2016 preview: Tigers’ finals flops in the spotlight ... (West Australian)

[one-eyed]

2016 preview: Tigers’ finals flops in the spotlight

Dale Miller
West Australian
March 13, 2016

No team enters the 2016 season under more pressure than Richmond.

Regardless of how you look at it, the Tigers under Damien Hardwick have been finals flops.

Richmond have shown a propensity to beat the competition’s elite, highlighted by dominant wins over triple premiership winners Hawthorn and minor premiers Fremantle last year.

But when push came to shove in September they folded again, giving up a 13-point half-time lead over North Melbourne to crash out in the first week of the finals for a third successive year.

Hardwick has at his disposal a midfield capable of guiding the club to a top-four berth.

Dustin Martin continued his development as one of the game’s most damaging players in 2015, kicking 24 goals and averaging 26 disposals per match. At 24, he should be entering the peak of his powers, provided he can keep the off-field distractions to a minimum.

But he is not alone in the engine room.

Captain Trent Cotchin, Brandon Ellis, Brett Deledio, Anthony Miles and Shaun Grigg are all proven ball winners.

The Tigers have also added unfulfilled talent in the form of one-time Carlton defender Chris Yarran, as well as bringing in Greater Western Sydney on-baller Jacob Townsend.

Yarran arrives at Punt Road as a 119-game player with the pace and foot skills desperately needed to improve the team’s drive off half-back.

He has been kept in cotton wool pre-season because of a calf injury but hopes are high he can have a big impact when he dons the yellow and black.

At the other end of the ground, Jack Riewoldt has become an elite spearhead, one of the premier forwards in the competition.

He has been the club’s leading goal kicker the past six seasons, passing the half century each time. But the Tigers are crying out for more consistent support from Ty Vickery and Ben Griffiths.

Peel product Kamdyn McIntosh enjoyed a breakout 2015 and can be expected to build on that, while an injury-free run for fellow West Australian Reece Conca will greatly benefit Richmond’s cause.

Plenty of upside also exists in young trio Nick Vlastuin, Corey Ellis and Connor Menadue.

With Richmond still reliant on their star players, they are a side who could just as easily miss the finals altogether as win one this season.

One thing is certain. Hardwick will not be satisfied, ditto the club’s long-suffering supporters, unless they can end the drought in 2016.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/afl/a/31082415/richmond-look-to-build-a-challenge/

[MintOnLamb]

Played golf yesterday with a guy who is very close to a player on our reserves list, players are constantly dazed and confused regarding selection process for our AFL team.
They lose initiative and desire.
Evidently a big problem.

?????????

[🏅Dooks]

Played golf yesterday with a guy who is very close to a player on our reserves list, players are constantly dazed and confused regarding selection process for our AFL team.
They lose initiative and desire.
Evidently a big problem.

?????????

Is anyone really that surprised? The selectors and coaches don't know what they are doing.

- Selection of Conca and Griff for the elimination final.
- The holding off over selecting miles
- Continued games to coaches favourites

It's not how you play it's who you know.

Here we are 15 years since winning a final and gazing into the jaws of another wasted year, and politics and relationships drive selection over form.

[Heart of Darkness]

Played golf yesterday with a guy who is very close to a player on our reserves list, players are constantly dazed and confused regarding selection process for our AFL team.
They lose initiative and desire.
Evidently a big problem.

?????????

Might explain why so many of our youngsters seem to stagnate and even regress after showing early promise.

In saying that as a professional footballer you shouldn't lose initiative and desire when you don't get picked. Need to turn that frustration into determination. Get a bit of a chip on your shoulder.

[Willy]

I think we've all had issues with our selection processes over the years, but when you think about it, apart from Miles, who else was really banging on the door in the twos but not getting a game?
Dea maybe?

[Tiger Tragic]

I think we've all had issues with our selection processes over the years, but when you think about it, apart from Miles, who else was really banging on the door in the twos but not getting a game?
Dea maybe?

McBean? 2-time VFL leading goalkicker.

[Chuck17]

Played golf yesterday with a guy who is very close to a player on our reserves list, players are constantly dazed and confused regarding selection process for our AFL team.
They lose initiative and desire.
Evidently a big problem.

?????????

OMG serious, ressies players complaining about not getting a go, Ive never heard that one before

[cub]

Reserves palyers confused over selection, Really?
Reckon this would be the case at most clubs, having a sook cause they cant crack the seniors.
Heres a suggestion put your head down and work harder.
Can't name to many in the lower level that really deserve a crack to be honest!

[mat073]

Biscuits would of developed into quite a handy "C" grade whipping boy had he received  more opportunities.


 

[Diocletian]

Biggest mistake we made with Arnot was making him slim down/lose muscle mass -was a brick shytehouse when he arrived,  muscles on his muscles , bigger than Ollie Wines- and telling him to tone down his aggression while trying to turn him in a forward pocket Jake King replacement....not saying he would've made it had we not, but it didn't help his cause....

Ben Darrou's one that baffles me....never lost a contest for nearly two years and was in the bests nearly every week, delisted because he was considered too slow & too short for his position (didn't stop Kelvin Moore getting 80 -odd games)....he was never going to get faster or much taller, so if being close to our BOG every week was still not enough to overcome this, then why did we draft him in the first place?

(Killed it again for South Adelaide last year too....Top 5 in their B&F despite missing about half a dozen matches through injury.)

[MintOnLamb]

Reserves palyers confused over selection, Really?
Reckon this would be the case at most clubs, having a sook cause they cant crack the seniors.
Heres a suggestion put your head down and work harder.
Can't name to many in the lower level that really deserve a crack to be honest!

Agree ....to a point.
When you try your guts out for 3 years and lets take mcbean as an example and win the league goal kicking twice and dont get a go do you think you would become disillusioned??
Then watch the disgraceful selections we aften make....
I know what you mean about having a sook but thete is a point when it becomes so obvious it is pitiful to behold. That is 1 of our problems as a club.

[Stalin]

Helbig

Dea

Menadue

[Willy]

I think we've all had issues with our selection processes over the years, but when you think about it, apart from Miles, who else was really banging on the door in the twos but not getting a game?
Dea maybe?

McBean? 2-time VFL leading goalkicker.

Yeah, I'll pay that. Bean is one who could rightly say that he was unlucky.

[tdy]

I'd this thread has any truth to it at all why aren't the ressies leaving each year for another club. Brisbane would have taken anyone the last two years who wanted to stay. Brisbane would love McBean

[WilliamPowell]

Played golf yesterday with a guy who is very close to a player on our reserves list, players are constantly dazed and confused regarding selection process for our AFL team.
They lose initiative and desire.
Evidently a big problem.

?????????

"Our reserves list"?   

We don't actually have one. We han an AFL list with rookies and we have yet to cpmpleted VFL list

So which group are we talking about here?

The VFL list who rarely spend any time with our AFL list apart from once  a week when they train with the AFL list who arent playing seniors. Sorry but they wouldn't have a clue

As for the AFL players not getting games,  wouldbe less than 6 that could lay claim to being disillusioned