Do Richmond have a chance to contend next year?

[thetradesman]

Before I even start, the tigers are no chance of winning a flag this year. It's simply not going to happen for us, we ruined that chance earlier in the year when we dropped 3 very winnable games to the dees, cats, dogs.

But Do Richmond have a chance to contend in 2016? Let's have a look at our best 22 without trades and FA if we are injury free.

FB: Vlastuin, Rance, Batchelor

CHB: Grimes, Chaplin, Houli

C: B.Ellis, Martin, McIntosh

HFF: Edwards, Reiwoldt, Deledio

FF: Lennon, Vickery, Griffiths

F: Maric, Cotchin, Miles

Int: C.Ellis, Newman, Conca , Grigg

Now the strongest part of this richmond team is the midfield, the likes of Cotchin, Deledio, Martin, Miles, Edwards, Ellis all pushing through there in stages, and are now developing depth through there with Vlastuin, Corey Ellis, Conca and Grigg playing there.

Every other area is pretty good as well, which IMO holds us in good stead to challenge next year.


Let's evaluate the list by A graders and down

A graders:
Deledio
Cotchin
Rance
Reiwoldt
Martin
Edwards

B+ graders:
Maric
Miles
Ellis

B graders:
Vlastuin
Grimes
Chaplin
Newman
Houli

Young players who could turn into A or B graders are Lennon, Ellis, Conca, Griffiths

I will be doing certain team previews in the coming weeks, do the big footy faithful agree with this?

 

[Quivorir]

Just like every year they will tease and fail.

 

[vWestCoast]

Do tiger fans actually enjoy setting themselves up to fail?

 

[Pendles!]

I don't think so. For me there's just not enough players in that list that are going to get the job done in a high pressure final.

Massive question marks on guys like Grigg, Houli, Newman, Conca and Vickery.

Too many good/okay players, not enough great players.

 

[Richo83]

I want to see Lambert in there, he allows the likes of Edwards, Martin and Deledio to play more forward and gives Richmond more scoring power. Plus, I'm not sure Newman can justifiably play on in 2016. I think the gap between premiership contention and where Richmond are is too big, it wont be bridged next year. With a bit of luck and form, maybe in the next years after that. Although the suns and giants will be coming hard.

 

[#gosaintas]

No chance. Ordinary list and a poor coach.

But the crowds....and the roar....


ROOOOOAAAAAARRRRR

That's all that matters really

 

[Righteo]

They've shown during the last two years that they can match it with the best, the final piece to fall into place will be consistency. I see no reason why they can't finish top 4 and give it a serious crack next year. Having said that, they need the belief that they're worthy of being a finals team, absolutely have to win a final this year.

 

[peppy la pew]

Very generous with your A graders especially the last 2, just not consistent enough yet.

 

[Seedsfan]

Would like to see you win a final this season. At this stage I think 8-10 teams could contend next year

 

[Silent Alarm]

I've heard of the yearly Richmond hype machine after a few wins against s**t teams, but I've never heard of the Richmond hype machine after a loss at home to Fremantle...

 

[BoxMatrix]

Very generous with your A graders especially the last 2, just not consistent enough yet.

Besides Cotchin, Deledio, and Reiwoldt, none of the A graders listed are actually A graders.

 

[HBFlanker]

Absolutely can contend. Are in a fantastic position. Then again so were Port and they now look a few years off.

Things can change pretty quickly. Clubs need to take their opportunities.

Unless your hawthorn who are just always good.

 

[Hawkk]

Is Edwards still a better player than Cyril?

 

[Silent Alarm]

But to answer your question – no way. The Hawks, even if everyone from Hodge to Mitchell et al retire, are still going to be better than you. Sydney won't have many retirements and will steal some draft pick/trade and be better than you. Freo, even with Pav, Lukey, and maybe Sandi gone, are still better than you. Port will be better than you.

For as long as you're playing Houli, relying on a Dusty Martin who could be a Brownlow Medallist if he actually gave effort/Trent Cotchin who goes missing/Delidio who seems to be a media magnet despite barely doing anything, as well as letting poor old Jack Riewoldt be a one man forward, you will be nothing.

I like Dimma but his record would be sackable at most other clubs.

The admin seems pretty happy to do not much.

The fans are happy with losing a final.

Cotchin loses a game and his interviews as captain are, no s**t, made up of a hundred shoulder shrugs, "I dunno, we just didn't get the win"s, and aw shucks expressions.

The Tiges are perennial pretenders. The club needs a clean up from admin, to coaching staff, to recruiters, to whoever designed their new clubrooms.

 

[DerpWerls]

Dustin Martin a B grader

 

[HBFlanker]

I would swap Vlastaiun and Maric in your groups.

Maric has been dated multiple times this year.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Needs another gun midfielder

 

[HBFlanker]

But to answer your question – no way. The Hawks, even if everyone from Hodge to Mitchell et al retire, are still going to be better than you. Sydney won't have many retirements and will steal some draft pick/trade and be better than you. Freo, even with Pav, Lukey, and maybe Sandi gone, are still better than you. Port will be better than you.

For as long as you're playing Houli, relying on a Dusty Martin who could be a Brownlow Medallist if he actually gave effort/Trent Cotchin who goes missing/Delidio who seems to be a media magnet despite barely doing anything, as well as letting poor old Jack Riewoldt be a one man forward, you will be nothing.

I like Dimma but his record would be sackable at most other clubs.

The admin seems pretty happy to do not much.

The fans are happy with losing a final.

Cotchin loses a game and his interviews as captain are, no s**t, made up of a hundred shoulder shrugs, "I dunno, we just didn't get the win"s, and aw shucks expressions.

The Tiges are perennial pretenders. The club needs a clean up from admin, to coaching staff, to recruiters, to whoever designed their new clubrooms.

The irony of a Fremantle supporter calling another team pretenders is almost enough to blow up the internet.

 

[Godchin]

Too much vanilla. I can't see us improving too much next season and I'm expecting teams like Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide, Collingwood and GWS to catch up.

Hawthorn and possibly West Coast, Sydney, Fremantle and North will be thereabouts too.

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

midfield bats deep enough. book ends are good. but they need michael walters or someone like that. small forwards are so critical in those finals games when marks inside 50 are hard to come by.

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

Yes. It's much easier to improve a team with awesome top end talent and a s**t bottom 4-5 than it is to improve a reasonably well rounded team with no stand outs. Replace hunt/Gordon/Lloyd with someone even halfway decent (maybe Motlop, maybe a fitter Corey Ellis) and Richmond will rapidly improve from their current 5th placed ranking.

Also, absolutely no chance Chris Newman is still there next year.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Where's Kane Lambert sit with the best 22? Have a vested interest in his career so just curious.

They're contending for top 4 this year with a not-old list. They're a real shot at being a contender next year.

 

[Flukey!]

History suggests no.

 

[Proper Gander]

Contend actually just means compete

So unless the AFL have some secret plan to deregister Richmond for some strange, secret reason (Cotchin's hair maybe) then I would say yes. Richmond will contend in 2016

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

Where's Kane Lambert sit with the best 22? Have a vested interest in his career so just curious.

They're contending for top 4 this year with a not-old list. They're a real shot at being a contender next year.

He played really well on the weekend, but had been invisible in his first few games. If he dishes up more of what we saw on the weekend, he'll have a career.