Richmond - No roar, no fight (Bigpond)

[one-eyed]

No roar, no fight
By Nick Place
BigPond Sport
Thursday, July 28, 2011


The worst sign for Richmond among the many disasters that was a 71-10 first half mauling at the hands of Geelong at Docklands on Sunday? The players walking to position at the beginning of the second quarter.

The Tigers broke from their huddle and I happened to be sitting behind the goals Richmond would be kicking to in that second term. If Damien Hardwick and the coaching staff can get hold of a camera shot from that vantage point, it's worth examining, because it will tell them everything they need to know.

Ty Vickery and Dusty Martin, two of the brightest young stars at Tigerland, were among those wandering slowly down to the 50 metre arc, as though en route to a particularly unpleasant dental appointment. Shoulders were down, faces blank, their walks were a meander. No energy, no excitement, no fight.

At that stage, the Tigers were only three goals down, under the roof. But you could have sworn the margin was 100 points and rising. Sure, skipper Chris Newman was gone for the day after a bright start but still... It was no surprise that the second quarter was a whole world of nasty. The Tiger Army's famous roar vanished without a trace.

Somehow restoring Richmond's body language, belief and desire stands as coach Hardwick's greatest challenge, as his young team staggers badly into the bye following five straight losses, including the Suns. Two months ago, the footy world couldn't find enough glowing words to describe Martin, Trent Cotchin and the other Tiger cubs driving the side out of the darkness. Now all the same faces are on the park, but with shadows behind their eyes.

Cotchin, the ever-trying Alex Rance and the mysteriously unloved Shane Tuck had belters but otherwise the Tigers were terrible and Hardwick has his work cut out. Brett Deledio definitely needs to be a full time midfielder, no longer playing pointlessly off half back. The ruck and defence key positions remain a worry.

However, what is most needed is fire. The Tigers need to discover their physicality and attack on the ball. Unsociable football was how Hawthorn described their style when that team scrapped and scrambled to the 2008 flag. Traditionally, Richmond is supposed to be a ferocious team, a ruthless side, but not on Sunday.

Never has a team looked so beaten at quarter time, in ways their Cat opponents would not have missed. It is time to find that inner tiger, Tigers. Otherwise, it won't be the opposition being eaten alive.

http://www.bigpondsport.com/no-roar,-no-fight/tabid/91/newsid/75050/default.aspx

[The Big Richo]

Crap article based on nothing.

Martin has walked like that all his life, win, lose or draw.

[Smokey]

Crap article based on nothing.

We are playing like it's a spot-on article.   ???

[The Big Richo]

I'm not saying the team isn't down on confidence, of course they are but to base the premise of your article on the body language of a couple of young blokes, one of whom is a fairly laconic kid and the other whom walks like Rudy from the Cosby Kids is a bit of a stretch.

[Jackstar is back again]

great article.
i actually noticed the players break from there huddle at quarter time.
Talk about a "ship without a rudder""
We are in big trouble if Gus Graham is trying to "'marshall the troops""

[Mr Magic]

Jack is the barometer.
No doubt the side is down on spirit and confidence.

[WA Tiger]

"The ruck and defence key positions remain a worry"

Wow, funny how a lot of people other than some of our blind folded supporters (MT) can see that our backline is inept!!!!! But lets make sure we recruit small forwards and another midfielder first eh....

[RollsRoyce]

This is the issue I have with people on other threads saying we've gone forwards this year, or what did we expect with the personnel we have, and all the numbers we've turned over (Claw).
The truth is, this complete lack of fight is utterly unacceptable, and it's what is keeping the fans away in droves. Yeah, we might not be the best team going around. We might not even be top 8 material (certainly not). But for chrissake, HAVE A GO TIGERS! It's the lack of effort, the unwillingness to get nasty,and the readiness to meekly fall in a whimpering heap at the slightest application of pressure in the last two months that has decimated the enthusiasm of the fans. It's amazing how many players we turn over, and yet these bad habits still linger.   

[JVT]

Non issue, players walk to positions even when we are up after the huddle. Every team does . . . tell me one time you have seen any teams players sprint to their positions on the field after the huddle? 

[Stripes]

"The ruck and defence key positions remain a worry"

Wow, funny how a lot of people other than some of our blind folded supporters (MT) can see that our backline is inept!!!!! But lets make sure we recruit small forwards and another midfielder first eh....

This is the issue I have with people on other threads saying we've gone forwards this year, or what did we expect with the personnel we have, and all the numbers we've turned over (Claw).

You better add me to that list WAT and RR. I don't believe our tall defensive stocks are as bad as we first believed. I personally think, our tall defensive depth is one area of the ground where we are making headway. Sure our defense is a shambles at present due to injury, inexperience and confidence but when all our defenders are available, there will some some healthy competition for spots in the D50. While we lack experienced defenders of size currently, young players such as Rance, Grimes and Astbury offer some real hope in the next couple of years while McGuane, Moore, Thursfield and Post will create pressure for places. People often forget McGuane is younger than Lids and have maked him harshly in the past.

Our ruck problems, well there's no defending them now is there  I just  that Derickx shows something, anything next year.

[Penelope]

This is the issue I have with people on other threads saying we've gone forwards this year, or what did we expect with the personnel we have, and all the numbers we've turned over (Claw).
The truth is, this complete lack of fight is utterly unacceptable, and it's what is keeping the fans away in droves. Yeah, we might not be the best team going around. We might not even be top 8 material (certainly not). But for chrissake, HAVE A GO TIGERS! It's the lack of effort, the unwillingness to get nasty,and the readiness to meekly fall in a whimpering heap at the slightest application of pressure in the last two months that has decimated the enthusiasm of the fans. It's amazing how many players we turn over, and yet these bad habits still linger.   

I agree with you about the lack of spirit rolls, but it has really only been the last 6 weeks or so that has been the case. Even last year when we copped some poundings from top sides the kids never really gave up the ghost. Against essendon and the bears the games were an arm wrestle for much of the game, with us getting on top and overrunning them at the end. Surely that shows improvement? In recent years we would have faltered early on in that type of game, just as we did coincidentally, against brisbane and essendon in 2009

for some reason their confidence has been shot to pieces in the last few months, but last week they showed some spirit to match it with the cats after being 10 goals down at half time. Sure the cats are not playing the footy they are capable of, but you dont go in at half time and then match them after that if you dont show some sort of fight.
other sides in the comp have gone through mid season form slumps, it's just that when your baseline is as low as ours you dont have to drop off much to become abysmal, which is what has happened to us.

The other point about confidence is that the last few months show why you don't want to deliberately loose games

[RollsRoyce]

I was only generalising when I said it had been 2 months Al. If I was going to be absolutely specific, I would say that the dreamtime game was the last time the Tigers really played a pleasing brand of footy. Aside from the Brisbane game, we've been increasingly poor since that trip to Darwin against Port. 

[Penelope]

were on the same wavelength on that Rolls, but the length of time wasnt meant to be a focal point

what i was trying to say is that it has only just appeared. leading up to the drop in form there were lots of signs of improvement, just that it's all gone to the shitfarm in a wicker basket, which i put down to a drop of form and self belief of the younger players and a lack of senior players who can stand up and show leadership when it counts.


gee, perhaps the club will never be succesfull until we rid it of any players that wallace had any real influence on, because it was under him 'specially in 1999 that our lack of effort  was soul destroying.

[the claw]

"The ruck and defence key positions remain a worry"

Wow, funny how a lot of people other than some of our blind folded supporters (MT) can see that our backline is inept!!!!! But lets make sure we recruit small forwards and another midfielder first eh....

This is the issue I have with people on other threads saying we've gone forwards this year, or what did we expect with the personnel we have, and all the numbers we've turned over (Claw).

You better add me to that list WAT and RR. I don't believe our tall defensive stocks are as bad as we first believed. I personally think, our tall defensive depth is one area of the ground where we are making headway. Sure our defense is a shambles at present due to injury, inexperience and confidence but when all our defenders are available, there will some some healthy competition for spots in the D50. While we lack experienced defenders of size currently, young players such as Rance, Grimes and Astbury offer some real hope in the next couple of years while McGuane, Moore, Thursfield and Post will create pressure for places. People often forget McGuane is younger than Lids and have maked him harshly in the past.

Our ruck problems, well there's no defending them now is there  I just  that Derickx shows something, anything next year.

i think our young  tall backs are unproven too small lack experience size and know how. i also believe we lack depth in this area  we are screaming out for a big strong general. imo depth is an issue despite numbers. the numbers say gourdis thursfield mcguane rance grimes moore and astbury. grimes aside i dont see real quality and i think thursfield and mcguane have to go asap. i dont rate rance but am prepared to give him time. and gourdis may be gone already.in the main the tall backs are either failures or below standard or unproven.just because we have the numbers it does not mean we have the cattle.

the hope is astbury rance and grimes can improve and become at the least solid afl players  but even if all 3 make it we still lack depth and a strong big bodied  dominant kpd.
i tend to look at it this way. we have potentially a decent base to build on, with build the key word. 3 potential tall defenders is a recipe for disaster i want 6 and i want to be reasonably sure all 6 will be up to standard players.

[Ox]

ive given up.
couldnt give a stuff any more.

we got caught between the old and new age in our recruitment and will NEVER recover fro  the combination of being robbed of priority picks by GC and next GWS and wasted ones such as tambling and all his mates.

thats all.