some "ifs" involved. If his body can stay together for a season; if his midfield can provide him with enough supply; if the supply is half decent; and if he can maintain a positive, resilient attitude for the year.
Greg Stafford's best football may be behind him. The name still looks OK when pencilled in the first ruck, but the deeds have not matched the reputation for some time.
3. Defence
FEW sides with a brittle defence enjoy any great degree of success. The Tigers' backline is the fourth worst in goals conceded.
Hawthorn is the worst and it sits in 16th position; St Kilda is the least scored-against team, and it occupies top spot on the ladder.
Not all of that responsibility should be shouldered by those playing in the backline, but a frugal and settled back six remains one of the key components of successful sides.
Gaspar and Andrew Kellaway have been the cornerstone of Richmond's defence for a long time. They are not the players they once were. Aaron Fiora, Campbell and Joel Bowden have been deployed to the back half in recent times in an attempt to give it some stability and run, but they are not naturally hard-nosed defensive players.
Mark Chaffey is honest, Chris Newman is a real prospect, while Ty Zantuck and Rogers are struggling to stay in the side.
4. Youngsters
SINCE the 2000 season, Richmond has had four players -- Fiora, David Rodan, Coughlan and Zantuck -- nominated for Rising Star awards.
The Bulldogs have had six and Hawthorn eight.
Coughlan is the standout, Fiora is still a chance to become a very good player, while Andrew Krakouer, Brent Hartigan and Jay Schulz have all shown something.
Kayne Pettifer has been disappointing, and Rodan and Zantuck seem to have stagnated.
5. Matchwinners
THERE are only two: Richardson and Brown, with match-turners in Coughlan and Ottens.
In Richardson and Brown, the Tigers have two players who can win a game on their own. They are hard to come by.
Coughlan and Ottens are capable of turning a match around and influencing the result. Four such players are not enough. St Kilda, by comparison, has 11. Star quality in a side is not to be underrated.
Richmond seems to be suffering from a lack of leadership and has a fragile defence that is incapable of controlling the potent forwards.
A top-five pick in the draft is likely to be heading the Tigers' way, and they should hang on to it at all costs in an attempt to add some top-quality youngsters to the list.
Key defenders should also be a priority at draft time.
Frawley might be gone, but the problems remain.
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