Loss may be victory for Richmond (Herald-Sun)

[one-eyed]

Loss may be victory for Richmond

    Jon Ralph
    From: Herald Sun
    August 30, 2011

NOT for the first time, Richmond will this weekend confront a late-season match where defeat may help its long-term cause more than victory.

The Tigers take on North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, with a win likely to give them ninth spot and the 18th selection in the national draft.

It would be the seventh time they have finished ninth since 1994, with the Tigers having played finals only twice in that period.

But if the Tigers lost to North Melbourne and results unfolded as expected, they would finish fifth-last and receive the November draft's 12th selection.

If the Western Bulldogs ($1.13) beat injury-ravaged Fremantle and Melbourne ($1.50) defeats 17th-placed Port Adelaide, both sides would leapfrog Richmond.

Rarely has one game resulted in a fall in the draft order of six positions, but with GWS having picks 13 and 15, it effectively magnifies the difference in ladder position.

There is a premium on early selections given the lack of elite talent. Many recruiters say this draft has only 10 or a dozen quality selections before it thins out dramatically, so pick 12 would be considerably better than selection 18.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick will be desperate to finish the season with a fourth consecutive win to take the club to 9 1/2 wins.

With Daniel Wells out with a shoulder injury and Jack Ziebell and Levi Greenwood suspended, Richmond will fancy its chances.

In 2009, Jordan McMahon's last-minute goal against the Demons meant Richmond finished second last and the Demons got the priority pick to recruit Jack Trengove and Tom Scully.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/loss-may-be-victory-for-richmond/story-e6frf9jf-1226124872194

[tiger101]

To be honest I think it will be great to get another win. Finish off the season strongly with 4 good wins. We've got a young team so if they go and out and play the footy they set the standards to of playing and win then good on them. It can only better us for the long term.

[Loui Tufga]

To be honest I think it will be great to get another win. Finish off the season strongly with 4 good wins. We've got a young team so if they go and out and play the footy they set the standards to of playing and win then good on them. It can only better us for the long term.

I'm with ya 101.....I think

[tigs2011]

Last paragraph says it all. We won the game and got the better player 

Would love to finish 9th for a change. Shows massive improvement from last year. Usually we choke in the last game or have won 12 games and miss out anyway. This time is different. Its based on the ability of young kids. We were fielding youngest teams in the league before the inclusions of Miller and Tuck. We are going places. My gut feeling says pick 12 and 18 will net us the same player with FJ anyway so we may as well win.

We don't need to tank because our first round recruiting lately has been first rate and we have unearthed genuine A-graders or future A-graders in Deledio, Riewoldt, Cotchin, Rance, Vickery, Martin, Conca. Next tier in the real potential pile I have Astbury, Griffiths, Grimes, Batchelor. Then the foot soldiers of Foley, Houli, Grigg, Newman, King, Nahas. Add another quality kicking midfielder with 1st round. An exciting ruckman/forward in 2nd, our father/son 3rd, crumbing forward 4th and Peterson and developmental ruckman/kpp in the rookie draft.

[Owl]

Play to win, let the cards fall where they will.

[Hellenic Tiger]

I would love to see us win.
Who cares if we finish 9th. To win 4 games in a row to finish off the year will be nice.
Sydney win was great they'll play finals it means something and the rest albeit against lesser opposition but still we have had our issues against them especially Melbourne, Adelaide and Nought.

This year there is so much more upside to our 9th with our young list. I'll take it.
If we can draft well and shrewdly trade whilst delisting some of our crap we can improve.

If the AFL offer us two games against GWS next year take it.

[Smokey]

Play to win, let the cards fall where they will.

Yep, what he said.

[torch]

Meaningless wins with only promises and no real results the following year. Don't be silly Hardwick and Richmond, tank and get Pick No.12!

I think supporters are forgetting the Port Adelaide and Gold Coast match!

They are inexcuseable! We were weak, dumb and cocky and lost to both.

That pain from those two matches was enough to prove we are still behind ...

Then there was the Carlton match and Essendon matches ...

Now ... four in a row or four out of five would of been impressive.

Don't get me wrong; Rance, Nahas, Martin, Cotchin, Vickery have improved!

[Penelope]

so how, exactly, will getting a pick two or four spots earlier prevent the team from being week dumb and cocky?

[gtig]

the only reason i want us to win this and finish ninth is because it will mean dimma will have to better it next year.

[WilliamPowell]

The only reason I want to win is because it is N0rt Melb and I hate them more than any other team in the comp 

[gtig]

The only reason I want to win is because it is N0rt Melb and I hate them more than any other team in the comp 

ok sure that is also an excellent reason!

[Dubstep Dookie]

A win would be a befitting end to the season.

[gerkin greg]

not unlikely that the Dees could beat Port and edge ahead of us on %
freo might pull a fremantle and beat the Dogs
so we could win and still finish 10th or 11th
our game is last of the round so we'll know how much we can win by 

[Hellenic Tiger]

Let's just beat Nought by whatever margin we can and wherever we finish on the ladder.
I just want to beat Nought. I hate it when we lose to nothing clubs like them.