Mark Stevens' season preview: Richmond 7th place (Yahoo!7)

[one-eyed]

Stevo's AFL season preview: 7th place
By Jacob Walker and Mark Stevens,
Yahoo!7
March 12, 2014

Seven's AFL expert Mark Stevens continues his club-by-club preview of the 2014 season with the team he says will finish the season in 7th place.


RICHMOND

Big games
RD 2 – Richmond v Carlton (MCG)
RD 4 – Richmond v Collingwood (MCG)
RD 11 – Essendon v Richmond (MCG)

Danger game
RD 1 – Gold Coast Suns v Richmond (Metricon Stadium)

Season defining games
RD 7 – Geelong v Richmond (MCG)
RD 14 – Richmond v Sydney (MCG)


LIST MANAGEMENT
Ins
Shaun Hampson, Traded from Carlton
Ricky Petterd, Promoted Rookie

Outs
Tom Derickx, Delisted
Sam Lonergan, Retired
Luke McGuane, Delisted
Robin Nahas, Delisted
Shane Tuck, Retired
Matthew White, Free Agent from Port Adelaide



Season prediction

Richmond will be looking to capitalise on a breakthrough season in 2013 by taking their game up to the top teams this year.

Six players with senior experience departed the club in the off-season as the Tigers attempt to find a find a consistent 22. Former Carlton big man Shaun Hampson joins the club to provide a tall option up forward.

The Round 1 clash with the Suns looms as a danger game, while games against Geelong in Round 7 and Sydney in Round 14 will go a long way in determining how competitive the Tigers will be against the top sides.



Stevo says

The Tigers have looked sharp through most of the pre-season, particularly last week against Essendon. And there is no excuse not to be.

The list demographic (age and games played on average) looks very good indeed. But are they ready to take the next step and win a final? Maybe not.

There are concerns in the key defensive posts, as good as Alex Rance has become. Troy Chaplin is a handy player too, but I reckon they are one quality tall short down back.

The loss of Ivan Maric for the early part of the season with an ankle injury is also massive. If he doesn't get back to somewhere near his best (and this setback won't help), then the Tigers will battle to do better than make the edge of the eight.

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/news/article/-/21905679/stevos-afl-season-preview-7th-place/

[SCHammo]

7th im happy with finals again we will no a lot after our first 4 weeks we could either be 4/0 or 1/3

[Dice]

Pay no attention to this sheep. He has Essendon finishing higher than 7th place. The man has NFI

[WilliamPowell]

Gee Stevo's gone out on limb with these predictions

Big games
RD 2 – Richmond v Carlton (MCG)
RD 4 – Richmond v Collingwood (MCG)
RD 11 – Essendon v Richmond (MCG)

Just cut off my legs and call me Shorty

Danger game
RD 1 – Gold Coast Suns v Richmond (Metricon Stadium)

no kidding

Season defining games
RD 7 – Geelong v Richmond (MCG)
RD 14 – Richmond v Sydney (MCG)

Well knock me over with a feather duster

[tigs2011]

 

[Dice]

Just cut off my legs and call me Shorty

 

[Eat_em_Alive]

I would've expected something a lil more polished coming from a cutting edge journo like Mark Stevens.

Just quietly 

[bojangles17]

One of the nuffy journos that prefers guess work than research , remember when the rubbish artist had Martin at a new club ea night through the drawn out saga, was wrong every time,