WHY THE TIGERS ARE SUCH A FASCINATING WATCH AND THE KEY PLAYER THEY MUST REPLACEBy Andrew Slevison
SEN
14 March 2023There are a few questions surrounding Richmond heading into the 2023 season.
The Tigers weren’t far off challenging last year, eventually finishing seventh in the home and away season after a number of close losses, before their season ended with a two-point loss to Brisbane in an Elimination Final.
In the off-season, the club addressed a hole in midfield and recruited GWS pair Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper - two players who many believe will help Damien Hardwick’s Tigers challenge again.
However, there are some queries over Taranto and Hopper who can find plenty of the footy but might not be as effective when it comes to the defensive side of the game.
Nathan Buckley and Garry Lyon discussed the Tigers on SEN Breakfast ahead of their season opener against Carlton on Thursday night.
“Individually, both of those players are top-end talent,” Buckley said.
“How do they go pulling that team together? You can only back Damien Hardwick and the coaches at Richmond because they’ve done it time and time again with different squads over the last five or six years.
“They’ve been able to top the mountain when others haven’t. You’d assume that they’re going to make the most out of what they have got.
“I don’t know whether it’s going to be a great team - we’ll find that out - but they’ve got great attributes and those two are going to be part of it.”
Lyon wants to know what role Taranto and Hopper will play in replacing the hard-working Kane Lambert who retired last year.
It is why the jury is out on Richmond’s prized recruits.
“This is the interesting part for me. Kane Lambert at his best was one of those players, his capacity to play his role I think is greater than what Hopper and Taranto have been asked to do,” he said.
“Whether they can adapt to a role, if in fact they are asked to do that, remains to be seen.
“They’re replacing an absolute, bona fide, massive part of their premierships in Kane Lambert with one of these two. The jury is out for me.
“I know they can go and find footy, I know that Taranto can find his own ball, I know he can go forward and kick goals, but the role that Lambert played, if in fact that’s where they’re trying to replace, that’s interesting.”
Buckley doesn’t believe it will be one of the two former Giants being tasked to do what Lambert did as a high half-forward with two-way run.
“Lambert was a high half-forward that was basically helping (Dustin) Martin just become a forward,” he added.
“He was a transition runner, a great player, but he was more outside and more covered for Dusty Martin and anyone they wanted to spit forward.
“I see Taranto and Hopper as legitimate inside, hunt-the-ball players. They still need to find a replacement for Lambert outside of that.
“Lambert came in as a role player and then became far more than that. Play high forward, go and get 25 and kick two or three goals, you’re pretty hard-pressed finding players who can do that.”
Away from the midfield situation and Lyon is somewhat concerned about Richmond’s defence.
He believes their backline is not as tight as it once was which makes them an intriguing side to assess.
“I think Richmond are a fascinating watch,” the former Melbourne captain said.
“There were times last year, and I know Dylan Grimes had quite a few injuries last year, but the defence that has stood up so well that we’ve come to laud is not the same defence that they’ve got now.
“Noah Balta is still learning the craft, he ain’t Alex Rance. He is Noah Balta, the prodigiously talented athlete who is still learning his way. I see him get opened up a few times.
“When we talk about the great Richmond sides, this is different, this is why it’s such an interesting watch this year.”
Former Collingwood coach Buckley, however, has a more positive outlook for the Tigers, identifying some of the club’s emerging players who can help take them forward in 2023 and beyond.
“I think (Noah) Cumberland can be a real player. He works very hard in front of the ball,” Buckley said.
“We know (Josh) Gibcus is lightly raced, but he’s potentially going to be a player that can come through for them this year.
“Obviously (Shai) Bolton can be a real player. Thomson Dow looked alright in the pre-season.
“(Daniel) Rioli had the year of his life last season as a half-back, so he’s going to continue to get better.
“Maurice Rioli Jnr is going to do some damage up forward at ground level. (Tyler) Sonsie potentially and maybe (Rhyan) Mansell, who are probably the players who will come in and play the Lambert role, who have got the ability to get up and back.
“If they can come to hand really quickly, then we’ll see the best of the experienced players at Richmond because they’ll be playing in a more efficient structure.”
Richmond kicks things off against the Blues in the traditional season opener at the MCG this Thursday night.
The Tigers are considered the fourth favourites for the 2023 AFL premiership, behind reigning premiers Geelong, as well as Melbourne and Brisbane.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/03/13/why-the-tigers-are-such-a-fascinating-watch-and-the-key-player-they-must/
