FOOTY CLASSIFIED — NINE NETWORKNOT surprisingly, Richmond was first cab off the rank as the panel tried to address what was wrong at Punt Road.
Matthew Lloyd, Garry Lyon, Craig Hutchison and Caroline Wilson agreed the 16th-placed Tigers were battling.
“They have GWS this week so they’re not at rock bottom yet,” Lloyd said.
“If they lose that one there’ll be big decisions made down at Punt Road.”
Wilson questioned the “football direction” of the club, saying Damien Hardwick had lost support — such as key assistant Justin Leppitsch — while football director on the board Tony Free had to be questioned.
Hutchison asked if we would hear from Richmond president Peggy O’Neal, while Lloyd went a step further.
“What does Peggy bring to the table as president that makes her a great president, or what can she bring?” he asked.
Wilson highlighted that O’Neal, the first female president in VFL/AFL history, had only been in the job six months.
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AFL 360 — FOX FOOTYTHE under-fire Tigers didn’t take long to be brought up and the lads agreed Richmond simply aren’t good enough.
Robbo suggested the Tigers needed to strip the game plan right back and “pick a theme” for the week.
“The stunning bit is the fall,” he said.
“If you think we’re having a big discussion on Richmond this week, if they get beaten by GWS next week, there will be carnage.”
Gerard agreed with Robbo but said “you have to know where you are”, and the Tigers may have drastically over-estimated their place on the premiership clock.
“I’m partially amazed ... (but) to me it looks real,” Gerard said.
“I think this is probably a real reflection of where it is ... they’re a poor team.
“They thought they were top-four material, and they’re a long way from that.”
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ON THE COUCH — FOX FOOTYATTENTION soon turned to Richmond and the panel agreed things have gone horribly wrong for the Tigers.
“I don’t think anyone can understand what’s gone wrong with this footy team,” Mike said.
The panel says there was a boldness about the Tigers of 2013, but something has gone wrong and coach Damien Hardwick and the footy world doesn’t know what.
“Maybe 2013 gave them a false sense of security about where they were and how good they were,” Jason said.
Stats show the Tigers have dropped right off in every area.
Mike wondered if the Tigers were crippled by fear in matches, while Gerard said he believed the coach will stand by his players this week ahead of the clash with GWS.
“I get the feeling he (Hardwick) is giving them one more chance,” Gerard said.
Jason thinks that would be the wrong move.
“To give them one more chance against a team languishing at the bottom, to me that doesn’t achieve anything,” Jason said.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/richmonds-woes-headline-discussion-gazza-the-great-and-did-the-mrp-get-it-right/story-fnelctok-1226923356577