9th...NO WAY

[yellowandback]

Great, another win....

I think on surface that this post would be considered idiotic at just about any other club.

Richmond, and any supporters who want to think this are probably entitled to have this view in light of the many,many false dawns that have preceded the Hardwick era.

Hardwick and the club cannot expect anything more than this view from even the most ardent supporter.

It's not Hardwick or B Gales fault but they were employed on the back on the legacy and so, like my wife's ex boyfriends, have to buy into the baggage that is the failed, dismal, tortured past of our clubs last 30 years.

But in saying that, let me say this!

I'm big on mini milestones in football and to beat the Swans (again no fluke now) and the Crows (over there) after several poundings over the past several years - is a milestone.

I'd almost take those 2 wins over beating power and GC had we played and beaten them instead of crows and swans - beating the bogy sides tells us something about this so called crap list.

The Saints draw also sits in there somewhere as some sort move forward.

So, for me  that kinda overrides the cheap win comment.
I thought 7-9 wins at the start of the year, if we have a close loss and finish 12tg, if not and finish 9 th, stuff it a starving man doesn't knock back home brand crackers

[Francois Jackson]

I really think we can finish in the 8 next year but we still lack serious depth. One major injury to Lids, Cotch or Jack and we are stuffed.

Got it in a nutshell daniel

WAT I ask you this if we had made the eight which would give us what? Pick 19 or 20 would that have been OK..what's the difference

We wanted improvement we've got improvement, most us thought 8-10 wins would where we'd end up I don't really know why you're getting so agitated about it all

Certainly we have a long way to go but we appear to be heading in the right direction with some quality kids coming through...that's what we wanted, that's what we're getting

Can't complain

WP finishing 8th even if we get thrashed would mean more to me than missing out. Its about finals and eventually winning the big one but with 30 years of nothing id take a elimination final against the Blues with a 90k crowd over a early Mad Monday any day of the week and then i couldnt care less about picks.

There are no guarantees we will be in the 8 cause a few injuries here or there and we are back down.

On field i consider this season a success and its got nothing to do with our win/loss ratio.  I would rank the development of Vickery/Rance/Cotch and the drafting success of Batch as bigger stories IMO.

Off field this draft period is arguably our most important. We cant rest we need to recruit smart and offload as much dead wood as we can.

[WilliamPowell]

Off field this draft period is arguably our most important. We cant rest we need to recruit smart and offload as much dead wood as we can.

Totally agree daniel

this upcoming trade period & draft are absolutely crucial

[WA Tiger]

I really think we can finish in the 8 next year but we still lack serious depth. One major injury to Lids, Cotch or Jack and we are stuffed.

Got it in a nutshell daniel

WAT I ask you this if we had made the eight which would give us what? Pick 19 or 20 would that have been OK..what's the difference

We wanted improvement we've got improvement, most us thought 8-10 wins would where we'd end up I don't really know why you're getting so agitated about it all

Certainly we have a long way to go but we appear to be heading in the right direction with some quality kids coming through...that's what we wanted, that's what we're getting

Can't complain

Ok, missing my point, I really don't think we have improved that much. It's the end of the season and we are beating teams that are just as bad........what's the point, wait and see.

[WilliamPowell]

Ok, missing my point, I really don't think we have improved that much. It's the end of the season and we are beating teams that are just as bad........what's the point, wait and see.

WAT they should a really interestng stat on Footy Classified about the number of top 8 teams the teams in the top hasd beaten.

Saints or Essendon had only beaten 1 team in the top 8 - I think it was the Bombers

Caro made the comment that Richmond had won more games against teams in the top 8 (2 = Swans & Bombers + a draw against the Saints)... if that isn't improvement I don't know what is?

How great the improvement has been is the debate ...

[Owl]

And if you recall, we were robbed in that saints game too, that should of been in the win column without a doubt.  Even got an umpire apology for that debacle.  We had a few close losses too.  We pushed scumwood for a bit and back then they were getting away with having a second player stand just off to the side of players with a free kick or mark to pressure them into rushing the kick or rush them when they got whistled to play on.  I noticed this has stopped now, it was murdering us in that game but they must of been worded up quietly to knock it off.  Nonetheless, we have improved, the results are there to see and flippant sound bites from twats paid to pad out a few minutes of drivel can't change that fact.  There are only a few blokes who speak and I take seriously in the media because when they say things they are genuine and usually unbiased.

[one-eyed]

Everyone is a comedian ...


Who will win the Richmond premiership?

Round 24 is looking a bit like a damp squib with most of the positions inside the top eight locked down, barring who will host the elimination final between St Kilda and Sydney. That means one of the few contests worth watching this weekend will be the battle for the Richmond premiership, or ninth as some people know it.

The AFL have scheduled the draw perfectly this week so that reigning Richmond premiers, North Melbourne face the team who the award is named after this week in a battle to decide who was best of the rest for season 2011. Richmond (or ninthmond as some fans prefer) has made the ladder position its own in recent times, finishing oh-so-close to finals qualification an incredible six times in the last 16 years. North Melbourne, though, is quickly closing the gap and is the in the strongest position to take back-to-back titles.

http://www.bigpondsport.com/who-is-smarter/tabid/91/newsid/76585/default.aspx

[dizza]

Screw it, let's finish 9th. Gives us something more ambitious to strive for next season; either we make the finals or we've gone backwards. Perhaps a tad premature, but it beats settling for something like 12th or 13th and then being able to exclaim "we've improved!" next season if we finish 9th.

[WilliamPowell]

Well at least we can say we got some September action this year 

[mightytiges]

The Dogs beat Freo so 9th spot is open if we want it  .

[WA Tiger]

 

[the claw]

i think people are forgetting stkilda play adelaide in adelaide,  and will win imo. so if we lose to sydney and wce win as most expect  we will finish 10th by percentage.

it really is time for the afl to stop rewarding mediocrity with finals games, ffs 11 games could get a side in take it to a final 5 and just have those who really deserve it in there.

[tigs2011]

i think people are forgetting stkilda play adelaide in adelaide,  and will win imo. so if we lose to sydney and wce win as most expect  we will finish 10th by percentage.

it really is time for the afl to stop rewarding mediocrity with finals games, ffs 11 games could get a side in take it to a final 5 and just have those who really deserve it in there.

Problem is teams will just tank. A whole heap of meaningless games, which the AFL doesn't want.

[Judge Roughneck]

i think people are forgetting stkilda play adelaide in adelaide,  and will win imo. so if we lose to sydney and wce win as most expect  we will finish 10th by percentage.

it really is time for the afl to stop rewarding mediocrity with finals games, ffs 11 games could get a side in take it to a final 5 and just have those who really deserve it in there.

Less finals = less money

Money money money

Drug cheats? Can't ban then of course. Think about the money.

Brand value. Money.

Dont forget the money.

Next TVrights

"OOK, here is four billion Australian dollars"
"Yeah butbclaw says we should not reward mediocrity

[The Big Richo]

How is it rewarding mediocrity when the best performed team for 1/3 of the season is fighting for 8th?

We are living proof that winning a flag from 8th is plausible.