Stats Files: Are these Tigers as good as 2017, or better? AFL.com.au
Marc McGowan
Aug 27, 2019 NINE straight wins, including four of them over top-eight rivals Greater Western Sydney, Collingwood, West Coast and Brisbane.
There's little wonder 2017 champion Richmond sits atop this year's AFL premiership markets on finals eve.
The Tigers survived a horrific injury run to end the home and away season in third and will start September arguably in better form than their flag-winning year.
It's an ideal time to look at what's changed since that historic 2017 triumph – and what's stayed relatively the same.
The Lynch-pin in attack
Tom Lynch's arrival from Gold Coast naturally had the most dramatic effect on Richmond's playing style, giving the forward line a legitimate two-pronged target alongside Jack Riewoldt.
It was Riewoldt and a mosquito fleet two years ago, so the Tigers' ball movement this season has subsequently been longer and more direct in the forward half.
Round 17 in their premiership year was when they 'cranked their form up to 11' and the period following that offers the best comparison of what they were doing.
Richmond used the corridor from defensive 50 just 15.5 per cent of the time from then to the Grand Final in 2017 (ranked 14th), whereas in this current streak it uses that route 20.8 per cent of the time (third).
RICHMOND'S KICK LONG % 2017 2019 (R1-14) 2019 (R15-23)Forward half 37.4% (ranked 18th) 39.1% (ranked 13th) 39.6% (ranked 7th)
Defensive half 43.4% (1st) 40.4% (4th) 42.3% (3rd)
Overall 40.3% (9th) 39.8% (6th) 41.0% (6th)
The Tigers are also using the Sherrin differently in the defensive half.
Their kick-to-handball ratio of 1.09 in that area of the ground (ranked 17th) is in stark contrast to the 1.24 they operated at in the selected 2017 period (sixth).
Back then, Richmond would often kick long from defensive 50 to escape danger, and now regularly there is a more meticulous method of maintaining possession by hand on the way out.
The Richmond statHandball has always been a weapon in coach Damien Hardwick's arsenal.
Handball metres gained, or 'the Richmond stat', as it's become known in the competition, is where the Tigers stand out from the crowd in recent years.
Copycat rivals tried to replicate Richmond's attacking handball but none has mastered it to anywhere near the same level.
The yellow-and-black tsunami were again comfortably No.1 in this category through the first 14 rounds this year – when they were ninth on the ladder, with a 7-6 record – and have cleared away since.
Opposition teams are also having increasing trouble sticking their tackles on the Tigers, led by fend-off ace Dustin Martin.
R1-14 RANKING R15-23 RANKINGHandball metres gained 459m 1st (224m ahead) 561m 1st (321m ahead)
Handball retention 85.5% 9th 86.4% 6th
Opposition tackle efficiency 66.5% 17th 60.3% 2nd
Still the pressure kings?Something had to give once Lynch came into the forward line, conceivably at the expense of a smaller, more agile teammate.
The manic pressure Richmond was known for in that glorious 2017 period is still present but at a reduced rate, meaning keeping the ball in its forward half hasn't been quite as effective.
However, it's still very much a strength overall – and there has actually been improvement in some critical areas from last season.
TIGERS' FORWARD-HALF STATS R17-GF, 2017 RANK | 2018 RANK | R15-23 2019 RANKTime in forward half +8:32 2nd +10:13 1st +5:12 4th
Points from stoppages 20.1 2nd 13.2 13th 16.1 7th
Points from possession gains 42.6 1st 34.8 1st 36.1 1st
Is Richmond better?This is impossible to answer but the 2019 Tigers have certainly evolved.
What hasn't changed once they have close to their full complement is they are still arguably the AFL's pacesetter.
Intriguingly, their offensive numbers aren't quite as good as 2017, even with Lynch's inclusion, but they are League-leading.
On top of that, the defence is every bit as stingy without injured all-time great Alex Rance but the September cauldron will put that to the test.
R17-GF, 2017 RANK | 2018 RANK | R15-23 2019 RANK Points for 101.2 1st 95.7 2nd 98.0 1st
Points against 63.4 1st 72.3 2nd 62.9 1st
Disposals differential +11.1 9th -16.0 15th +19.7 3rd
Contested possession +4.6 5th -5.2 15th +0.3 10th
differential
Uncontested possession +2.5 10th -13.6 15th +20.2 3rd
differential
Inside 50 differential +8.7 2nd +10.2 2nd +11.4 1st
Points from intercepts +27 1st +22.9 1st +25.4 1st
differential
% Total score from D50 7.6% 18th 17.5% 8th 20.7% 3rd
Goal per inside 50 % 26.9% 3rd 23.4% 11th 25.1% 3rd
https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-08-26/stats-files-are-these-tigers-as-good-as-2017-or-better
