Bring it on, Tigers say Matt Murnane
The Age
June 17, 2013 Richmond captain Trent Cotchin says the disappointment of coming so close and letting supporters down in past seasons has fortified the players as they prepare to run into another storm of finals expectation.
Optimism that 2013 could be the year Richmond breaks its 13-year finals drought soared to new heights after the club's clinical 38-point dismantling of Adelaide on Saturday and that ''positive pressure'' - as Cotchin called it - could reach fever pitch over the next month.
At 7-4 and inside the top eight, Richmond could put itself in a position to play finals for the first time since 2001 if it was to beat four teams - Western Bulldogs (14th), St Kilda (16th), North Melbourne (13th) and Gold Coast (12th) - against which it should start favourite in its next four games.
Given 14 wins was enough for teams to feature in September last season, the Tigers would be well-placed to make a charge at finals if it won those games and were sitting on 11 wins after 16 rounds.
But the club will also be aware that now is the time to move, knowing it has a tough run home with games against Fremantle, Sydney, Hawthorn, Essendon and Carlton in the final seven rounds of the season.
The club also knows the pressure to reward its supporters and break the finals hoodoo will be immense as September nears.
''The reality of AFL football is that there is always going to be that external pressure, whether it be positive pressure or negative pressure,'' said Cotchin, revealing the Tigers had spoken about the crucial month ahead after the win against Adelaide.
''But the great thing for us as a group now is that we've gone through quite a fair bit together. The majority of the group have been together for three or four years and we've been through some tough times, and we've also seen some really rewarding times.
''We are in a position now where we know what is expected from us - from our coaching staff, from our supporters and each other, more importantly.
''So we've just got to make sure that the way we have been playing and the relentless attack on the footy and our pressure around the ball are areas that we can continue to raise the bar in.
''And hopefully that holds us in really good stead in games, whether it's against sides that are below us or sides that are above us.''
Cotchin said the way Richmond responded to a challenge from Adelaide early in the last quarter on Saturday - when the visitors closed to within three goals - was a sign that the players had matured.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/bring-it-on-tigers-say-20130616-2ochu.html
