Shane Crawford unfazed by Tigers' interstate woes (WWOS.Nine)

[one-eyed]

Shane Crawford unfazed by Tigers' interstate woes

By Chris De Silva
WWOS.Nine.com.au
16 July 2018

Former Hawthorn legend Shane Crawford has thrown his support behind Richmond despite another interstate loss.

The Tigers’ two-point defeat to the GWS Giants left their interstate record sitting at a paltry 0-4 this season, but Crawford said fans shouldn’t panic.

“I wouldn’t be too worried from a Richmond supporter point of view,” he said on Sports Sunday.

“They still sit on the top of the ladder.

“Yes they’ve lost four interstate games which is a little bit of a concern, but they’re probably going to finish on top of the ladder.”

Richmond’s interstate record has become a popular slight in an otherwise impressive premiership defence.

Central to Richmond’s success in the past 18 months has been their ability to dominate at the MCG and Crawford suggested that home finals are a big reason for his confidence in the Tigers.

“They’re going to play their finals, if they win, at the MCG, and that’s where you obviously win the Grand Final,” he said.

“I still think they’re the favourites. They’re the ones to definitely beat.”

Richmond’s last loss at the MCG came in Round 13 2017 where the Sydney Swans prevailed by nine points.
Giants extend Tigers' interstate misery

Since that encounter last June, Damien Hardwick’s side has ripped off 17 consecutive wins at the MCG, including four consecutive wins during their run to the premiership in last year’s finals.

Crawford went one step further and suggested that the Giants loss will help click the Tigers into gear in the final part of the season.

“It happened to Richmond this time last year and then they really clicked into gear,” he said.

“As long as they don’t have Jack Riewoldt, Trent Cotchin or Dustin Martin injured, I just think that they’re going to be the ones that definitely stand above everyone else.”

https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/07/15/18/00/afl-shane-crawford-backs-richmond-to-defend-premiership-despite-loss

[one-eyed]

Richmond great Matthew Richardson says he isn’t too concerned by the Tigers’ lack of winning form interstate.

They’ve lost all four games they’ve played outside of Victoria this season.

Speaking on 3AW Football, Richardson said there would be questions asked.

“That’s going to come at Richmond all week now. They know that,” he said.

“But they’re still in a pretty good position.”

The reigning premier is on top of the ladder.

Richo said their interstate form wouldn’t be an issue in finals if they didn’t have to play there.

“That’s why you get yourself into a position to finish top-two,” he said.

AUDIO link: https://www.3aw.com.au/richo-responds-to-the-tigers-lack-of-form-interstate/

[Eat_em_Alive]

I have a feeling we may end up playing a final interstate...

[rogerd3]

I have a feeling we may end up playing a final interstate...

And winning.
We are playing it perfectly.
Expectation that we would lose.
Oppo side goes in thinking the same.
Bang wins interstate.

[one-eyed]

Warning signs for Tigers; look lost on the road

Samuel Ord
theRoar.com.au
19 July 2018

Richmond suffered their fourth loss of the 2018 season on Saturday night, defeated by Greater Western Sydney in New South Wales by two points.

As a consequence of said loss, the supposed daylight separating the Tigers from the remainder of the competition has been shredded – allowing the yellow and black to hold top seed but now share premiership points with West Coast.

The Tigers’ loss to the Giants marked four consecutive losses interstate in 2018, with the reigning champs yet to win a game outside of Victoria.

The first interstate defeat came in Round 2 (Adelaide by 36 points), the second in Round 9 (West Coast by 47 points), the third in Round 12 (Port Adelaide by 14 points) – and now we have GWS.

Each loss is easy to dismiss in a vacuum.

Adelaide was a grand final rematch and the Crows got it done in front of a home crowd. It’s difficult to read much of anything in the first five rounds. West Coast were deserved winners against a Richmond side that had never played at Optus Stadium before. Port Adelaide a loss of just two goals against a side missing Dustin Martin, Bachar Houli, Dion Prestia and Jack Graham. The Giants loss was by less than a goal. Jason Castagna kicked five behinds. Five! And it was less than a goal.

Like I said – easy to dismiss. But when all four losses come together, they form a mighty, observable trend. Richmond is finding it difficult to seal the deal away from home.

Trends like this, so easy to spot, could rob the Tigers of their confidence and in the event that they are forced to play interstate during the finals, this trend will weigh heavily on the minds of the team’s youngest players.

Richmond plays one more game outside of Victoria this season – the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium in Round 21.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/07/18/warning-signs-tigers-eagles-pies/

[yandb]

 

And this bloke is a paid reporter???????????

What a load verbal garbage.

[mightytiges]

The media mistakenly confusing the average H&A game with a final. The H&A season is really just a six-month qualification phase. It's a marathon not a sprint. Pacing ourselves and dropping a game here and there to an interstate side on their home deck treating a H&A game as their GF isn't going to be costly especially if we still finish top 2.

The main threat to us going back-to-back is the threat of injuries. We have better depth than most clubs as our top of the ladder VFL side shows but just like all clubs we're still not immune from being unlucky at some crucial stage and comping a swag of injuries to our stars. Touchwood like last year it doesn't happen especially during September  .     

ps. Not sure why the media think they can get to our players mentally these days. We're not the pre-2017 RFC that always crumbled under pressure in big games (that scourge now belongs to Melbourne). 'Mindfulness' played a key part in our flag. The old Tigers would've gone to water in last year's GF after conceding the first two goals early through our own mistakes. There's plenty of resilience and fight in our current side. A mistake for opposition fans, clubs and the media to underestimate us.