Terry's boys must start playing defence tonight
Mark Robinson | March 26, 2009 12:00am
THE truth now confronts Terry Wallace and his Tigers. The truth about tackling and defensive pressure. In 2009, they must defend or they will die.
Richmond and Wallace tonight begin the most important season of their past five together, but if the trend that has haunted this group continues, Wallace will be looking for a job and the Tigers a new coach at season's end.
Richmond finished 16th in tackles last year, 267 behind league leader Geelong.
In the four years under Wallace, the Tigers - how ironic the nickname - have buttered up 13th (2005), 13th (2006), 16th (2007) and 16th (2008) in tackles.
Under Wallace, they have won the tackle count in just 29 of 88 games and executed 531 tackles fewer than its opponents, clearly the worst of any team.
It was 1072 tackles less than the Brisbane Lions in the same period.
These are the stats. But stats merely confirm the story.
The Tigers have re-built in the past four seasons and offensively are ready to play finals.
They were the fifth-highest scorer last year, but goals are only half the solution.
The flip side is defensive pressure; tackling, harassing, second and third efforts, sacrifices and the unselfishness.
Basically, it's the Brad Sewell approach to football.
Zone football or not, tackling is the most wonderful example of character football.
One tackle can turn a game. It sends a powerful message, it lifts teammates, it defines belief and it make opponents nervous.
The Tigers lack character as a football team.
Wallace must accept responsibility as coach and the players as a team, but they can change it, for their destiny is theirs to be carved.
To achieve, though, players have to adjust their attitude.
Last year, the AFL average was 2.45 tackles a game per player.
Eight Tigers, who played 11 games or more, were above the average. There were 15 below.
Just three of their top five tacklers - Shane Tuck (84), Nathan Foley (75) and Kane Johnson (54) - finished in the top 10 in their best and fairest.
Richmond's playmakers have to lift.
Matthew Richardson (0.6 tackles a game equates to 12 for the 2008 season), Jordan McMahon (1.6), Nathan Brown (1.7), Kelvin Moore (1.
, Chris Newman (2.0), Brett Deledio (2.2), Mitch Morton (2.1), Joel Bowden (2.2) and Shane Edwards (1.9) have to improve their output.
Maybe simply one tackle a game.
Add to them Ben Cousins, who is a prolific ball-winner, but not a prolific tackler.
In a sense, the players and Wallace like flair football. But flair can take you only so far.
Richmond's problem is not enough players instinctively switch from offensive to defensive mindset.
They attack the footy unquestionably, but if they miss it, some give the impression they are thinking about their next possession.
Meanwhile, the opposition is away.
Sewell goes for the ball once, twice, and if he still misses it, he hunts the man. Watch last year's Grand Final, the third quarter.
The Tigers have a talented list, but Wallace knows he has to complement that with a defensive mindset.
That's why Matthew White (3.2 tackles a game last year), Richard Tambling (3.3) and Daniel Jackson (3.5) are important to the team.
It's why Wallace recruited hard nuts Adam Thomson and Tom Hislop and it's why Wallace likes Alex Rance.
It's why Shane Tuck (3.
and Nathan Foley (3.6) are crucial in the midfield, and it's why the injured Mark Coughlan has left too big a hole.
In the four years under Wallace, Coughlan led allcomers with a tackle average of 4.0.
"We need to be defensively more sound," Wallace told the Herald Sun earlier this month.
"Offensively, we were sixth in the competition, but defensively we weren't good enough, be that tackling, prevention of inside 50s, that's the area of our game that needed to improve.
"So what we've spent more time doing is how we're going to structure up to be defensively more sound, than running into brick walls trying to tackle blokes."
The pre-season saw improvement.
The Collingwood game was abysmal - just 26 tackles - but their differential from Round 1 of the NAB Cup to the final practice game was -29, -21, -20 and then -6 against the Lions.
It's a message Wallace can use, but, again, they are numbers.
In essence, it is about character.
For the Tigers, the journey begins tonight.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25242727-19742,00.html
