Season preview - Richmond
Lyall Johnson
The Age
March 5, 2005
In attack, in defence, on and off the ground, the Richmond of 2004 was a shambles. A new year, a new coach, and a healthy dose of some of the country's most exciting young talent has lifted spirits, but will it lift the Tigers up the ladder? Lyall Johnson runs a rule over the summer's comings and goings and predicts the club has turned the corner.
Surely anyone interested in the AFL who hasn't been living in a cave for the past year knows Richmond is the most talked-about club in the league, pretty much for all the wrong reasons.
The wooden spoon, its coaching turmoil and Danny Frawley's inevitable demise, fans spitting at players and the coach, the club's $2 million-plus debt, failed board challenges, the threat of an extraordinary general meeting and the departure of Ian Campbell, its shortlived chief executive, to name but a few, all made for a parlous state of affairs down at Punt Road.
But through the mire, a glimmer of hope emerged late in 2004 with the signing of Terry Wallace as coach for the next five years after his stint in the media. And in his charismatic wake came the drafting, albeit with the gift of a priority pick from its poor 2004 showing, of some of the most exciting young players the club has had in more than a decade.
The next few years no doubt will be a tantalising time for Richmond fans, with the likes of Brett Deledio, Richard Tambling and the other highly rated 2004 draftees joining stars such as Nathan Brown, Kane Johnson and Matthew Richardson. Throw into that mix the exciting Mark Coughlan, who virtually starts 2005 as a recruit after a groin injury sidelined him last year and, despite the wooden spoon, things actually don't seem altogether bleak.
Could the bottoming out at Punt Road and the massive clear-out of some pedestrian players be the turning point the long-suffering Richmond faithful have long prayed for? It must be, many are thinking, because things could not get any worse.
It is not underestimating the situation to say Wallace is considered the linchpin to Richmond's short- and longterm success. He has brought with him a strong assistant coaching team and engineered the trading of ruckman/forward Troy Simmonds to fill the shoes of Brad Ottens, who left for Geelong.
Wallace will have to change what has become a losing culture at Punt Road, but he has the chance to mould the Tigers' exciting young list into players of the future.
It is almost pointless to explain where the Tigers need to improve – essentially it is everywhere. They need to kick more goals, leak less in defence, run harder, rebound quicker and use the ball faster, be more accountable, bulk up in the gym and vastly improve their hand and foot skills. Oh, and a smattering of con- fidence would go a long way.
Wallace himself admits it will be no mean feat to turn the club around and has warned fans not to expect too much in his first year. Regardless, fans can expect to see significant improvement, enough to perhaps surprise a few higher-rated sides. It will be a tough road for the Tigers this year, but to use the cliche, the only way is up.
ARRIVALSTroy Simmonds (trade), Mark Graham (draft), Trent Knobel (pre-season draft), Brett Deledio (draft), Richard Tambling (draft), Dean Polo (draft), Luke McGuane (draft), Adam Pattison (draft), Danny Meyer (draft), Dean Limbach (draft), Kelvin Moore (rookie list),Will Thursfield (rookie draft).
DEPARTURESBrad Ottens (trade), Aaron Fiora (trade), Simon Fletcher (delisted), Justin Blumfield (delisted), Tim Fleming (delisted), Adam Houlihan (delisted), Duncan Kellaway (retired), Ben Marsh (delisted), Bill Nicholls (delisted), Matthew Rogers (retired), Luke Weller (delisted), Ty Zantuck (delisted), Marc Dragicevic (delisted).
ON THE RISEBRENT HARTIGAN Debuted impressively in his first year at the club, playing 19 games. Showed good run, skills and decision-making ability and was a genuine highlight of Richmond's poor season.
ANDREW KRAKOUER Finally rewarded the faith shown in him by Danny Frawley and made the transition from opportunist goalsneak to midfield ball-earner. Will improve further with greater bulk and fitness.
MARK COUGHLAN The 2003 club champion returns almost as a recruit. The logic is, if he can win the best and fairest in only his second full year of AFL football, the sky is the limit for the tough, hard-ball-get Coughlan.
AT THE CROSSROADSKAYNE PETTIFER The 2000 first-round draft choice has never lived up to what was thought to be his potential. A shift to defence in 2004 seemed to help him but he desperately needs to step up to the plate with all the new young talent around Punt Road.
RORY HILTON Serious shoulder and knee injuries have set back Hilton's hopes of cementing himself at Richmond and if he doesn't stay fit and make the grade this year, is likely to be seeking a new home.
DARREN GASPAR A great player out of form due to serious injury. But having said that, the former All-Australian defender can't afford to remain out of sorts for long.
THE COACHThe most-hyped signing of 2004 after the club decided not to reappoint Danny Frawley, Terry Wallace is seen by many as the white knight who will restore off-field pride and onfield performance to the club he played for briefly in 1987. A triple-premiership player with Hawthorn, Wallace coached the Western Bulldogs for six-and-a-half seasons, taking them to finals in four of those years, and most recently had a stint in the media. He has five years to sort out what he calls his "unfinished business" at Punt Road.
TOP 10, 2004 BEST AND FAIREST1. Joel Bowden 324
2. Kane Johnson 279
3. Nathan Brown 273
4. Matthew Richardson 215
5. Chris Hyde 166
6. Andrew Krakouer 145
7. Brent Hartigan 111
8. Brad Ottens 95
9. Ray Hall 78
10. Chris Newman 76
STATS HIGHLIGHTSThe Tigers were the second-worst at scoring goals and the second-worst defensively, with about 700 points separating them from the best sides in both areas. Richmond was also the worst in centre-bounce clearances and found that on the rare occasions it got inside 50, its ability to take marks inside 50, despite the herculean efforts of Richardson, was the second-worst. On the positive side, it rated well in contested ball gets and third in spoils.
OUR EXPERTS PREDICTRohan Connolly 14th
Karen Lyon 13th
Jake Niall 15th
Emma Quayle 13th
Peter Schwab 15th
Robert Walls 15th
Tim Watson 16th
Caroline Wilson 11th
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