Tigers' need to turn around year
14 August 2005
Sunday Herald Sun
Comment by Jon Ralph
IF Terry Wallace's determination to nudge Wayne Campbell into one more year of football in 2006 had plenty to do with reaching the 300-game milestone, there was also a healthy dose of self-interest involved.
These are interesting times for Richmond, so irrepressible early in the year, but stuttering and spluttering now it needs to surge again.
A natural assumption is that Richmond's excellent tally of nine wins after only four last year must therefore turn into 12 or more next year through natural improvement.
But Campbell's perfectly judged retirement was the ideal time for reflection on the club's list, and underlined again the various challenges ahead for Wallace and co.
From Round 9 to Round 22 in the past four seasons, the Tigers have won six of 52 encounters, a statistic they have done little to improve with their competitive, yet ultimately losing 2-8 run of matches since defeating Brisbane at the Gabba.
Today's clash against the fast-finishing Western Bulldogs may be the tipping point – can the Tigers rally to at least enter next year with momentum or is it the slippery slope and a 2-11 finish to the year?
The irony of Wallace playing his old side is that the pattern of the Dogs' season has been just how he would have dreamt the Tigers' year would have unfolded – slowly at first, then onwards and upwards.
The problem with relying on a tally of games won in a year was highlighted only last year by Carlton and its 10-win season.
No point trumpeting break-out years if you cannot back them up the following season.
Richmond's upside is obvious – Brett Deledio will win the NAB Rising Star award, Richard Tambling will take time but should join him as a star, and there are a poultice of kids coming through.
Shane Tuck has been fantastic, Mark Coughlan has returned to full fitness and form, and the senior brigade of Matthew Richardson, Joel Bowden, Darren Gaspar and Kane Johnson have all had solid seasons.
But Wallace, who repeatedly and publicly urged Campbell to play on next year, is aware he will have to cover the slack left by not only him, but Mark Graham and Greg Stafford if, as expected, they retire.
Ready-made replacements are not yet at hand. Injury has hampered key tall Jay Schulz, Troy Simmonds has been bitterly disappointing and Adam Pattison and Kyle Archibald are still a few years off.
The one downside of the excellent early stretch is that the likes of Brent Hartigan, Daniel Jackson, Alex Gilmour, Kelvin Moore, Andrew Raines and Thomas Roach – many impressive in late 2004 – have had limited senior appearances.
The Tigers look to be in a strong position for a building club – plenty of kids, Nathan Brown to return and a steady improvement assured.
But Wallace, a canny reader of the football landscape, would realise just how much is at stake in these last three rounds.
Win a couple of them and the Tigers will be seen to be on the charge for next year.
Lose them all and he might spend the off-season parrying accusations of a season wasted.
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