BARRETT: Tigers of old are primed to cause chaosThe return of Richmond's move-the-ball-forward-under-all-circumstances game style should have the whole competition worried, writes Damian Barrett
By Damian Barrett
afl.com.au
15 May 2023RICHMOND'S resurgence is scary for the competition.
As evidenced in its season-sparking round nine win against Geelong, the Tigers will be a dangerous opponent for the rest of the season, capable of troubling even the very best teams.
In ca-sino parlance, the Tigers will be betting with house money, which only adds to the threat they will pose. The great teams of any era never lose belief, even when losses mount.
Dusty is back, not to 2017 levels, but Dusty at 75 per cent is still better than most at their respective optimums. Four goals against Geelong amid increased midfield game time may have been his best performance since the 2020 Grand Final. Dion Prestia remains as important as ever. Daniel Rioli continues to evolve, his tricks and creativity off half-back now in the elite category and positioning him to go one further than his second placing in last year's best-and-fairest award.
Shai Bolton, coming off 2022 All-Australian selection, is giving the impression he is about to break out. Jayden Short has recovered from his injury-interrupted early season woes, and in a season in which he comes out of contract, Nathan Broad has never been more important to Richmond.
Suspended for rounds three to six, his team failed to win in that stretch. It lost again in his return game. Broad's past fortnight, particularly the role he played alongside Noah Balta last Friday in curtailing the mighty Geelong goalkickers, has been crucial to the rejuvenation.
Broad's Western Australian roots have both Perth clubs, particularly West Coast, obsessed with his next contract. A late starter to the AFL at 23, Broad, now 30, has elevated his Tigers' status to new levels, particularly with fellow defenders Robbie Tarrant and Josh Gibcus indefinitely injured, and Dylan Grimes' effectiveness a few notches down on his career highs of 2017-21.
Then there's Trent Cotchin. Seemingly in his final season of a grand career, he continues to be team-first in everything he does, and his three goals against the Cats indicated he may yet learn to have impact as a forward.
While some will point to the massive injury toll at Geelong as a reason to downplay the Tigers' win in round nine, it was the full-on return of the uniquely and deliberately manic, chaotic, move-the-ball-forward-under-all-circumstances game style synonymous with their premiership success that has convinced me they are going to cause a lot of problems in the remainder of 2023.
That style embraces mistakes being made by Tigers players, and it also forces mistakes to be made by opponents. The imperfection of it is its perfection. Essendon and Port Adelaide are Richmond's next two opponents. I cannot wait to see how they fare.
Club allegiances aside, a vibrant Richmond is great for the competition, particularly the 2023 one where three teams – West Coast, North Melbourne and Hawthorn – are inept.
Tigers co-captain Toby Nankervis is getting close to a return from an ankle injury which has kept him sidelined since round four. Another plus for the Tigers.
Then there is Tom Lynch. He too has been out since round four, with a badly damaged foot, and will be out for a long time still. But if the Tigers can hang in, and stay within reach of the top eight, then look out if they get him back.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/926138/barrett-tigers-of-old-are-primed-to-cause-chaos
