Richmond will be a great story in 2016, good or badMARK ROBINSON
Herald Sun
March 24, 2016 THERE'S a line in the movie The Natural which is Richmond all over.
Reviled reporter Max Mercy says to the greatest of all time, Roy Hobbs, in one of the final scenes of the sporting classic: “After today, whether you're a goat or a hero, you're going to make a great story.”
That is Richmond.
Whether they win or lose in Round 1, or next week, or next month, or at Round 15 or Round 23, Richmond is always a great story.
Heaven forbid the commentary ahead of the elimination final if the Tigers find their way to a fourth consecutive one.
There's a two-week a break between Round 23 and week one of the finals and you can bet Richmond will be a great story every single day. They will be front and back page. There will be talkback frenzy. Will they choke again? Will the nightmare on Punt Rd become a four-peat?
The 2016 season kicks off with Richmond v Carlton at the MCG. Apart from it being the season opener, a whiff of drama surrounds the contest.
The Tigers are hurt. Deledio, Maric, Grigg and Conca are missing. Is there an upset on the cards? Could they really lose to Carlton?
The Blues are almost at full-strength, it is said, whatever that means. The team was gutted by delistings and replaced with youth and no matter how earnest and sincere the coach is, or how enthused the players are under a new mentor, it will be difficult to claim victory.
Still, fans not of yellow and black lineage will be hoping like hell the Tigers tumble.
That's football. Fans vote with hatred. They vote for the car crash. And no team does crisis like the Tigers.
If they do lose, it will be crisis No.1.
The new season brings both warmth and apprehension.
The spotlight is on the team as much as it’s on individuals. Coach Damien Hardwick was given an extra two years, but that doesn't mean much if the Tigers deliver an improbable 8-14 record. If the spotlight is menacing this year, it will be feel like Armageddon next year.
Skipper Trent Cotchn has worn the brunt of last year’s loss to North Melbourne.
He played like a busted, but he wasn't alone. Grigg, Maric, Chaplin, Edwards, Ellis, Griffiths and Vlastuin should also be embarrassed by their efforts.
The focus was on Cotchin’s captaincy over the summer, which at times unnerved him.
That’s good. He’s a proud player and perhaps it will elevate him. Credit to Cotchin, too, because he hasn't hidden from the issue.
Footy Classified asked him to appear on its first show of the season and Cotchin said yes. He knew the questions were coming and wanted to confront them.
On AFL 360 on Tuesday night, Jack Riewoldt said he had detected a change in the skipper. More demanding. More confrontational with his teammates. Jack’s commentary was crystal.
“It’s good to see (growth from) a guy who copped a large whack from outside the four walls — and internally as well,” Riewoldt said.
“The players are demanding of Trent to step up as captain and from what I’ve seen in this pre-season, you can tell already that he’s learnt from it and has taken it to heart.”
Cotchin was a star junior and an emerging superstar in the AFL and is now labelled the elimination final choker.
It's the first major hurdle of his career and it hasn't been missed, and it’s why he is one of the more intriguing players this season.
The funny thing is, it starts this week at the MCG, but for Cotchin and the Tigers it doesn't really start until the first weekend in September — if they get there.
What a rarity, the destination being more important than the journey.
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