Essendon fans on BB have a thread going about us in 2012.......
http://www.bomberblitz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=640291st preview by poster 'AllBlack'So we are getting to the interesting teams. I think footy is more fun with a competitive Richmond. They have looked for the last couple of years like something is building and the culture there is changing but whether enough has happened to see some genuine movement up the ladder may be a different story.
It is hard not to rate Hardwick as a coach. He has changed the mentality at Tigerland, they look a better unit. He has asserted himself in a short time, performs well in the media and has taken control of the Tigers. The thing though is he has yet to produce the results and we know the Tigers have an expectation of success whether it is merited or not. Hardwick will have some pressure on him this year.
The backline is a headache. The conceded the third most points of any team last year and will be hoping natural development of some of their young KP defenders may start to curb that but will be some serious question around whether players like Post, Astbury and Webberly are up to it. Moore and McGuane are too short to play on the big guys and constantly monstered. They need some young KP talent to step up this year in a big way. I thought Rance was ok last year but he played everywhere. Newman is reliable as is Deledio in drive from the backline. Houli was good for them last year and played well as a loose man down back. Still a long way to go down back and a lot of worries for Richmond fans.
The Tigers have obviously focused on stocking up on midfield talent and you can see the benefits. Conca will be better again this year as will Cotchin if he can stay fit. Martin is a monster and despite predictions he might not have as much upside as others, he has a competitive instinct and will just get better. Will be interesting to see how Tuck is treated this year. They seem determined to move past him and he seems determined to stay in the team, he is in their best 22 now but not in their next premiership team. I thought Grigg was a handy pick up for them last year. Deledio needs to spend more time in the middle as well. If Foley can stay on the track he should be better this year as well and his best is excellent. Jackson plays his role as well as anyone and is winning more ball. They need the midfield to click this year and give them some dominance to make up for shortfalls at either end.
The forward line is a one man show. Reiwoldt fires and they look like world beaters. He is injured or off his game and it becomes worrying. Vickery showed he is developing well last year and should improve further although I think he is more of a ruckman who rests forward rather than a forward who can help out in the ruck. The talk from Richmond is they want him to be a ruckman. King and Nahas do a bit of damage from a smalls perspective but all in all they are going to need a chop out from their mids to kick winning scores on a regular basis.
The rucks are a bit of a struggle. Maric has been brought in for his tap work but doesnt give enough around the ground. Graham looked a good prospect but fell away last year. Vickery is the long term plan but is still young and finding his feet, I think he will be good eventually but isnt ready just yet to be the number one ruck. Browne is a big kid but the game seems to happen around him and he doesnt have much influence although that may improve with experience.
I worry for the Tigers and where their improvement will come from. They have built a very good young midfield but we have seen other teams do that and unless you have the forward and backs to support them, you are leaving too much to too few. They lack overall depth and I would be surprised to see them move up the table this year. A slight drop is even possible. 11-14 for mine looks about their mark.
