Richmond's Chris Newman says his side has taken steps forward Sam Landsberger
From: Herald Sun
August 12, 2012 2:20PMRICHMOND captain Chris Newman says his side has taken strides forward this year despite the impending failure of missing finals for the 11th-straight season.
And Newman said it was the early losses to finals-bound outfits Geelong and West Coast which would ultimately haunt the Tigers despite their recent spate of heartbreaking defeats, headlined by the shock loss to Gold Coast.
"I certainly think that we’ve got a lot out of the year. There’s no doubt we’re heading in the right direction," Newman told 3AW before today's clash with the Western Bulldogs.
"It’d be a bit different if we weren’t playing finals again but there was a lot that was broken. That’s definitely not the case.
"We’ve been in a lot of games this year and we just need to get to that stage where we’re on the other end of those close losses that we’ve had."
Newman has played 211 games without a final in his 11-season career.
The Tigers pushed the Cats and Eagles in consecutive games earlier this year before falling 10 points short in each encounter.
Richmond's season peaked with a 62-point demolition job of flag favourite Hawthorn in a stretch of form where it also smashed Sydney and pipped St Kilda in one of the games of the season.
"I definitely think that although we haven’t made finals, we’ve definitely made some ground this year on some other teams," Newman said.
"I think early on we had a few games, the Geelong game and the West Coast game, you’re in the game and it can go either way in the last quarter and they got up.
"If you can pinch a few of those early they can really set that up and give you some confidence."
Newman said the Tigers would be out to tighten its back half next season, with rising star Dylan Grimes set to return from a serious hamstring injury.
The Tigers have also been linked to Port Adelaide defender Troy Chaplin.
Newman also said bad boy Dustin Martin had improved his off-field behaviour since copping a two-match suspension for missing a compulsory training session.
"I think the proof will be in the pudding there. He’s certainly doing the right things now, he’s just moved into a new house, he’s got some of his off-field things right and he’s playing some good footy," Newman said.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/richmonds-chris-newman-says-his-side-has-taken-steps-forward/story-e6freck3-1226448605345
