Richmond season preview - afl.com.au

[wayne]

Season preview: Richmond

Richmond
Played: 22
Won: 11
Lost: 10
Drew: 1
Finished: 9th
Best and Fairest: Brett Deledio

2009 IN BRIEF
Coach: Terry Wallace
Captain: Chris Newman
Coaching staff: Brian Royal (director of coaching), David King, Wayne Campbell (assistants), Jade Rawlings (VFL)

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES
Arrivals
Onfield: Ben Cousins (Port Melbourne), Adam Thomson (Port Adelaide), Tyrone Vickery, Jayden Post, Tom Hislop (Essendon), Robin Nahas (rookie), David Gourdis (rookie), Andrew Browne (rookie), Alroy Gilligan (rookie)
Off-field: Wayne Campbell (midfield coach, from Western Bulldogs)

Departures
Onfield: Greg Tivendale (retired), Chris Hyde (delisted), Danny Meyer (delisted), Travis Casserly (delisted), David Gourdis (delisted), Tristan Cartledge (rookie), Cameron Howat (rookie), Clayton Collard (rookie)
Off-field: -

FIXTURE
Richmond only faces three finalists twice – those three clubs being the Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne and the Sydney Swans.

The Tigers again kick off the new season against Carlton at the MCG, with the start not softened by matches against Geelong and the Bulldogs in the following weeks.

Richmond plays 11 games at the MCG, with seven straight between rounds 15 and 21, which could encourage a run close to the finals.

INJURY LIST
Daniel Connors (broken hand) – 2-3 weeks
Kayne Pettifer (knee) – 3 weeks
Kane Johnson (knee) – 3-4 weeks
Trent Cotchin (Achilles) – indefinite

MATT BURGAN’S PLAYER RATINGS
5 – Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley, Matthew Richardson (3 players – 115 points)
Deledio took his game to another level in 2008, winning the club's best and fairest. Richardson might be the oldest player in the AFL, but his extraordinary form of 2008 should continue. Foley looks ready to go to another level and showed for Victoria last year he could play in elite company.

4 – Joel Bowden, Nathan Brown, Ben Cousins, Daniel Jackson, Jordan McMahon, Kelvin Moore, Mitch Morton, Chris Newman, Andrew Raines, Troy Simmonds, Shane Tuck (11 players – 44 points)
Cousins could be elite again, but must be given time. Bowden, Brown, Newman, Simmonds and Tuck have experience and a vital to the Tigers’ set-up. Raines, after an injury-hit 2008, looks ready to bounce back hard. McMahon is very good, while Moore and Morton stepped up last year. Jackson has had a fine pre-season and looks ready for the next level. 

3 – Daniel Connors, Trent Cotchin, Mark Coughlan, Shane Edwards, Angus Graham, Tom Hislop, Cleve Hughes, Kane Johnson, Jake King, Luke McGuane, Adam Pattison, Dean Polo, Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt, Jay Schulz, Richard Tambling, Adam Thomson, Will Thursfield, Tyrone Vickery, Matt White, Robin Nahas (rookie) (21 players – 663 points)
Connors, Edwards, Graham, Hislop, Hughes, McGuane, Pattison, Polo, Riewoldt, Tambling, Thomson and Thursfield – a dozen players aged 21-23 this year are capable of stepping up. The question is who will? Cotchin should be elite sooner than later, but an achilles problem is a worry. Johnson and Coughlan have knee issues. Rance and Vickery will debut and play. White could blossom in 2009. Expect Nahas to get an opportunity.

2 – Andrew Collins, Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, Kayne Pettifer, Graham Polak, Jayden Post, Andrew Browne (rookie), Jarrod Silvester (rookie) (7 players – 14 points)
Oakley-Nicholls is now in his fourth season and will be expected to step-up. Collins is another who will be looking to make strides. Pettifer will still take time due to his knee injury last year and Polak will still be treated cautiously. Draftee Post could also debut and 205cm Browne is a smoky.

1 – Dean Putt, Alroy Gilligan (rookie), David Gourdis (rookie) (3 players – 3 points)
Gilligan and Gourdis (who was a senior list player last season) are set for the VFL. Putt is another developing ruckman/key forward who could push up during the season, but is likely to spend the season with the Coburg Tigers.

Total team rating – 139 (5 of 16, league-wide)

THE YEAR AHEAD
It’s very simple for Richmond this year – nothing but finals will be good enough, either for the team or for coach Terry Wallace, whose five-year deal expires come October. The Tigers made huge improvements in 2008 to finish ninth, and with a young and exciting list can expect to continue that progression.

To achieve that goal, Matthew Richardson, Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley, Chris Newman, Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt, Ben Cousins, Nathan Foley, Will Thursfield, Kel Moore and Mitch Morton need to fire.

WHAT THE CLUB SAYS
"Sixteenth to ninth is a lot easier than ninth to eighth. No-one's going to give up their spot in finals for nothing. You only have to see the last part of last year – sides that were second and third were losing games, sides that were eighth or seventh wouldn't lose no matter what happened. We were sitting there witnessing it – they weren't going to lose to anyone, because no-one wants to give up their chance."
- Richmond coach Terry Wallace

http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=73298

[Stripes]

Just for my own curiousity -

Under what circumstances do you believe TW would be given an extension to his contract IF the Tigers DIDN'T make the finals???

Stripes

[Chuck17]

I would be interested to hear too Stripes if anyone can substantiate an extension without finals.

Realistically I dont think there are any circumstances in which a extension will be granted.

I have not considered highly improbable situations such as mass major injuries or the like.

[cub]

Just for my own curiousity -

Under what circumstances do you believe TW would be given an extension to his contract IF the Tigers DIDN'T make the finals???

Stripes

Something I have been pondering myself stripey!

First and foremost the bottom line is, time is up! and all scenarios aside only finals will do.
That said if we can be more consistant in our efforts 'The gap between our best and worst' was still too big last year. Must beat sides more often that are rated higher or are expected to beat us during the year. If we were able to do this it should put us in the 8 anyway but if we just miss with say 11-13 wins and a much better percentage then that could help.
Still my gut feeling is if Wallace can't get it out of them this year maybe some fresh ideas may do the trick.
All soooo confusing, it is sooooo hard being a tiger fan sometimes  

But other times it is Fn Gr8  

Finals or Bust

[Infamy]

I would hope he'd get another year if we have a couple/few senior players go down with long term injury but the kids brought in to replace him still have us fighting for a Top 8 spot

Can't see it happening though

[mat073]

As soon as its clear that we cant make the finals I believe TW will walk.His credibility will be shot to bits if we dont make the eight this year.Five years is long enough.....even taking into account he took over a basket case at the end of 2004.

[wayne]

Under what circumstances do you believe TW would be given an extension to his contract IF the Tigers DIDN'T make the finals???

I reckon it'd be a possibility if all 6 of our veterans went down with injuries and the youngsters still got us to 9th or 10th.

[one-eyed]

Burgan's rankings so far

1.
2.
3.
4. Carlton       140 points
5. Richmond    139 points
6.
7.
8. Port Adel.    138 points
9. West Coast 138 points
10.
11. Fremantle 136 points
12. Brisbane   134 points
13. Essendon 133 points
14.
15.
16. Melbourne 129 points

[one-eyed]

Burgan's player ratings criteria...

5 – ELITE PLAYER
* A franchise/star player
* Critical to team
* A player projected to enter the elite bracket in 2009

4 – KEY PLAYER
* Proven/clearly in best 22 or projected to step-up in 2009
* Right on the cusp of elite
* Has been or may still be elite, but injury concerns or being in the veteran stage of career just reduces status

3 – REGULAR PLAYER
* More than likely in best 22 or on the cusp/good depth player
* A young-gun, fine prospect or possibly a rookie expected to be an improver in 2009
* Good player, but has injury concerns, reducing his rating

2 – NON-REGULAR PLAYER
* Unlikely to be in best 22
* A good player but set to miss a large portion of the 2009 season due to injury
* A veteran/middle age/young-gun/emerging or rookie-list player likely to feature in some or a handful of matches in 2009 because of injury, form or simply being a depth player

1 – DEVELOPMENT OR INJURED PLAYER
* A new draftee, rookie-list player or raw/long-term prospect unlikely to play in 2009
* An injured player who is unlikely to play in 2009
* A player who has already retired or quit the club before the start of the 2009 premiership season

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/73245/default.aspx

[wayne]

Burgan's rankings so far

1.
2.
3.
4. Carlton       140 points
5. Richmond    139 points
6.
7.
8. Port Adel.    138 points
9. West Coast 138 points
10.
11. Fremantle 136 points
12. Brisbane   134 points
13. Essendon 133 points
14.
15.
16. Melbourne 129 points

He rated Jarrad Waite as a 5 (Elite) player   

[blaisee]

Wallet will get a new contract even if we dont make the finals on the following set of circumstances

Our best players  ( Richo Lids Axle Brown Moore Simmo Cotch Cousins ) all go down with serious injuries and miss alot of the season

The unproven players as a result of the increase opportunities show massive improvement and make us very competitive against all opposition and appear to have the tools to become elite, A grade. These players include Jackson, Edwards, Rance, Connors, Collins Vickery Post Nahas Browne Riewoldt Gilligan JON Hughes Putt

Our B grade players through development programmes become A grade players, EG
Tambling Newman Mcmahon Pettifer Mcguane Thirsty Raines Polak Thomson Hislop White

Even if we dont make the finals due to injury, it is still theoretically possible IMHO for wallet to get a new contract, possible, but not probable.

I am sure I have missed a few, but you get the general idea

[WilliamPowell]

Wallet will get a new contract even if we dont make the finals on the following set of circumstances

Our best players  ( Richo Lids Axle Brown Moore Simmo Cotch Cousins ) all go down with serious injuries and miss alot of the season

The unproven players as a result of the increase opportunities show massive improvement and make us very competitive against all opposition and appear to have the tools to become elite, A grade. These players include Jackson, Edwards, Rance, Connors, Collins Vickery Post Nahas Browne Riewoldt Gilligan JON Hughes Putt

Our B grade players through development programmes become A grade players, EG
Tambling Newman Mcmahon Pettifer Mcguane Thirsty Raines Polak Thomson Hislop White

Even if we dont make the finals due to injury, it is still theoretically possible IMHO for wallet to get a new contract, possible, but not probable.

I am sure I have missed a few, but you get the general idea

Have to agree with blaisee

Lose a couple of our main players and things could change dramatically.... as I said on a previous thread it is something all teams face not just the Tigers

Go back a few years when Sydney won the flag. One of the main reasons was the fact they had very few injuries at the "business" end of the season

[mightytiges]

Wallet will get a new contract even if we dont make the finals on the following set of circumstances

Our best players  ( Richo Lids Axle Brown Moore Simmo Cotch Cousins ) all go down with serious injuries and miss alot of the season

The unproven players as a result of the increase opportunities show massive improvement and make us very competitive against all opposition and appear to have the tools to become elite, A grade. These players include Jackson, Edwards, Rance, Connors, Collins Vickery Post Nahas Browne Riewoldt Gilligan JON Hughes Putt

Our B grade players through development programmes become A grade players, EG
Tambling Newman Mcmahon Pettifer Mcguane Thirsty Raines Polak Thomson Hislop White

Even if we dont make the finals due to injury, it is still theoretically possible IMHO for wallet to get a new contract, possible, but not probable.

I am sure I have missed a few, but you get the general idea

That's the way it should be judged as no one knows how a season will turn out. Not this black and white finals/no-finals clause that the club has told the world. Likewise if we did make 8th on the back of the older guys having blinders of a year and no injuries yet get flogged out in the first week and over the year there was little improvement from the rest of the list then that shouldn't be a guaranteed contract extension for Wallace either. The judgement on Terry should be based on the rebuilding and development of the list over the 5 years and whether he is man for the job to take the list to the next level. Sure performance of the team on the park is a KPI but there's more to it than just finals/no-finals. Oh well it doesn't matter what we say now as the club has made it's bed publicly. If we make the finals Plough stays; if no finals then it's bye-bye Terry no matter what excuse.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Another scenario may also be.......

Wallace may also get a new contract also maybe for 2 years if

We are there or thereabouts all season lets say 6-5 at half way
12-10 at the end much like in 1998 and we just miss out by the skin of our teeth.

We are in the 8 albeit just in for a significant chunk in the year or just out on % or a game out in 9th and 10th for the other chunk. So the future is still bright and the improvement and growth is still there and evident especially in our younger players whilst our veterans are still performing admirably and worthy of their place but significantly our kids are looking really good. So that in itself is keeping the board inactive on Terry for the time being lets say at half way.

Performances are consistent. No real bad losses in terms of margins but acceptable losses to big boys like Geelong.

Rather than sack him prematurely due to us being there or there abouts at the half way mark with the risk of distabilising the club and playing group as well as providing the club with negative feedback once again the club does nothing waiting to see what will transpire one way or another. This ensures no what if questions arise. What if Wallace wasn't sacked would we have made the finals. What if we got on a roll we were ready to explode, and in the current economic crisis this may have a negative if effect on memberships espcially if its announced in early August that Terry won't be coaching us in 2010 and all the negativity results in us losing our last half dozen games or so.. Furthermore being 6-5 leaves him out of the papers with all the journos vitriol and rhetoric but rather the journos are reporting on the carnage hapenning at other clubs whose coaches are also in the last year of contracts who are 3-8 and 2-9 with huge losses and no hope for 2009.

Following on other clubs who have coaches in the last year of contracts or are just having horrendous seasons are sacking or have sacked their coaches and the best candidates whether existing coaches have moved clubs or the best and most talented assistant coaches have been snapped up leaving Richmond to pick the cream of the crop like coaches of the ilk of Knights, Frawley, Rohde etc. Do we go with the "devil" we already know or the "devil" we don't know.

If there is no other candidate available that has the right credentials what would the club do?  Send us down the path we were at before with a new coach who may be out of his depth and just happy to have a senior coaching gig like Spud. Would the club have a go behind Terry's back in the latter stages of the season as an insurance policy to try and entice someone who has had success before like a Matthews and hope the carrot dangled in front of him is enough to get him to sign.

For all intents and purposes despite all the hardtalk and innuendo the situations around us may conspire in such a way that Terry will get a new 2 year deal despite us just missing the 8. Again.
Other clubs
Coaching candidates
Economic Crisis
Money Issues
More improvement
Supporter Backlash
Fans Spending Habits as a result of Economic Crisis.
Sponsors

[Infamy]

How many coaches in recent (say the last 15-20 years) have stepped in and had a side in a grand final within 12-24 months? Matthews still took 3 years before he had success at the Lions, he was the only one I could think of. Generally it takes a couple of seasons for a playing group to adjust to a new coaching style, so the question is, do we want to take a step backwards before going forwards?

At least StKilda gave Grant Thomas a couple of decent cracks at the finals with the list he'd inherited and built before they gave him the boot, but they're now only just regrouping after Ross Lyon was appointed.

Neil Craig had an immediate impact at the Crows, but it never got them anywhere