Richmond primed for top four, says David King ......... (Herald-Sun)

[Ruanaidh]

So long as no-one at the club is saying it IDGAF.

[gerkin greg]

where's gary march when you need him?

[dwaino]

It's poo like this that will help us miss finals once again. It gets to the players

Very true in the past, I remember when I used to go to training back in the 90's and early 00's during the preseasons where we were talked up, the club had a culture where the players just expected it to happen and didnt have that fire in the belly to strive to get better on the park, it was almost a mentality of "weve arrived" - inevitably we'd fall flat on our faces pretty quick the next season.

Pretty sure this group has a lot more substance to them. But this talk of top 4 is pure garbage, there are some very very good sides in the comp that are more advanced than us, i'll take 7th or 8th to start with and build from there

exactly, let's just focus on embarrassing Essendong in week 1 of the finals and take it from there 

Will be a bit hard when they're already on end of season trips 

[tigs2011]

It's poo like this that will help us miss finals once again. It gets to the players

Very true in the past, I remember when I used to go to training back in the 90's and early 00's during the preseasons where we were talked up, the club had a culture where the players just expected it to happen and didnt have that fire in the belly to strive to get better on the park, it was almost a mentality of "weve arrived" - inevitably we'd fall flat on our faces pretty quick the next season.

Pretty sure this group has a lot more substance to them. But this talk of top 4 is pure garbage, there are some very very good sides in the comp that are more advanced than us, i'll take 7th or 8th to start with and build from there

exactly, let's just focus on embarrassing Essendong in week 1 of the finals and take it from there 

Will be a bit hard when they're already on end of season trips 

 

[gerkin greg]

Yesssss 

[one-eyed]

At least Ralphy got the right year (2001) in this article.

Finals or bust for Richmond Tigers in 2013

    Jon Ralph
    From: Herald Sun
    December 12, 2012

RICHMOND hasn't become the Visy Tigers because it is ready to win a premiership.

It has topped up with enough recycled players to make Jeanne Pratt proud because it can't even beat Gold Coast.

Kurt Tippett might have finally arrived at Sydney yesterday, but the headline act of the pre-season and rookie drafts was still Damien Hardwick's Tigers.

You can't recruit Sam Lonergan, Ricky Petterd and Orren Stephenson without immediately heaping expectation upon the AFL's most persistent underachiever of the past 30 seasons.

Richmond knows it and those Twitter wags yesterday suggesting a Visy sponsorship know it.

In all, Richmond has added six recycled players in the space of one off-season hit, with Aaron Edwards lured in the trade period and Troy Chaplin and Chris Knights added through free agency.

Not even the reality the six players were effectively taken for the swapped No.74 pick it took to get Edwards will stop some from believing Richmond is getting ahead of itself.

But inside Punt Road this off-season, the reality is very different.

Hardwick was totally aware that as injuries finally hit Richmond in the last half of the 2012 season, they had no one left to turn to.

No back-up for Ivan Maric when his groins started screaming, no second-forward option when Jack Riewoldt got sore and Tyrone Vickery busted up his shoulders.

And no midfield depth when Dustin Martin was suspended and Nathan Foley's troublesome achilles flared up again.

It saw the Tigers win just three of the last eight games, unable to beat Gold Coast for a second successive year and only drawing the Round 23 clash against easybeats Port Adelaide.

Petterd and Edwards won't tear a game apart, but they might draw enough attention from Riewoldt to let him explode.

Ditto for Sam Lonergan and Knights in the midfield rotation, who will allow Brett Deledio, Martin and Trent Cotchin to spend more time forward of centre.

So while the recruiting spree will add heat to the Carlton-Richmond Round 1 clash, it is really about ensuring that first finals campaign since 2001, not the Tigers setting their sights on a flag.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/finals-or-bust-for-richmond-tigers-in-2013/story-fn7shx05-1226534825190

[mat073]

Same David King who predicted we would make the eight deep into last season.

[gerkin greg]

Same David King who predicted we would make the eight deep into last season.

"Lock for top 6" 

[JVT]

Same David King who predicted we would make the eight deep into last season.

"Lock for top 6" 

Would've been if not for injuries 

[gerkin greg]

Kingy 

[Rockster]

Same David King who predicted we would make the eight deep into last season.

Still can figure out how we didnt play finals last year ,
Oh wait yes we couldn't beat GC, Carlton, North, Port when we had them all on toast.
Maybe we lacked the depth to cover injuries   

[Coach]

Big Jay 13 marks and 4 goals on Alex Rance Yesssss big mann

[rogerd3]

Jon Ralph reminds me of posters on that other site.

[rogerd3]

David King, likes to embelish things.

[Mr Magic]

David King, likes to embelish things.