LOOKING TO 2007
AFL Record
RICHMOND
AFL RECORD'S PRE-SEASON PREDICTION: 14th
CURRENT POSITION: 10th
DIFFERENTIAL: + 4
HOW IT WENT DOWN: In many ways, it has been the kind of roller-coaster season Tiger fans have become accustomed to of late. They were good enough to beat the best team in the competition at the time - the seemingly unbeatable Adelaide Crows, albeit in an ugly spectacle of keepings-off, at Telstra Dome in round eight - but were bad enough to lose three games by l00-point-plus margins. As usual, there wasn't much middle ground between the fluctuating extremes. After 14 rounds, the Tigers were 8-6 and eighth - a game clear of Fremantle - and a big show to play finals for just the third time in 25 seasons, but four successive losses produced that familiar, sinking feeling. Among a mixed bag, NAB AFL Rising Star Medal hopeful Andrew Raines has been a standout, as has Troy Simmonds in the ruck, Kayne Pettifer has finally found consistency, and the Richardson-Schulz key forward combination looks dangerous.
WHAT THEY NEED: A key defender or two as back-up for Darren Gaspar and to release Joel Bowden to exploit his creative talents; the continued development of the likes of Brett Deledio and Richard Tambling; and, of course, Nathan Brown and Mark Coughlan to return to fitness and form.
IN SHORT: Roller-coaster.
