Harder and longer make for a more exciting and effective RichmondRohan Connolly
The Age
6 April 2017Richmond are in unfamiliar territory. And for the Tigers, it's happily unfamiliar.
For just the second time in Damien Hardwick's eight years as Richmond coach, his team have won the first two games of a new season.
In the other year it happened, 2013, the Tigers went on to 15 wins and a home-and-away finish of fifth place, just two points outside the top four, playing the best brand of football they've played at any time under his tenure.
What's happened since then at Punt Road has been the subject of much debate, particularly last season, as a team which had made finals three years in a row crashed to 13th with only eight wins.
But what's already clear in 2017 is that the Tigers aren't going to die wondering. And they are doing so playing a harder but more adventurous brand of football which is substantially different from what we've seen previously.
Richmond are doing something they've never done much of before under Hardwick. Kicking the ball longer, and winning contests. And while it's only a two-game sample, the contrast with their dismal 2016 is stark.
Last year, the Tigers, much to the disdain of the pundits, not to mention a disgruntled fan base, continued to pursue an uncontested possession, keepings-off game for which many argued they didn't have the requisite skill level.
They ranked third in the AFL for short kicks and only 10th for long kicking. They were second for uncontested marks and fifth for percentage of uncontested possession. None of that translated much to the scoreboard, however, Richmond a lowly 16th on the inside 50 differentials and fourth-last for points scored.
Currently, the Tigers are the longest-kicking team in the AFL, and last for short kicks. They're last for uncontested marks and second-last for uncontested possession percentage, but fourth on the differentials for forward entries, and most importantly, fifth for scoring, a ranking they haven't occupied since 2013.
They're also second for contested ball percentage, a traditional Tiger weakness. Over the previous four seasons, which have taken in three finals appearances, their equivalent ranking in that category has been only 16th, 11th, ninth and last year 13th.
"That's certainly been a good step in the right direction," said football manager Neil Balme. "We want players to take the game on, that's not saying: 'Don't kick short or don't kick to a free player', but it manifests itself when you're hard at the footy.
"If you're under pressure when you get it, rather than looking for the easy play, you might kick longer down the line rather than frig around with it looking for the easy kick, or having to go outside or around the back, and I think that's the result of a hard-at-it contested game."
"Instinct" and "freedom" are words we're hearing a lot more at Punt Road this year. Certainly, Richmond are playing with a lot less of that "over-caution", particularly coming out of defence, that so infuriates their fan base.
That's reflected in the relative absence of the chipping game in the backline that often seemed to lead to nowhere, the Tigers ranked top two for uncontested marks in the back half last season, currently 18th.
Richmond have improved their contested game everywhere. In the ruck, for example, where recruit Toby Nankervis is ranked third among the Tigers for contested ball. And even more obviously up forward, where Richmond are hitting the scoreboard harder thanks to quicker delivery and, in no small part, thanks to Dustin Martin.
Martin's time spent forward often robbed Peter to pay Paul. Not now, with Dion Prestia and Josh Caddy added to the midfield mix. Martin's average 16 disposals inside 50 is significantly more than he'd had previously. His six goals are double what any other Tiger has managed, and there's six score assists to go with them.
"Dusty" was the No.1-ranked Tiger for average contested ball last year and is again so far this season. That and his penetrating kicking are still perfect for the Richmond midfield, but even more value inside 50, which is translating into the forum where it counts most, the scoreboard.
It's all made for not only a different-looking, but far more efficient and effective Richmond. One perhaps capable of going a little further than those last Tigers to win their first two games did.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/harder-and-longer-make-for-a-more-exciting-and-effective-richmond-20170405-gveh05.html
