Richmond’s youngsters give fans hope after bright showing against Western BulldogsSAM LANDSBERGER,
Herald Sun
July 10, 2016 THE RICHMOND iceberg finally surfaced on Saturday night – and at times it looked beautiful.
With the Tigers in uncharted seas as confirmed non-finalists, coach Damien Hardwick stated this week that the footy world was yet to see what was “under water” at Tigerland.
“People only see the top of the iceberg, they only see the 22 players we put out there on a weekly basis,” he said.
“We’re really excited about the prospect of some of these young kids coming through.”
It’s a small sample, but the Tiger breed of the future looked the goods.
With the focus on 2017, fans went to Etihad Stadium to cast their eyes on a new set of names.
It was the kids with jumper numbers beyond 30s in the frame, and they must have liked what they saw.
Most exciting was outside ball winner Oleg Markov. The kid born in Belarus, who speaks Russian at home, studies geology and is the son of a world champion pole vaulter can play.
Until a kick which skewed out of bounds in the final quarter, Markov’s ball use was pristine.
The man picked at No.50 in last year’s draft showed explosive speed and intercepted a crucial ball deep in defence in the first quarter.
He would finish with 18 disposals and a tick.
And then there was Connor Menadue. Another kid with wheels who takes the game on, his first half was very handy.
Re-signed for another two years this week, Menadue’s tackling was a highlight. That started in the first minute, when he threw Jason Johannisen into the turf.
The standout moment for foreshadowing Tiger fans? When Liam McBean charged off the bench and spoiled a certain Dogs mark on the wing.
Menadue would swoop on the crumb and kick long to Jack Riewoldt. Jack missed but the dash and dare from the next generation was tantalising.
Jostling with Markov for the biggest highlight was Jason Castagna. This kid came off the rookie list.
And he made the Dogs look like rookies at times, collecting 19 disposals and winning the ball inside and out.
There were two goals in that batch, his second giving Richmond a 13-point cushion in the third term.
First-round pick Daniel Rioli didn’t have his best game, but we’ve already seen his willingness to get his hands dirty and tackle this season.
It is the outside cream, Hardwick says, Rioli still needs to add.
McBean, again, looked lost at times, as if Etihad Stadium was a maze.
When the fourth-year full-forward kicked for the lead late in the first quarter, he hit the post.
But when he kicked for the lead in the last quarter and for his first AFL goal, he made no mistake.
The lanky tall forward struggled in brief ruck stints, but in that goal there was a flicker of hope.
And hope is just what the Tigers are after.
We can pencil in the single-digit Tigers into the best each week - Cotchin, Martin, Deledio and Riewoldt.
But Hardwick said the past two drafts had him filled with excitement and that’s what the AFL world wants to see.
So with the shackles off and the Tiger cubs finally on the main stage, the spotlight is shining brightly on them.
Based on last night, suddenly the final seven weeks don’t look so gloomy after all.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmonds-youngsters-give-fans-hope-after-bright-showing-against-western-bulldogs/news-story/761f8c0701e90f901baf62f65451aff1
