Time for answers from the Tigers after another disappointing loss Mike Sheahan
From: Herald Sun
July 18, 2011 DESPITE the inevitable fallout, the issue is not whether Richmond should have sold two home games, rather why it failed against the teams it has played in those transferred games.
In nine weeks, Richmond has lost to Port Adelaide in Darwin and to Gold Coast in Cairns, clubs that occupy the bottom two positions on the ladder with five wins between them, including the Richmond double.
Right now, the $1 million compensation doesn't seem to cover the cost in terms of wins and supporter morale, yet the commercial matter distorts the real issue.
When the Tigers headed to Darwin in Round 10, they were ninth with four wins and a draw. Teams below them included Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda.
Those three have bounded past them, and the gap is going to widen.
It's only a matter of time before Gold Coast does the same.
Blaming the travel, an unfamiliar venue, maybe even the weather (mild), is a cop-out.
What seems to have been missed in all this is that Gold Coast also travelled - two hours in the air - and that Cazaly's Stadium was no more familiar to most of its players.
The more significant message from the game is the likelihood Gold Coast will play finals before Richmond; the overpowering probability is the first-year team will be first to a premiership.
Gold Coast has an outstanding young ruckman in Zac Smith and at least one classy key defender in Nathan Bock; Richmond has neither a ruckman nor a key defender.
GC has better midfield depth, too, despite the bullish early-season talk about the Tigers group.
Trent Cotchin is the standout, Dustin Martin will be a star - but he is off the boil - but the black and yellow support team is modest.
GC has Gary Ablett and David Swallow for those two, plus Michael Rischitelli and many promising youngsters.
The Coasters also look to have more options forward, particularly with Jack Riewoldt carrying injuries and down on confidence.
Riewoldt moved as if he had a back problem and was proppy, suggesting an ankle worry.
Sadly for Richmond, reality isn't matching expectations - again.
The Tigers need to win three more games to be seen to have progressed this year after six wins last year.
They play the Swans, Melbourne, Adelaide (away) and North Melbourne in the last four rounds, hardly a daunting program. Yet, where is the improvement going to come from?
Since beating the Brisbane Lions, they have lost to Melbourne, Carlton, Essendon and Gold Coast by a total of 184 points.
They kicked 6.8 in the first quarter on Saturday and 9.16 for the match. Shameful.
They had 50 more possessions and lost.
Either it's a flawed game plan or horribly executed. They go sideways and short, with no apparent faith in those ahead.
If they're to have a chance of unsettling teams, surely it is to move the ball directly and quickly to Riewoldt and Tyrone Vickery.
Chris Newman, Bachar Houli and Brett Deledio, all lovely kicks, had 91 disposals between them.
Why don't they play under an instruction to run forward and kick long? Old-fashioned, I know, but it might be worth a try.
Coach Damien Hardwick looked mortified as he trudged from the rooms after the game. This one cut deeper than probably any in his career, as player or coach. It leaves him with six wins from 23 games.
He had vented his spleen to the players after the game, apparently with passionate vocal support from Cotchin. Cotchin may be just 21, but he's the team's best player and the next captain. It seems he had had enough, like the bulk of the supporters.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/time-for-answers-from-the-tigers-after-another-disappointing-loss/story-e6frf9jf-1226096370616
