No easy fix for toothless TigersAshley Browne
afl.com.au
May 18, 2014 8:10 PMRICHMOND'S loss to Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday was, hands down, the most disappointing performance by any side so far this season.
There have been plenty of blowouts so far this season and not enough great games but the Tigers' 17-point loss to the Demons plumbed new depths in terms of the importance of the day and what they had to play for.
The Tigers of old, as in those of the Tom Hafey era would have eaten their opponents alive, all puns intended. But the Tigers of any time since have been known for the crushing disappointments they have served their fans on a regular basis and Saturday at the MCG underlined that once again.
Richmond racked up more inside 50s and more scoring shots, but the finishing was woeful – 9.20 – a sign that the confidence and the strut that marked the Tigers through much of last year has evaporated, perhaps for good in 2014.
We have remarked before that the dash and verve has disappeared from the Tigers. They are now a tentative bunch but the disappointing statistics out of Saturday was 121-138 deficit in contested possessions and 32-41 in clearances. On a day that honoured Hafey, who liked his footy tough and hard, these were damning figures.
The Tigers are clearly the most disappointing team so far this year. Looking through Saturday's selected 22 perhaps the only player who has visibly improved on last year is key defender David Astbury and he suffered a serious knee injury in the third quarter and appears set for a long stint on the sidelines.
Trent Cotchin has been a great leader for the Tigers once again and on Saturday he played up forward on a bung ankle, perhaps ill-advisedly, given it now puts him in doubt for the Giants game this week at Spotless Stadium. And the lack of leadership through the middle in his absence was glaring.
There are plenty at Richmond who played on Saturday who are down on last season and (in no particular order) Shaun Grigg, Bachar Houli, Troy Chaplin, Steven Morris and Ty Vickery immediately come to mind.
And a look through the Tigers' VFL team that lost to Box Hill on Saturday doesn't give great cause for optimism. No.1 ruckman Ivan Maric got through his first game of the year unscathed but is at least a fortnight away from returning to the senior side, but among those who featured in the best players were Aaron Edwards, Matt Thomas, Matt Dea and Dylan Grimes.
Now, that quartet has shown they are worthy of playing senior football for Richmond and can be useful players in patches. But other than Maric, I'm not sure they will make the Tigers any better.
The by-product of all this underperformance is supporter unrest towards the coach. With Richmond fans, it is always thus.
But Damien Hardwick isn't going anywhere. He's contracted until the end of 2016 and no sane club would remove a coach with two years left on a contract. He led the Tigers last year to their first finals appearance in 12 years – amid great fanfare it must be remembered – and he deserves the opportunity to turn the club around.
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The irony for the Tigers on Saturday was that it was 'one of their own' who helped put them to the sword.
OK, we're stretching just a bit but Dom Tyson, who racked up 23 possessions on Saturday and kicked two crucial goals, not only grew up a mad Tiger fan, but nearly ended up at Richmond at the end of 2012.
Tyson, the No.3 draft selection at the end of 2011, played 10 games for the Giants in their maiden season but battled with homesickness and was open to a return to Victoria.
The Tigers and the Giants talked, but couldn't swing the deal, unlike the Demons 12 months later.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-05-18/after-the-siren
