With injuries we lose structure which we dont have the players to come up & meet the role left void. We cannot rely on injured players as there is still 22 players out on that oval considered to be AFL players. We are not developing quick enough. We are missing players like a Tuck who opposition players have said they feared as his one purpose was to get the ball, Fight for it & always put his body on the line. He hurt opposition players in doing so. Jackson is another who does the same being aggressive. You only have to look at the leader who is prepared to lay into the opposition players with quick punches. You dont see that from many others. Forwards must crash the packs but where are our crumbers ??? they aint near them. HUGE FAULT blame this on the coaching staff for not drilling this into them.
We carry players who are not prepared to put their bodies on the line & its as simple as that. We carry players who are not up to the task, We have players who are not fit enough because they lapsed over the summer while other clubs have prepared, While alot of Richmond players were not very active over the preseason games. You cannot prepare a season over the summer with people standing around nursing injures & egos. The fault lays with the playing group & its up to the staff to prepare them better. The players need to rise this weekend regardless who is out injured. The 22 need to all give 100% with nothing left in the tank & they need to come up with the same the following week. They are making basic football errors & falling back into the mode where the opposition knows they mentally will not go for the ball at all costs. Richmond has players who are mentally weak & lack confidence in themselves. They fear the names of like Pendlebury, Swan, Ablett, Corey, Selwood, Mitchell, Hodge, Rioli, Yet the only players the opposition fear at Richmond is Cotchin, Martin, Deledio, Jackson, King, & Rance. They know they don't have support like other clubs do in the centre. Shane Edwards if you watch the replay of every game this year gets pushed around like a lightweight in a heavyweight contest. Its time to blood a new player for his role from the draft. He is not a AFL player. he has never proved himself since being at the club & he is not alone. Richmond must blood the Jackson & Tuck mold of player who go in HARD & hurt the opposition players. Too many players go to ground because they wont put their body on the line. The culprits are the whole team who must step up cause if any team is after & preparing for them to give them a flogging. Its Hawthorn & l been told they want to destroy our club. Our problem lays in the playing group cause they lack mentally & they are not hungry cause they have settled in their minds that they made the finals & they will again. WORK HARDER