Just give Tigers a little more time Rohan Connolly
The Age
July 30, 2012 YOU HAD only to see coach Damien Hardwick with his head in his hands a good couple of minutes after the siren at the MCG on Saturday night to know how shattering yet another narrow loss was for Richmond.
Thirteen points up on Carlton with a tick over seven minutes to play, and with the conditions making scoring difficult, the Tigers should have had it done and dusted. But a skill error here, a poor decision there and the nightmare was played out again.
Nine losses in 2012 by 21 points or less, the past three by a total of just 10, is enough to rip morale to pieces in even the most resilient unit. And perhaps now, with the finals flame extinguished, that might happen.
But it doesn't take too much logic, or research, to find case studies echoing the Tigers', and evidence that in the longer term, this year's excruciating frustration might even be the making of them.
Take one of their rivals right now, North Melbourne. The Kangaroos last year lost seven games by 17 points or less. This season, they've lost a couple more by a kick. But they've also won four narrow scapes, again by 17 points or fewer, and are more likely than not to turn a frustrating finish of ninth in the past two years into a finals appearance in 2012.
Going back further, Essendon in 1980 lost nine games by 14 points or fewer, finishing more than four games out of finals contention with 10 wins. In 1981, the Bombers, with more or less the same list, won 16, and on the eve of that season's finals series was a joint flag favourite.
In 1978, Fitzroy managed to lose eight games by 11 points or less, seven of those defeats coming within the first 11 rounds, a finish of ninth in a 12-team competition the consequence. The following season, the Roys exorcised those demons with some thumping victories and nearly doubled their win tally to 15, winning an elimination final besides.
Those Richmond sceptics heartily sick of the talk of the future will point out those latter two examples also changed coaches. That's not on in this case. Hardwick has a very solid foundation with which to work.
The Tigers could certainly use another key forward, another defender and perhaps even another midfielder. But what they need most is simply a little more time - to develop, hone further their skills and iron out the remaining chinks.
Twelve or 13 more goals spread across nine games and we'd be talking about a team close to the top of the ladder. And however painful this year has proved for the Tiger army, it also should be tangible proof they're within touching distance of something a lot more substantial.
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