Richmond's dominance is shrinking - how the Tiger trap was sprung (ABC)

[one-eyed]

Cody Atkinson & Sean Lawson
ABC.net.au
16 July 2020

Much of Richmond's recent success - and there's been plenty - has been built around a devastating ability to counterattack.

Damien Hardwick's men lured their opponents into a Tiger trap: pressuring them when they had the ball and feasting on the turnovers.

But so far this season that feast has turned into a famine.

In its five appearances since the competition's resumption, Richmond har averaged just 51 points per game. In three of those contests it's been held below 40 points.

The once terrifying Tigers have suddenly become toothless.

Last weekend, Hardwick sought to deflect the blame, pointing the finger at the Sydney Swans for what he described as a "horrendous game of football."

"There's not much I can do," Hardwick said.

"We're attacking and we've got 75,000 people in our forward 50. It's pretty hard.

It's become a tactic in the AFL - that 'fold back' mentality is really keeping sides in games."
 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-16/richmonds-afl-dominance-shrinking-now-tiger-trap-sprung/12456660?section=sport

[one-eyed]

Indeed, the Swans weren't the first side to employ such tactics against the Tigers.

Increasing, teams are opting to counterattack the counter attacker. It's not pretty, but it's effective.

The Tiger trap has been sprung.

Source: ABC website.