No roar, no fightBy 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.
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