Time for tough decisions at Punt RoadMatthew Lloyd
The Age
14 August 2016There is never a dull day at Punt Road and it's fair to say this season has been no different for the players and fans in yellow and black.
Richmond's season just never got going and it will be a year that they will quickly want to forget about at the completion of round 23. The highlight of the season will no doubt be the after-the-siren kick by Sam Lloyd to deliver victory against the Swans in round eight, but aside from that, the positives have been few and far between.
However, last Friday night I walked away from the pre and post-match activities of the Tigers v Pies clash and thought, "I take my hat off to you Richmond". The Tigers stood tall on and off the field in a game that meant so much to everyone at the club due to the pressure it was under. Richmond earned back some of the respect that had been lost over the season and, most notably, the previous fortnight's lame efforts against Hawthorn and GWS.
Richmond president Peggy O'Neal has been questioned about whether she is seen or heard enough to be the leader of one of the most supported clubs in the land.
O'Neal quite rightly states that there are many presidents in the AFL who are not seen or heard either, which is a fair point, but O'Neal did agree to come onto radio station 3AW last Friday night at time when coach Damien Hardwick was being heavily criticised. In the interview, O'Neal was also questioned about the disgruntled coterie members wanting a spill of the board and whether she was still the best person to lead Richmond.
I couldn't have been more impressed as to how O'Neal spoke and how steadfast she was in her support of Hardwick, although she did admit that results have been well below par this season. O'Neal's interview calmed the situation for Richmond supporters and the media as she put to bed any doubts there may have been on who would be coaching Richmond next year.
There is no doubt that Hardwick's coaching performance will be heavily scrutinised internally at season's end, but O'Neal interview portrayed a club in total control off-field and a board that is united and supportive of their coach at a time when the media and the club's supporters were baying for blood.
For the players and coaches to then back that show of support, with a gutsy come-from-behind win after conceding the first four goals capped off a brilliant night for everyone involved with the besieged club, which has given them a week of respite heading into an even bigger challenge against the in-form Geelong at the MCG today.
A show of support for the senior coach and a gutsy win against an old arch-rival shouldn't make the Tigers any less ruthless on what needs to happen at the season's end. No matter what happens over the next three weeks, the Tigers should and will view this season as a major fail on all levels. There will be major changes to the playing list and football administration by the sounds of it and that is exactly what needs to happen.
The bottom 25 per cent of the Tigers' playing list needs a major overhaul and I believe Hardwick needs a strong tactician from outside Richmond to come in and freshen up his game style as it doesn't stand up consistently across the season or more importantly in finals. The ball movement is not direct enough and is way too slow, which gives Jack Riewoldt and the other forwards no chance to beat their opponents in one-on-one contests.
Dion Prestia is the name being touted to be wearing yellow and black next season. Prestia is a quality player who at 22 with 95 games under his belt would add plenty of class and running power to a midfield so reliant on Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin.
The Tigers list managers have a big decision to make. Do they part with pick six in the national draft and around $600,000 a year to get Prestia or take a kid with pick six who may or may not be as good as Prestia in the years to come but would cost the Tigers just the $80,000 base salary?
Chad Wingard and Jack McCrae have been two recent No.6 selections at the national draft.
Prestia is a quality player and person but I would go to the draft with as many early picks as I could possibly get, which may force the Tigers to trade out a favourite son like Brett Deledio who still has currency plus a combination of middle-tier players such as Tyrone Vickery, Reece Conca and Ben Griffith.
Richmond haven't recruited what you would call an elite player since Martin in 2009 so the time has come to recruit well through top-end talent, start developing them better than they have and then start to play a better brand of football than they have this season.
The Tigers need a clear path forward and that path is the one Hardwick spoke of earlier in the season, which was to take a few steps backwards to go forwards.
There can be no more quick fixes, no more list cloggers, no more mixed messages in post- match interviews as 2016 has been a reality check for the Richmond Football Club after years of believing they were close to winning a premiership when they were clearly not.
The rebuild at Punt Road starts again and the sooner they realise that, the better off they will be.
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