Reasons not to be cheerful Mark Robinson
Sunday Herald Sun
February 13, 2011 THREE things first.
Melbourne coach Dean Bailey was right, the last touch out of bounds rule is bizarre. Players tackled with the ball, and who have the ball held to them, are pinged. Ridiculous.
The umpire review system, used for the first time to judge whether a Chris Dawes snap was touched as he kicked it, held up the game for too long. Ridiculous.
If GWS can wear names on the back of their jumpers for the NAB Cup, then so, too, should all teams. Twenty six players on each side, with draftees, rookies and interchanges cracking at up to eight at a time, made it, well, ridiculous.
The footy, to be honest, was only OK, and that's what you get when the stars are in the stands, the kids haven't the fitness and it's only mid-February.
Richmond didn't expect too much and it didn't disappoint.
Missing 12 of their best players, the Tigers led Carlton at half-time, and then proceeded to dish up some horrible footy.
In the second half and in the game against Collingwood, they kicked 1.2.
The Magpies defeated them 50-7 while the Blues rolled them 41-23.
At least they tried to follow Damien Hardwick's instructions.
Transition has been a buzz word, because every time they could, the Tigers would look to bring the ball into the corridor.
It worked sometimes. It didn't work a lot.
Typical Tigers issues such as disposal and turnovers were the elephants in the room.
Mitch Morton kicked two goals in the first half against the Blues, is fit and so it remains to be seen where Hardwick plays him.
Him on one wing and Daniel Connors on the other is a prospect, but the problem is the Tigers need Morton in a forward line lacking natural goalkickers.
Positives included the form of Connors (against the Blues), the competitive 21-year-old ruckman Tom Derickx, draftee Reece Conca, Pat Contin and clean-up backman Jake Batchelor.
Of course, they will get better.
So one-sided were the Tigers games it was hard to assess players such as Troy Taylor and Tyrone Vickery who did not see enough ball in the forward line.
Hardwick would like some of what he saw and be unimpressed with others.
For instance, David Astbury, who will play centre half-back, could have killed Kade Simpson but stopped to avoid contact. Astbury looks capable with the ball, but body on Simpson was required.
And the good? Taylor's mark against Harry O, Dean Macdonald's chase down of Ben Sinclair (Collingwood), Ben Griffiths's run down of Bret Thornton, and Derickx's two marks and four tackles.
The Blues were poor then good, and then took on Pies.
Against Richmond, Marc Murphy was game-high with possessions (11) and tackles (four), while recruit Jeremy Laidler from Geelong didn't disappoint and took several mark sin defence.
Perhaps Rohan Kerr was the pick of newbies. Fitter after a year in the VFL, Kerr had three shots at goal in the second half against the Tigers.
Chris Yarran started half-back and as always looked good with the ball but didn't get enough, while Setanta O'hAilpin started centre half-forward and, unfortunately, left you wondering if he is a good fit.
No such problems for the reigning premier. It destroyed Richmond.
Andrew Krakouer was in the midfield, and one shark from a centre-square hitout showed the smarts hadn't deserted him. He will make the premier even better.
And Steele Sidebottom is a star - a Supercoach must.
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