Richmond 2017 AFL mid-season report card (Herald-Sun)

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Richmond 2017 AFL mid-season report card

Chris Cavanagh,
Herald Sun
13 June 2017

WHO picked Richmond to finish in the top eight before the start of the season?

Answer: 0 of 18 Herald Sun experts and 0 of 17 AFL captains excluding Tigers skipper Trent Cotchin.

Even the most passionate of Richmond supporters — club games record holder Kevin Bartlett — picked the Tigers to finish 15th.

After winning just two of nine games to finish 2016 it was hard to argue otherwise back in March, all the signs pointing to yet another gloomy year for already long-suffering Richmond supporters.

But the Tigers have turned their game on its head and in turn proven the doubters wrong.

After 11 rounds, Richmond sits fourth on the ladder with a record of 7-4 — the club’s equal-best start to a season since it went 10-1 in 1995.

Sydney premiership coach Paul Roos is one who likes what he sees, saying the Tigers are playing finals-like football.

“This is a different Tigers team. I see a very, very competitive Tigers team week in and week out,” Roos said on Triple M last month.

“I see a team that plays ­finals football; they win the ­territory battle, get re-entries into the forward 50 and they have some really good crumbing forwards.”

Three of Richmond’s four losses to Western Bulldogs, Fremantle and Greater Western Sydney have come by a combined 10 points.

But while frustrating for fans, coach Damien Hardwick has taken the glass half full approach that his side has been in winning positions in every match except for a 76-point loss to Adelaide in Round 6 and will only get better.

“Our best footy’s still in front of us,” Hardwick said after the Round 9 loss to GWS.

“We’ve got young, developing players who are going to get better as the year progresses.”

The injection of youth has been a key to the change of fortunes at Punt Rd.

Round 11 Rising Star nominee Dan Butler and fellow small forward Shai Bolton have made their debuts in a lively new-look forward line which also includes 20 year old’s Daniel Rioli and Jason Castagna, the four forming the “mosquito fleet” and applying significant pressure on opposition defences.

Midfield pair Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin are arguably in career-best form along with the ever-reliable Alex Rance in defence while the addition of ruckman Toby Nankervis has been monumental.

But Hardwick — who came under significant heat last year — and his new-look coaching panel also deserve significant credit for implementing a far more attacking game plan, moving away from the sideways-kicking possession game the Tigers were known for in 2016.

Richmond is averaging 89 points a game (up from 78 last year) as a result of an average inside-50 count that has climbed from 46 to 58.

What started as a season of little promise is quickly turning into one that could prove quite prosperous.

ROBBO SAYS:

Time to stop doubting and start acknowledging. Before this week they were fourth with a 7-4 win-loss record and lost two of them on the button. Could be top. But they aren’t and that’s because they weren’t mature enough to close out games. Defensively they are a bomb and it’s the single reason underpinning their improvement this year. Helps having two of the best players in the comp, plus a revitalised Trent Cotchin. Forward pressure plus midfield working both ways is a tick and David Astbury at the back is vastly underrated. Like the Tigers and they will play finals. Then the pressure comes all over again because Hardwick needs a finals win more than any coach.

SEASON SNAPSHOT

Ladder Position: 4th

Wins: 7

Losses: 4

Percentage: 111.6

Last Year: 13th

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TIGERS

THE STAR — Dustin Martin

Dustin Martin, take a bow. Equal favourite to win the Brownlow Medal, Martin is enjoying career-best form. Martin is averaging 30 disposals (15 contested) and has kicked 15 goals from 11 games spending more time forward.

SURPRISE PACKET — Toby Nankervis

Had played just 12 games in two years at Sydney before being traded over summer but has become one of the premier ruckman in the competition. Averaging 15 disposals, four clearances, four tackles and 26 hit-outs.

GONE BACKWARDS — Sam Lloyd

Played every game last season and finished as Richmond’s second-highest goalkicker behind Jack Riewoldt with 35 majors as a mid-sized marking forward but has been picked for just four games this season and has kicked only three goals.


THE STATS THAT MATTER

Ranking Points (ave)

Dustin Martin 118

Trent Cotchin 108

Toby Nankervis 98

Shaun Grigg 92

Bachar Houli 92

Disposals (ave)

Dustin Martin 29.9

Trent Cotchin 25.5

Shaun Grigg 24

Bachar Houli 22.8

Dion Prestia 22.8

Kick Rating

Alex Rance +7.2%

Brandon Ellis +5.3%

Dustin Martin +4.9%

Jack Riewoldt +2.9%

Kamdyn McIntosh +2.7%

Contested Possessions (ave)

Dustin Martin 14.5

Trent Cotchin 12.3

Shaun Grigg 9.2

Dion Prestia 8.9

Toby Nankervis 8.9

Uncontested Possessions (ave)

Dustin Martin 14.6

Dion Prestia 14.1

Shaun Grigg 13.9

Brandon Ellis 13.5

Bachar Houli 13.3


Metres Gained (ave)

Dustin Martin 564

Shaun Grigg 435

Trent Cotchin 432

Bachar Houli 395

Jayden Short 370

Intercept Possessions (ave)

Alex Rance 9

David Astbury 7.6

Bachar Houli 5.9

Brandon Ellis 5.5

Dylan Grimes 5.5

Score Involvements (ave)

Dustin Martin 7.9

Jack Riewoldt 7.1

Shane Edwards 7

Shaun Grigg 5.9

Trent Cotchin 5.8

Pressure Points (ave)

Trent Cotchin 51.4

Kane Lambert 43.5

Dustin Martin 41.9

Dion Prestia 40.6

Shai Bolton 40.4

Goals

Jack Riewoldt 29

Dustin Martin 16

Jason Castagna 12

Daniel Rioli 12

Dan Butler 11


TRADING PLACES

COMING?

Could Sam Reid be lured back to Melbourne? Damien Hardwick, and Jack Riewoldt even more so, would love some extra support deep inside 50. With Josh Schache now off the market, Reid might be the man Richmond targets as it looks to find a reliable second tall in attack.

GOING?

Say it aint so, Dusty. No-one seriously thinks the Tigers’ best player will up and leave, do they? Him aside, there could be a couple of fringe Tigers looking for greater opportunity — as there is at every club. And if Richmond does go hunting that big forward, someone might have to go in any prospective deal.

FINALS ANALYSIS

Odds for eight: $1.30

Odds for flag: $21

The run home is no tougher than the first half of the year for the Tigers, who should sail into September after finishing 13th last year. A top-four berth is unlikely but not out of the question if Richmond gets on a roll.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-surprising-experts-in-2017-and-showing-theyre-a-legitimate-finals-contender/news-story/1d0deeedf36d62745768ee03817cd21c