Herald-Sun ranks Richmond 7th best Victorian premiership chance

[one-eyed]

Restoring Victorian pride
01 October 2006   Sunday Herald Sun
Jon Ralph

AMID the joy and unbridled emotion of yesterday's Grand Final, 10 clubs were drinking in a sobering reality. Victoria's senior AFL coaches would have watched the spectacle and realised how far off the pace they are right now. Rivals often try to replicate the reigning premier - bulk up like the Lions or become tight-knit brethren like Sydney. But tinkering will not be enough next year. Even the best of the lot - Melbourne and the Bulldogs - fell a long way short of their goal. Taking the optimistic view most AFL coaches know they must in pre-season, Jon Ralph ranks the premiership pecking order.

1. Melbourne
2. Bulldogs
3. St Kilda
4. Geelong
5. Collingwood
6. Hawthorn

7. RICHMOND

Where, in 2005, the Tigers snagged 10 wins consistently playing to their peak, this season was much more encouraging despite only one more victory.

Andrew Raines, Richard Tambling, Brett Deledio, Dean Polo, Danny Meyer, Jay Schulz, Cameron Howat, Nathan Foley and Kayne Pattison all gave hope for the future, as did breakout years from Patrick Bowden and Troy Simmonds.

But when Richmond ran into quality sides its midfield was often cut to ribbons, so canny coach Terry Wallace will know there are still several rungs to climb.

Mark Coughlan, Nathan Brown and talented key tall Will Thursfield will return and that means finals are an expectation.

OFF-SEASON MOVEMENTS: The Tigers will go hard for Graham Polak as will several others. Hard to see them making major changes.

8. Essendon
9. Kangaroos
10. Carlton

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,20504725%255E19742,00.html

[mightytiges]

First of all it's laughable to have any Victorian club and the word "premiership" in the same sentence IMHO. The doggies are closest yet need a power key forward while the rest are miles off due to too many major deficiencies. 4 of the 6 clubs named above us on that list have droughts stretching back to at least the 1960s and the Pies have won only one flag in the past 48 years.

It's amusing that we're judged realistically yet the Hawks get a higher ranking based on perceived potential. 

To have us below the overrated Pies is a joke too. Sheesh we would have made the finals too if we had 13 games against bottom 8 sides and only travelled 4 times  .

[Ramps]

Hawks have more youngsters than we do like Bailey, Dowler, Ellis, Tuck maybe one or two others who havent had much opportunity yet. Thats where in my opinion Clarkson got it right and we got it wrong, the Geelong model of not bottoming out will bite us on the behind because we havent got enough young quality. Hawthorn started behind and are infront of us in there rebuild. They deserve to be ahead of us in the order, but some of the clubs higher up in Jon Ralphs table are a laugh, some of them are 2 years away from plummeting when senior stars start to retire.

PS- Did we get a cut of the beer & food sales from the tents at PRO last night from the weagles or the AFL?

[Jackstar]

In my opinion, melbourne and the bulldogs would be ahead of us as of now. fair to say all vic clubs have some big decisions to make over the next few weeks. eg Trade and Drafts

[WilliamPowell]

Andrew Raines, Richard Tambling, Brett Deledio, Dean Polo, Danny Meyer, Jay Schulz, Cameron Howat, Nathan Foley and Kayne Pattison all gave hope for the future, as did breakout years from Patrick Bowden and Troy Simmonds.

Who is Kayne Pattison ???

Jon Ralph - IF you cannot get the names right you don't expect me to take your article seriously 

[mightytiges]

LOL WP  . Well spotted.

Hawks have more youngsters than we do like Bailey, Dowler, Ellis, Tuck maybe one or two others who havent had much opportunity yet. Thats where in my opinion Clarkson got it right and we got it wrong, the Geelong model of not bottoming out will bite us on the behind because we havent got enough young quality. Hawthorn started behind and are infront of us in there rebuild. They deserve to be ahead of us in the order, but some of the clubs higher up in Jon Ralphs table are a laugh, some of them are 2 years away from plummeting when senior stars start to retire.

We have more youngsters (most teenagers in the AFL) but the Hawks in Hodge, Mitchell, Bateman, Brown, Williams, Campbell and co have more blokes in the 22-26 y.o. range that we sadly lack in thanks to Geisch and Spud. I would argue we have added more youngsters into our seniors than the Hawks. Compare Roughead, Franklin, Lewis, Birchall, Young, Bailey and Murphy to  Lids, Tambo, Meyer, Polo, Pattison, Foley, Raines, White and Schulz (still only 21). We still have JON, Hughes, Casserly and Thursfield (knee) yet to come just as the Hawks have Ellis (yet to play against men), Dowler, Tuck and Muston (knee). The Hawks also won't have the charity of priority picks this year either. I would have both clubs around the same mark and it will be the next 2-3 drafts and the ability of each club to develop these youngsters that will decide who comes out in front.

As for bottoming out both grand finalists never did. You look at West Coast. They got Judd from an early pick but a number of their stars came from later picks or smart use of the rookie list. Their premiership side contains just two top 10 draftees. Their only other top 10 pick Sampi most likely will be traded this year. They also traded away two first round picks.

1st rounder - Banfield (1 - gained from a trade in 92), Judd (3), Glass (11), Waters (11)
2nd rounders - Butler, Hunter, R.Jones, Seaby, Kerr (pick gained for Gehrig),
3rd rounders - Braun, Hansen
4th rounders - Embley, Selwood
F/S - Cousins
rookies -  Cox, Fletcher, B.Jones, Lynch, Armstrong
trade - Stenglein (gave up picks 12 and 28), Chick (gave up pick 8 )
PSD - Wirrpanda (compensation pick like us with Gas)

Smart recruiting >>>>>> bottoming out. Just ask St Kilda.

PS- Did we get a cut of the beer & food sales from the tents at PRO last night from the weagles or the AFL?

Yep  . Check the other thread.

[one-eyed]

Even the bookies have us as a bottom 5 side 

Source: TAB Sportsbet

$4.25 WEST COAST
$6 Adelaide
$6.50 Sydney
$8 St Kilda
$10 Fremantle
$12 Geelong
$13 Melbourne, W Bulldogs
$15 Port Adelaide
$16 Collingwood
$26 Hawthorn
$35 Richmond
$41 Essendon
$51 Brisbane Lions
$101 Carlton, Kangaroos

[wayne]

Who is Kayne Pattison ???

4ft 5 ruck prospect, former star junior table tennis player who has crossed over to AFL. Bright future, needs to add a bit of height to his frame.

[WilliamPowell]

Who is Kayne Pattison ???

4ft 5 ruck prospect, former star junior table tennis player who has crossed over to AFL. Bright future, needs to add a bit of height to his frame.

Ohhhhhhhhhh it's him - forgot bout him