KB: Tigers are missing something, what is it?Joshua Papanikolaou
SEN
20 Jun 2015, 06:56PMAfter a discouraging loss to West Coast on Friday night Kevin Bartlett has admitted that the Tigers are missing a link that will need to be found for them to be contenders.
Their first game after the bye following four straight wins was billed as their march towards a top four finish, but instead the Eagles further improved their chances of a double chance.
However, news of key defender Alex Rance re-signing with the club for four more years did provide some positive news for fans.
“That’s the good news on the back of a disappointing performance,” said Bartlett on SEN radio.
“The Tigers have got to try and find something, there is a missing link somewhere.
“Last night was a big game coming off a terrific win against Freo, they had a week break coming to the MCG – really good sides come out and win that game.”
It is fair to say the jury is still out on whether this list is capable of making a Grand Final given their inconsistent results in the last two and a half years.
“They’ve made it to the finals the last couple of years and got belted,” said Bartlett.
“I don’t know if it’s a player missing.
“Is it intensity? Is it players getting ahead of themselves, or do they lack a small forward that can kick goals?
“I like the idea of three talls on the forward line, I like that setup.
“Is there a hardness about the side that just goes missing when the other team puts their foot on the accelerator?”
Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph believes that a quality small forward will make a difference but that the core of the list still requires development.
“They want a small forward and Steven Motlop is one that Brendon Gale confirmed they are keen on,” said Ralph.
“He wasn’t the missing link last night, although Steven Morris wasn’t great.
“They need improvement from within, one player won’t turn them into a premiership contender.”
http://www.sen.com.au/news/06-15/kb-tigers-are-missing-something-what-is-it