‘Changing of the guard’ looms in ‘massive’ six weeks that may decide Tigers’ futureCatherine Healey
Fox Sports
July 20th, 2022 9:37 pmRichmond are facing “their biggest” six-week block in recent years, as they fight for finals while at least three veterans are still without new deals in 2023.
The Tigers are clinging to eighth spot on the ladder, only by percentage from the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda, heading into Round 19.
Last week’s shock loss to North Melbourne has put a dent in the club’s finals hopes with Fox Footy’s Jordan Lewis expecting some sort of “clean out” to come.
“We could quite possibly see at the end of the season, (even) if this Richmond football club achieve top eight, win a final, we still might see a changing of the guard,” he said on AFL360.
“Players who are in the latter part of their career potentially finishing up.
“In any stage that this happens with a club, the last period of their domination you need to sit back and admire the players that they’ve been.
“Every player comes to the realisation of having to retire or having to hand the baton to the next group of players.
“I don’t think it will be a mass clean out because I think you still need to have some fabric there … to teach these younger players the right way to go about it.
“It’s a massive six weeks – probably the biggest five or six weeks they’ve faced in the past few years.”
Jack Riewoldt is yet to commit to playing on after 16 years at the club, while Trent Cotchin (15 years) and Shane Edwards (16 years) also without deals next season. Kane Lambert is another whose future is not yet determined as he’s battled an ongoing hip issue in 2022.
Riewoldt was coy when discussing his future on AFL360 earlier this year.
“I’ll be 34 at the end of this year, it only takes a poorer month of football to maybe lose a bit of love or maybe the club loses a bit of love in me and my direction changes,” he said.
“I’ve got other things in my life that I want to do as well.
“It’s such a great journey and a great environment to work in … It makes me appreciate just how lucky I am to have been involved in a great football club and have a job like an AFL footballer.”
The Tigers are now taking on a Fremantle side that has lost just one of its past four games at Marvel Stadium.
It’s their first of back-to-back games against top four sides – with Brisbane to follow in Round 20.
The Tigers are sitting two games back from seventh-placed Carlton, after losing three of their past four games.
They currently sit ranked 18th in stoppage clearances in the competition, as the only team averaging less than 20 per game.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/changing-of-the-guard-looms-in-massive-six-weeks-that-may-decide-tigers-future/news-story/ab6cafd5f305b839d2a2252275421aed
