Are Richmond the next Bulldogs?

[Aramis]

Bulldogs weren't really beating other Contenders. It's nonsense to expect this year to be like last year anyway.
They are top 4 and like every other club it's form at the end of the year that counts.

They beat the Crows, Eagles and Swans at SCG in the first 15 rounds and were 8-3 after 11 rounds... they were definitely beating contenders...

 

[Bardo State]

If they hit the finals in form and with a healthy list, they're a chance.

 

[Bokonon_]

They beat the Crows, Eagles and Swans at SCG in the first 15 rounds and were 8-3 after 11 rounds... they were definitely beating contenders...

Only the Swans were a top 4 side.

 

[HumanMeatball]

Not started by a Richmond poster. Good

 

[Aramis]

Only the Swans were a top 4 side.

Adelaide and West Coast were equal on points with 4th and only out by percentage...
Bulldogs were tracking better at this point.... However id like Richmond to repeat history.

 

[ManOfClay]

Trust bok to be in here right away trying to discredit the dogs.


For a supporter of a club with no history he loves talking about the dogs'

 

[Bulldog1954]

That's one top 4 side last year, and again this is about 2017.

Ummm, you were referencing the Bulldogs not beating other contenders last year. Hence why I mentioned last year

 

[Bokonon_]

Ummm, you were referencing the Bulldogs not beating other contenders last year. Hence why I mentioned last year

Actuakly the post I quoted referred to top 4 sides.
I feel for Richmond supporters if an objectively correct post, draws this many outraged posters.
Luckily I'm not, and am genuinely neutral so I'll leave it at that.

 

[DroopStDanny]

That's one top 4 side last year, and again this is about 2017.

Guess you missed this bit in the OP.

I think they're in a similar position to what the Bulldogs were last year

 

[The_Flying_Egg]

No, the Bulldogs win finals. End of thread.

It still seems bizarre to see comments like 'The Bulldogs win finals '

 

[Bulldog1954]

Actuakly the post I quoted referred to top 4 sides.
I feel for Richmond supporters if an objectively correct post, draws this many outraged posters.
Luckily I'm not, and am genuinely neutral so I'll leave it at that.

You have an interesting take on outraged I'm not sure I or anyone in this thread has demonstrated any rage.

Anyway, enough from me I'll leave you to get back to your interesting take on things.

 

[AstuteTiger]

Richmond are 1-4 against top 8 sides this year (Solitary win against WCE at the MCG), Bulldogs beat Sydney/Adelaide/WCE/North last year. I'll start rating the Tigers when they beat some decent sides. The Tigers can't hold a candle to the depth of the Dogs in 2016 either, they've had a dream injury run so far.

dees were top 8 also when we beat them.
Our bad that we threw away games against other top 8 sides in Freo and gws.
Dogs beat us by 5 points but those games can go either way!
Dream run, no we haven't we've had our fair share of injuries too!

 

[ManOfClay]

Luckily I'm not, and am genuinely neutral so I'll leave it at that.

Lies.

You are massively obsessed with the Bulldogs.

 

[copthat]

Richmond are 1-4 against top 8 sides this year (Solitary win against WCE at the MCG), Bulldogs beat Sydney/Adelaide/WCE/North last year. I'll start rating the Tigers when they beat some decent sides. The Tigers can't hold a candle to the depth of the Dogs in 2016 either, they've had a dream injury run so far.

I don't agree with the contention of this thread whatsoever, I think we're a bottom 8 side at best but the bolded is just an incorrect statement. We've probably had our worst run of injury under Hardwick.

 

[Tales]

Their run and carry through the middle, team work, speed, ferocity at the contests is very Bulldogs-like. At times you just feel they can overrun teams, like they did against North in the second half last night. Very impressive. Dustin Martin and Dangerfield are the type of players who almost seem to be able to pull their team across the line, like Wayne Carey or James Hird in the late 90s. I think they're in a similar position to what the Bulldogs were last year, could they surprise most people and be a serious contender for the flag this year? I mean realistically. Do you think struggling to win close games has been just bad luck, or is there an art to winning the close ones, which the Dogs got quite good at? Breaking the third longest drought in VFL/AFL history would be great to see.

Richmond are the next Richmond just pretenders and always will be oh poor old tigers I nearly feel sry for them at times !

 

[schmuttt]

dees were top 8 also when we beat them.
Our bad that we threw away games against other top 8 sides in Freo and gws.
Dogs beat us by 5 points but those games can go either way!
Dream run, no we haven't we've had our fair share of injuries too!

Players like Vlastuin and Conca aren't big losses if that's what you're referring to. Your top 5 (Martin Riewoldt Cotchin Rance Nank) are all in really good form and haven't missed a game. Like I said earlier don't think Richmond are crap and I think they'll sneak into the 8 come end of year but if any of those guys I just mentioned go down for an extended period you'd be in BIG trouble.

 

[Lex22]

I don't agree with the contention of this thread whatsoever, I think we're a bottom 8 side at best but the bolded is just an incorrect statement. We've probably had our worst run of injury under Hardwick.

I'm not trying to be a smart a**e but how many genuine say in your top 10 or dozen players have been consistently missing?

 

[M Malice]

I think they are definitely a flag chance, in previous years I have seen them as slim to no chance but there is more resolve and steel about them this year, just need to win a couple of tight ones before the finals to get that gorilla off the back. If Rance, Martin, Cotchin and Riewoldt go into September fit and firing they are a great chance IMO.

I see it this way.
Top rung of contenders- GWS, Geelong, Western Bulldogs.
Next group- Richmond, Adelaide, Port Adelaide.

Slim to no chance- West Coast, Essendon, St.Kilda.

 

[Hobbes]

They're probably the next Richmond.

 

[AstuteTiger]

Players like Vlastuin and Conca aren't big losses if that's what you're referring to. Your top 5 (Martin Riewoldt Cotchin Rance Nank) are all in really good form and haven't missed a game. Like I said earlier don't think Richmond are crap and I think they'll sneak into the 8 come end of year but if any of those guys I just mentioned go down for an extended period you'd be in BIG trouble.

U mentioned injuries not level of player worth, now Players like conca, vlastuin and Griffiths are top 18, so ATM we don't have a CHF and had to reshuffle the decks in the back half....vlastuin is a bull in the backline...
We'll do more than top 8 imho I guess between 4-6
Well I guess that's for most clubs lose one or 2 of ur best players and u could well b in trouble!
I'm enjoying my footy ATM and for flag fav I'd say gws and crows as front runners but who knows on the day anyone in the top 8 can beat anyone on any given day!
We'll revisit this in 3+ months time!

 

[iBeng]

No.

They should have been contenders for the last 5 seasons really.

 

[copthat]

I'm not trying to be a smart a**e but how many genuine say in your top 10 or dozen players have been consistently missing?

It's not quite as simplistic as that. Edwards, Griffiths, Vlastuin, Conca, Butler, Prestia, Nankervis, Caddy have all missed games this year for one reason or another, some longer than others and some are still out. All are best 22. Martin has also suffered a broken cheek bone and a groin issue that he has only just gotten over.

Where we've been hit most is in KPP and ruck depth. Injuries to Griffiths (will probably retire), Hampson, Moore and now Soldo and Elton means we have about 2 blokes in the VFL over 190cm. One being Ivan Maric (cooked), the other a young rookie who is nowhere near it. This will force us to play undersized for the rest of the year and meant that we we couldn't play an AFL standard ruckmen when Nank missed a week.

Conca, Edwards and Vlastuin in particular were really key injuries. Conca was in career best form and would've been in our top 4 or 5 in our B&F when we went down. Vlastuin is a key cog in our backline and Edwards is involved in a lot of our scores, the most creative player on our list.

 

[Bluelegs]

Comes down to whether they'll be tough enough for finals footy. Shown in the past that they're not. Will wait and see if anything changes.

 

[Super Hans]

I'm guessing they would rather be Richmond, all things considered.

At what point does your sooking about the dogs in every thread stop being funny and just becomes sad?

 

[TiggerMan22]

Richmond are 1-4 against top 8 sides this year (Solitary win against WCE at the MCG), Bulldogs beat Sydney/Adelaide/WCE/North last year. I'll start rating the Tigers when they beat some decent sides. The Tigers can't hold a candle to the depth of the Dogs in 2016 either, they've had a dream injury run so far.

1 team has outscored us by more than 1 goal. We had 7 players with less than 30 games last night, 10 players with less than 50.
Still lots of improvement and maturity to go but yeh still haven't proven anything. And won't really be able to until finals.