Good start critical for Tigers
Mike Sheahan | March 02, 2008 | Herald-Sun
EVEN allowing for their reputation for turning ugly, Richmond supporters have excelled themselves this year.
At roughly 9.30 on the night of February 15, 34 days before the start of the home-and-away competition, the bulk of the yellow and black army had hoisted the white flag.
The first-round NAB Cup loss to St Kilda at Telstra Dome sparked another bout of verbal assaults on players, coaches and officials, and several from the recent past.
Yes, it was a poor performance from a team much closer to full strength than the Saints were that night, but it also was a glorified practice match.
The Tigers should have done better, of course. They were outplayed, outclassed; they looked inept.
Yet, history tells us to beware of pre-season form.
I don't know whether it's stubbornness or insight, but I am keeping the faith: I'm tipping the Tigers to make big improvement this year.
OK, that's hardly adventurous given they finished last in 2007, with just three wins (and a draw), but, look hard enough, and you will discover grounds for optimism.
Troy Simmonds and Will Thursfield are back in working order; Jordan McMahon and Mitch Morton are two handy arrivals; and Nathan Brown and Chris Newman both will be better for the work they did last year and the confidence gained after their horrific leg injuries.
Unlike others, I retain faith in early draft selections Brett Deledio and Richard Tambling.
Young players are marked far too hard in the modern game, with assessments set in stone on relative babies.
Deledio doesn't turn 21 until mid-April, Tambling, lured out of the Northern Territory at 18, turned 21 in September.
Chris Judd and a couple of others have made life difficult for young players. The reality is draftees deserve five seasons and 70-80 games before a fair assessment of their worth.
While it's fair to say Richmond doesn't look exciting on paper, confidence is an amazing thing in sport.
Who knows what might unfold if the Tigers win their first two games, maybe even three?
They start with Carlton, with Judd either not playing or playing probably no more than 50 minutes. No better time to get the Blues.
Then they have a 10-day break before facing North Melbourne, with the Roos coming off a six-day break.
Then it's Collingwood, and, for some reason, the Tigers save their best for Collingwood.
Three games at the MCG, three possible wins. Wouldn't that breathe some life into Punt Rd.
Except for No. 1 draftee Trent Cotchin, Richmond has been injury-free.
That's a huge plus.
In Round 1 last year, the absentees included Brown, Simmonds, Thursfield and Mark Coughlan. All are available and fit this time.
The quartet produced just 36 games last year, and none was fully fit at any point.
Terry Wallace plans to play Deledio forward. To try to turn him into a Brad Johnson – the fast-leading, strong-marking, straight-kicking spearhead.
Johnson is a star, but Deledio has similar physical attributes.
Believe it or not, he is 7cm taller than Johnson and probably an even better kick for goal.
I hope Wallace keeps the faith with Deledio. Not much point persisting with Matthew Richardson as the solitary target in the forward line.
Richo has won the Richmond goalkicking in 11 of the past 12 years, a phenomenal record, yet the Tigers have played finals only once in that time. We say let him run free up the ground and create an alternative avenue to goal in the process.
Hopefully, Wallace will have his players adopt a more direct approach this year.
Give Richardson, Deledio, perhaps Graham Polak and maybe even Jack Riewoldt the chance to go one-on-one in marking contests.
Encourage the midfielders and half-backs to adopt the Nathan Foley philosophy of running hard and straight.
While there is optimism within the camp, the expectation is 2009 will be the year of major improvement.
Unfortunately for Wallace and his support team, and Greg Miller and the Gary March administration, patience is almost exhausted among the supporter group.
The past three years have produced just 24 wins, with a best finish of ninth (11 wins) in 2006.
The football electorate doesn't embrace five-year plans. Probably hasn't since Ron Barassi's ill-fated return to Melbourne in 1981, when the Demons lost ground over the five-year term.
No, Richmond's improvement must start immediately.
Ten wins should be the target, eight would be acceptable, any return of less than six would be fatal.
I suspect we shall know which way they're heading after three rounds. They need two wins from that bracket.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23306855-19742,00.html
