McQualter's post-match presser / ‘Substandard’: blunt message for tame Tigers

[one-eyed]

Here is Mini's post-match presser:

WATCH HERE: https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/1404413/round-22-mcqualter-post-match

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‘Substandard’: McQualter’s blunt message for tame Tigers

Ronny Lerner
HeraldSun
14 August 2023

Caretaker Richmond coach Andrew McQualter could not hide his disappointment in his team’s performance against St Kilda on Sunday at Marvel Stadium, slamming it as “substandard”.

The Tigers were playing to keep their faint finals hopes alive, but looked anything like a team desperate to be part of the September action as the Saints dominated the match from start to finish in a comprehensive 36-point win.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted to tonight, mostly on defence,” McQualter said post-match.

“I thought our defence was substandard tonight, which is disappointing because that was our aim coming into tonight to take away St Kilda’s uncontested marks, and they got 120 of them so we didn’t get it done.”

A glaring aspect of Richmond’s defensive display was Noah Balta’s job on Max King. The St Kilda spearhead kicked an equal career-high six goals as the naturally attacking Balta played too loose on him too often.

“Noah’s job first and foremost is to absolutely defend his player first,” McQualter said.

“All of the players that play in defence, that’s their first job, and then if you can intercept the ball, great.

“That’s not his intention. That’s not his instruction. And some of the turnovers tonight were pretty difficult for Noah to defend at times as well.”

Richmond’s latest performance continued a concerning trend that carried over from their heavy defeat to the Western Bulldogs last week.

On that occasion, the Dogs smashed the Tigers for tackles 76-56, while also comfortably winning the disposals 409-301, and nine days later, the Saints did a similar number on Richmond, coming out on top in tackles 67-51 as well as disposals 394-353.

When asked why Richmond’s trademark effort hasn’t been present in the past fortnight with their season on the line, McQualter replied: “It’s not a nice way to be described is it? If that’s your observation, it’s true, and that’s disappointing.

“We haven’t played the way we wanted to. The pressure hasn’t been at the level we need it to (be). Again tonight it was low. Not the easiest thing to put your finger on to be honest.”

It will take a miracle for the Tigers to make the top eight now, and McQualter likened season 2023 to “riding a rollercoaster”.

“[It has been] like riding a rollercoaster. It has been up and down. Probably, if we pinch some of the wins early in the year, the season can go really different,” McQualter said.

“The reality is we’ve been fighting against the eight-ball, trying to find a way back up the ladder – and it’s probably taken its toll a bit. But I think the reality is, we are where we are. The ladder position is a reflection of wins and losses, and that is where we sit right now.

“We still think we can play a bit better footy than we are at the moment.”

Something that McQualter hopes will lift the Tigers’ intensity over the final two weeks is the potential return of retiring champion Trent Cotchin.

Cotchin has missed the last two games due to soreness, but McQualter was optimistic that he would return against North Melbourne next week.

“That’s the aim,” he said.

And McQualter will “absolutely” use the extra emotion surrounding the end of the triple premiership captain’s career to fire up his underperforming team.

“Not just me using it (emotion), it’s the fact that Trent’s been such a long servant of our footy club and so important to us,” he said.

“And the reality is it’s now his last two games, so I would hope that the players hope to play in a way that represents Trent and what he’s done for us.”

It’s unclear whether fellow club champion Jack Riewoldt, who will be 35 in October, will follow Cotchin into retirement, but McQualter was adamant that the superstar forward had earned the right to decide whether or not he plays on in 2024.

Daniel Rioli hurt his ankle against the Saints, but was able to play out the game and should line up against the Kangaroos.

https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/afl-round-22-all-the-news-fallout-and-analysis-from-st-kilda-vs-richmond/news-story/e0b17c00a010e6adc30f53727097dfaf
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/king-on-target-as-saints-edge-closer-to-finals-sink-tigers-hopes-20230813-p5dw5q.html

[Tigeritis™©®]

Here is Mini's post-match presser:

WATCH HERE: https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/1404413/round-22-mcqualter-post-match

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‘Substandard’: McQualter’s blunt message for tame Tigers

When asked why Richmond’s trademark effort hasn’t been present in the past fortnight with their season on the line, McQualter replied: “It’s not a nice way to be described is it? If that’s your observation, it’s true, and that’s disappointing.

“We haven’t played the way we wanted to. The pressure hasn’t been at the level we need it to (be). Again tonight it was low. Not the easiest thing to put your finger on to be honest.”

This bloke can’t be serious? If he doesn’t have answers as to why we can’t or aren’t willing to do the ONE THING that made us a powerhouse then he’s either stupid or clueless.

Does the echo chamber make you that blind?

It’s been a problem since 2021.

Raise the standards and get the players fitter to be able to maintain four quarters of unrelenting pressure and gang tackling. We can be deficient in other areas but this should always be our trademark  no matter who plays in the team and if you’re not willing to play in that manner then you can’t play at Richmond.

They’ve clearly let the high level standards slip and the pass bar is way way down 

[Fluffy Tiger]

Some of those comments make absolutely no scene. If he was using then same sort of comments to me to motivate me to go out and play I would laugh at him. Certainly wouldn't "fight behind the eight ball"

[georgies31]

Ridiculous if he couldn't motivate the side after that weake effort last week well his clueless non negotiable in footy is effort, intensity and pressure.

[Francois Jackson]

he is a stuffin joke. Couldnt inspire anyone let alone this team.

[Diocletian]

His coaching is substandard.

[pmac21]

Very underwhelming press conference.

[FooffooValve]

Wasn't his best, but I reckon he's been good with the media for the most part. Dimma was awful when he started and improved, but was never relaxed under the media spotlight and often said stupid things.

Interim coaches are notoriously difficult to judge - if they win games its hard to tell whether its just a sugar hit from the change, and if they lose games, its hard to tell whether they are trying to implement something different and it isn't working, or what is really happening. We only see the result on match day, but we don't see anything of the prep, the plans, the instruction...pretty much nothing is in the public domain except the result on the day.

Most coaches need to have the team for an entire preseason to really implement change, McQualter hasn't had that privilege, so how do you really judge what is going on? He might have some real ideas about how to take the team in a new direction but trying to turn the Queen Mary midseason is pretty much impossible.

Having said that, if he isn't the guy to make hard calls on some of our ageing players, then best we go for someone outside our system and get that process going.