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- Sep 17, 2006
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- #1
This week we head back to the MCG as the away team once again to play Hawthorn who got back on the winners list in round 7 when they gave the Eagles a bit of a touch up at Marvel. Richmond meanwhile played some good footy in the ANZAC Eve clash against Melbourne bar for the 3rd quarter to fall to yet another defeat and now find ourselves entrenched in the bottom 3 on the ladder.
Now while everyone would love to see us winning more games, it should be pointed out that winning the game isn't the most important thing for us in 2025 when compared to the green shoots that we continue to see from our younger players as Yze continues to pump games into the kids who he believes are part of our future. We've had 6 debutants in 7 rounds and there is still more to come with the likes of Smillie Alger & Sims who will be looking for opportunity while the likes of Fawcett Gray Smith & McAuliffe are all waiting for their next chance to play senior footy.
One of the things that has made 2025 so enjoyable to watch this year has been not only those 1st & 2nd year players getting their chances, but also some players that have either had lines put through them or plenty of questions asked about them starting to show a bit of the talent that got them drafted in the first place. Guys like Dow Hugo Banks Green Trezise Brown & even Maurice have shown glimpses of the type of players they could become. Sure like the team itself there are peaks and valleys in their performances from game to game & quarter to quarter, but we are steadily seeing the gaps diminish as they get continuity in their roles & game time.
So as we head into the clash against Hawthorn, the main thing I'll looking for is those moments in games where these young players have a patch where they make you take notice or a quarter/half where they really impact the game. For it's these brief moments that are the true 'wins' this year and the more we get to see them the better the teams overall performances will become, which will in turn lead to more actual wins that are worth 4 points.
The Hawks are probably a pretty good team for us to play against after a chance to freshen up over a 9 day break between games. Some of the younger kids would certainly have benefited from the chance to rest up and recharge the batteries a bit, while some of the older guys who have also been carrying a lot of the load also get a chance to get over a few niggles and knocks, which hopefully means that when we do run out on Sunday we'll be ready and raring to go to put up a decent showing against the Hawks who it must be said haven't exactly been on their game the previous 2 weeks against Port & Geelong.
Predicted Line Up
In - Balta (day release)
Out - Gray
B: Balta Broad Miller
HB: Short Vlastuin Trainor
C: Ralphsmith McIntosh Trezise
HF: Green Mansell Campbell
F: Faull Lynch Lalor
R: Nankervis Taranto Hopper
INT: Brown Ross Banks Dow Rioli
For what it's worth, I think we'll be in the contest for the first half yet again and there will be a patch during the 2nd half where the Hawks will ramp up the pressure and their execution will be switched on and they'll put a 3-4 goal gap on us and will then keep us at arms length the remainder of the game, but we won't be blown out of the water be any means. They're a bit ahead of us in the development curve and it will show as the game wears on. Hawks by 3-4 goals in the end.
Oh and for those of you thinking of heading along on Sunday, to sit in the Ponsford Stand on levels 1 & 2 if you're not a away games member is going to cost you between $80-160 for an adult ticket and $50 for level 4, which is bloody ludicrous for a game in round 8.
Now while everyone would love to see us winning more games, it should be pointed out that winning the game isn't the most important thing for us in 2025 when compared to the green shoots that we continue to see from our younger players as Yze continues to pump games into the kids who he believes are part of our future. We've had 6 debutants in 7 rounds and there is still more to come with the likes of Smillie Alger & Sims who will be looking for opportunity while the likes of Fawcett Gray Smith & McAuliffe are all waiting for their next chance to play senior footy.
One of the things that has made 2025 so enjoyable to watch this year has been not only those 1st & 2nd year players getting their chances, but also some players that have either had lines put through them or plenty of questions asked about them starting to show a bit of the talent that got them drafted in the first place. Guys like Dow Hugo Banks Green Trezise Brown & even Maurice have shown glimpses of the type of players they could become. Sure like the team itself there are peaks and valleys in their performances from game to game & quarter to quarter, but we are steadily seeing the gaps diminish as they get continuity in their roles & game time.
So as we head into the clash against Hawthorn, the main thing I'll looking for is those moments in games where these young players have a patch where they make you take notice or a quarter/half where they really impact the game. For it's these brief moments that are the true 'wins' this year and the more we get to see them the better the teams overall performances will become, which will in turn lead to more actual wins that are worth 4 points.
The Hawks are probably a pretty good team for us to play against after a chance to freshen up over a 9 day break between games. Some of the younger kids would certainly have benefited from the chance to rest up and recharge the batteries a bit, while some of the older guys who have also been carrying a lot of the load also get a chance to get over a few niggles and knocks, which hopefully means that when we do run out on Sunday we'll be ready and raring to go to put up a decent showing against the Hawks who it must be said haven't exactly been on their game the previous 2 weeks against Port & Geelong.
Predicted Line Up
In - Balta (day release)
Out - Gray
B: Balta Broad Miller
HB: Short Vlastuin Trainor
C: Ralphsmith McIntosh Trezise
HF: Green Mansell Campbell
F: Faull Lynch Lalor
R: Nankervis Taranto Hopper
INT: Brown Ross Banks Dow Rioli
For what it's worth, I think we'll be in the contest for the first half yet again and there will be a patch during the 2nd half where the Hawks will ramp up the pressure and their execution will be switched on and they'll put a 3-4 goal gap on us and will then keep us at arms length the remainder of the game, but we won't be blown out of the water be any means. They're a bit ahead of us in the development curve and it will show as the game wears on. Hawks by 3-4 goals in the end.
Oh and for those of you thinking of heading along on Sunday, to sit in the Ponsford Stand on levels 1 & 2 if you're not a away games member is going to cost you between $80-160 for an adult ticket and $50 for level 4, which is bloody ludicrous for a game in round 8.
Us by 40+ points. 
