What went wrong for AFL bottom 9... and who they must target to bounce back in 2026— Jack Jovanovski
Foxsports
25 Aug 202517. RICHMOND (5-18, 66%)Three word analysisBetter than expected
What went rightSome suggested Richmond wouldn’t win a game, or at least very few as one of the wooden spoon favourites. Yet the Tigers claimed five victories — four more than West Coast. Adem Yze sure blooded young talent in a youthful exuberance at Tigerland and reason for excitement. Richmond was the league’s least-experienced side based on average games played this year (52.7), while its average age was 23.9 years; the fourth-youngest in the competition behind only North Melbourne, West Coast and Essendon. Of Richmond’s eight draftees from last November, all but No.7 pick Josh Smillie got an AFL taste this year. Luke Trainor played 21 games, Jonty Faull played 16, Sam Lalor and Tom Sims 11, Harry Armstrong 8, Taj Hotton 7, and Jasper Alger 4. Yze’s Punt Road tenure will be judged largely on how he’s able to develop and utilise last year’s draft class, and it’s clear that the likes of Lalor, Faull and Hotton in particular have bright AFL futures. And as it pertains to on-field progress, as much as the Tigers had to cope most weeks with barrages of forward entries, towards the end of their campaign, they actually stood up well behind the ball. Across the last six rounds, Richmond sat ninth for points against, seventh for score-per-inside-50 against, and eighth for points against from turnover. Unheralded premiership stalwart Nick Vlastuin once again produced an All-Australian calibre season — will he finally receive his due recognition?
What went wrongRichmond’s midfield combinations were problematic all season, as it sought to occasionally inject more pace into a core mix that was generally one-paced. Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper and Dion Prestia were the most frequent centre-bounce attendees, and while Hopper is capable of exploding from stoppage, they all lack overall speed and have the tendency to slouch when it comes to charging back in defensive transition. This year, Richmond ranked 17th for clearance differential, 17th for points from clearance differential, and 16th for contested possession differential. Forward stability is another thing the Tigers will look to improve on next year, with leading spearhead Tom Lynch missing seven games. Meanwhile Noah Balta, who had a tumultuous season, continued to be swung between attack and defence — neither of which helped young talls Faull, Sims and Armstrong in getting comfortable at the top level.
What they needThe Tigers would benefit greatly from a two-way midfielder — one who runs both ways — after conceding the third-most goals to opposition midfielders this season. And while they haven’t been one of the teams recently reported as in pursuit of him, out-of-contract Saints midfielder Marcus Windhager is a player in that aforementioned mould. They need Sam Lalor to be free of hamstring worries in year two after showing tantalising glimpses in his rookie season, and they need fellow top-10 pick Josh Smillie to get on the park after he failed to make his senior debut this year. As the playing group buys more into Yze’s style of play, it’d be fair to expect another jump in 2026 — 6-8 wins isn’t out of the realm of possibility if their veterans stay healthy and their up-and-comers continue to take strides.
What time is it on the premiership clock?(2pm): The Tigers took another step in year two under Yze, and it means they’re one step closer to returning to contention. Winning five games was something very few pundits expected of Richmond this year, and its crop of exciting 2024 draftees should continue to inspire hope in the club’s fans that another era of premiership contention isn’t as far away as some might think.
Season gradeB
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