Tackling the Tigers is proving difficult for opposition clubs, writes David KingDavid King,
Herald Sun
May 4, 2018 EVER tried to catch water?
That’s easier than getting a grip on most Richmond players as they challenge the AFL competition to negate a high octane run and carry handball game that’s committing the opposition to “death by a thousand broken tackles”.
They are the Teflon Tigers. Nothing sticks, let alone a tackle.
Richmond has broken the competition’s most tackles (59) which in isolation doesn’t read like a big number but consider this — the next best team is Geelong with 44.
And compare that figure to the cellar-dwelling Saints who clearly aren’t aggressive enough in congestion, having broken only 16 tackles in six weeks.
In an era of guarding space, via an assertive defensive unit, that broken tackle allows for the Tigers to break that initial cauldron of pressure and more importantly take that critical 5-10 metres forward of the traffic.
It renders that proactive defensive position useless.
Wondering why the Tiger players get goal-side unopposed so frequently?
It’s their tackle breaking, go-forward mantra that sees the Tigers kicking the AFL’s most goals 0-15m out, the most from 16-30m and clearly the most from the central corridor.
The AFL’s best tackle breakers this season are Dustin Martin (12) and Trent Cotchin (nine).
They refuse to accept that congestion or traffic halts their path and are comfortable with confrontation.
Martin has broken a staggering 95 tackles over the past two seasons, with Patrick Dangerfield second with 33.
AFL recruiters have historically disregarded tackle breaking as a viable elite trait, but all AFL greats enjoy confrontation and remain comfortable under harassment pressure.
Think Chris Judd, either of the Gary Abletts or Robert Harvey who opposition players barely laid a glove on, and it’s the first feature that springs to mind.
On the odd occasion a tackle is made — Richmond is the fourth least tackled team — it is thwarted from effectively disposing of the ball the least in the AFL.
The Tigers continue their flow-on offence and speed into their forward line.
The other notable side-effect is that the Tiger opposition are having to defend every disposal. If you fail, they score.
The Tigers are ranked 13th for disposals but have the best attack in the competition.
They’re a go-forward team by hand and foot that continually tests the defensive integrity of their opposition.
It’s proving difficult to effectively cease the Tigers “go-forward” model.
Richmond consistently, physically punctures the opposition in the second half of games, particularly at the MCG.
The “Punt Rd Runners” have six of the top 10 AFL players who take metreage via run and handball.
Dustin Martin is recognised as the game’s best tackle-breaker but the silent assassin, Shane Edwards, gains the metres via forward handball.
Such a creative genius is Edwards that his best work is often done by stealth.
Trent Cotchin is the next best forward handball distributor and it’s obvious to witness his consistent brutality at clearances prior to putting a teammate into space with his sure hands. The intercept king Alex Rance is a surprise inside the AFL’s top 10 handball metres gained but no one plays within their limitations as rigidly as Alex.
Rance is like a basketball rebounder who wins back possession and gives the ball to the point guards to do their thing.
Richmond don’t over possess the football as they did back in 2016 and it’s incredibly difficult to force them into turnover.
They cough up the fifth fewest scores from their own turnovers, a profile with which Damien Hardwick would be thrilled.
If you want to compete with the AFL’s most in-form team any time soon then bring your defensive A-game — the Teflon Tigers are simply on another level of physicality.
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