Shane Edwards says Richmond is taking a ‘keep it simple’ approach to its premiership defenceLauren Wood
Herald Sun
July 8, 2018 THE football world might be jumping aboard the Tiger train as it steams toward September, but Shane Edwards says Richmond is taking a “keep it simple” approach to its premiership defence.
Edwards, who delivered a stellar two-goal performance against Adelaide in Friday night’s 47-point Richmond victory, said that the Tigers’ approach to staying ahead of the curve as the season heads towards finals is an uncomplicated one.
“If you just keep winning, you stay ahead. That’s about it,” he said.
“You learn a lot from your losses, but we need to just make sure we stick to the system. If we lose some, we’ll learn from it. It’s as simple as that.
“We’re keeping it simple and basic.”
Three-time Coleman medallist Matthew Lloyd said he can’t see any team beating Richmond if things play out like they did on Friday night — fast and frenetic as the Tigers flexed their trademark pressure.
“The speed of Richmond … I look across the top eight of the competition and there’s not many quick sides,” he said on 3AW.
“The speed of handball and the speed across the ground of Richmond was something I haven’t seen all year.
“Teams are going to have to think about the way they approach Richmond … if you get a game where it’s on the outside, it’s run and it’s a speedy game, I don’t think anyone can beat them.”
Four-time premiership player and coach Leigh Matthews joked that “the best way for Richmond not to win the premiership is to take the game away from the MCG” and lauded the team’s shift to becoming less reliant on its superstar quartet.
“We’ve always marvelled at the ‘big four’ — (Alex) Rance, (Trent) Cotchin, (Dustin) Martin and (Jack) Riewoldt — but they’ve almost got a big 12 all of a sudden,” he said on 3AW.
“The improvement in guys like Lambert, Short and Nankervis … just all over the field.”
Edwards said that the first time he considered last year’s premiership to be a realistic chance for the Tigers was "with about four minutes to go in the Grand Final”, and insisted that this year's 12-3 start to the season had not meant such thoughts were creeping into his psyche just yet.
“Not at all. Last year, it all happened so quickly late and we hit good form later in the year,” he said.
“A lot can happen between now and then. We’re just trying to make sure we get in a good enough position at the end of the year to have a good crack.”
Jack Graham (shoulder) and Nathan Broad (cheekbone) are considered unlikely to play against Greater Western Sydney next week, while Dan Butler (ankle) and Dan Rioli (groin) were troubled on Friday night.
Edwards said the club had been tested by injuries more this year than last, but backed the team’s depth to withstand the challenge.
“It gives guys underneath an opportunity. We’ve got a lot of talent in the VFL,” he said.
“At the same time, the guys need to keep performing.”
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/shane-edwards-says-richmond-is-taking-a-keep-it-simple-approach-to-its-premiership-defence/news-story/602498816bd2eda3b80b3abd19dbbf17
