RFC not tanking - Paul Armstrong

[one-eyed]

From: Mothball policy 'no-brainer'
Chip Le Grand and Malcolm Conn
The Australian
August 08, 2006

Not all clubs out of finals contention have decided to mothball stars. The notable exceptions are Carlton and Richmond, who have both spent the past two seasons near the bottom of the ladder.

"We haven't had anyone who, just because we are out of the finals, we have decided to put in cotton wool and get them fixed," said Richmond football manager Paul Armstrong. "We still want to have an improving season and we have still got some opportunities in the next month. There are four games to go, which is a nearly a fifth of the season."

But Armstrong said it was a decision every club was entitled to make. "It depends on where you are and how much success you have had. I think supporter and members like to see you go as hard as you can for as long as you can. I don't think anyone likes to see sides give up on the season. Circumstances are different for every club."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20051930-36035,00.html

Paul Roos wants the AFL to introduce a NBA style draft lottery whereas Gary Lyon wants to reverse the order of the draft for the bottom 8 clubs so that 9th then 10th would get the first two draft picks.

 http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,20053533%255E19742,00.html

[H Tiger]

I really like the Lyon idea.

How much would it help us out? The perennial 9th place club.

[tiga]

I never thought I would see the day when Gary Lyon would say something that actually makes sense. It would be next best reward for clubs just missing out on finals and you wouldn't see clubs tanking their way out of the 8 either.

[mightytiges]

Finishing 9th or 10th isn't in our long term interests.

"We haven't had anyone who, just because we are out of the finals, we have decided to put in cotton wool and get them fixed," said Richmond football manager Paul Armstrong.

That's because we'd have no one left to field a team .

[one-eyed]

Revamp draft: Wallace
4:40:53 PM Tue 8 August, 2006
Jennifer Witham
Sportal for afl.com.au

Richmond coach Terry Wallace has called on the league to overhaul the draft system, believing that the current system rewards mediocrity.

Wallace believes a draft lottery or a method that rewards clubs financially for winning a determined number of games would be far better.

"I don't like the system. I've gone on record saying that before. I grew up where ninth was better than 11th and 11th was better than the next option," Wallace said on Tuesday.

"That's the way that it was and I don't think that's necessarily the case now. I don't think supporters really are that worried about whether you finish 10th or 12th.

....

"I think it's important for your own development of your players that they finish it off in the right capacity. I think from the winning culture point of view, the young boys get used to playing in winning games," he said.

Full article at: http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=287530

[one-eyed]

Tigers chasing victories
1:26:20 PM Fri 11 August, 2006
Mark Rasmussen
Sportal for afl.com.au

Despite being out of the finals race for this year, there is a lot Richmond will take away from this season, and according to assistant coach Brian Royal, the Tigers want to finish 2006 on a high note.

"It's still important from our point of view that we're putting in solid performances. You don't want to play out the year," Royal said after training on Friday from Punt Road Oval.

"Our supporters are coming to watch us so we can't afford to play out the year.

"We've said to our guys it's important for us to finish off the season. If we can finish off the season and get our wins in the positive, then it's a step forward from last year.

"If we lose the games in the next three weeks, then we're in the negative and we'll probably seem to go backwards. That's the benchmark that we've got to set in the next four weeks," he said.

Full article at: http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=288453

[mightytiges]

The Hawks game and our goalkicking last week against the Dogs has come back to bite us as far as making the finals with the Bullies and Pies getting done this week.

We gained 5% tonight too.

[Bulluss]

Should have won the Freo game also. We could have been in contention for a top 4 spot

[PuntRdRoar]

Just did my latest ladder predictor- actually i did it properly this time...not my tank for draft picks model...we will be in contention at the start of r22, if all results go our way we could finish 7th. And by results im not saying 10 or 20 lol...only 1 or 2 games need to go to outsiders for us to be right in it up to our eyeballs. Of course all depends on us finishing on 48 points.

[WilliamPowell]

Should have won the Freo game also. We could have been in contention for a top 4 spot

Spot on Bull

2 games have cost us a place in the finals IMHO

1. The insipid effort against Hawtharn 

2. The Freo game that we lost rather than them winning

If we'd won those 2 we'd have 11 wins and..................

[letsgetiton!]

Should have won the Freo game also. We could have been in contention for a top 4 spot

Spot on Bull

2 games have cost us a place in the finals IMHO

1. The insipid effort against Hawtharn 

2. The Freo game that we lost rather than them winning

If we'd won those 2 we'd have 11 wins and..................

so true WP, the hawks game esp 

[Fwoy3]

What's worse is Hawthorn fans actually think they are better than us now...oh the pain of it all

[PuntRdRoar]

Hawthorn getting Dowler was a good get, but they showed the last 2 years they were way better at the trade table than we were. I dont think we are behind them, but if Muston, Dowler and co. rock up and start doing things then theyll go past us, on the other hand, I reiterate, we have to trade players like Krak and Tuck and get a player into the system who can help us down the spine.

[mightytiges]

I agree Ramps we need to get to the trade table but there's alot of ifs as far as the Hawks go. No Everitt and/or Crawf as early as next year.

2. The Freo game that we lost rather than them winning

Biased umpiring didn't help us either in that game. Polo's "mark" .

The finals are gone but we'll be teased again if the doggies lose their next two games against the Crows and Saints and we beat the Blues and Dons. It'll come down to the Dogs on Friday night against Essendon (Hird's last game?) at the Dome and our game against the Weagles (will they go easy before the finals?) the Saturday.