Haven't had time to participate much this season, so mods and old Tiger comrades, forgive me the indulgence of creating a new thread, just wanted to get a few things out there in one place rather than spread them over a dozen or more existing threads and lose track of those conversations.
1) We are verging on 100k members. If you'd gone back in time not so many years ago, this would be completely beyond the realms of comprehension. From the 'Save Our Skins' era where the emptying of every Richmond child's piggy bank (hand raised) really mattered (in itself a begging on bygone days campaign), through to the 'Richo is worth watching' era, we've survived by the skin of our teeth to get to where we are now. Powerful words like 'pride' and 'faith' are not sufficient - there are no words to describe the transformation the older supporters amongst us have witnessed.
2) We have in recent times got close to the most out of our list, but there is still so much more to come. We finally have genuine hunger and depth, confidence and belief. All the ingredients for sustained decades of success.
3) Midfield depth working both ways wins premierships. Earlier this season I perhaps raised a few eyebrows in saying that Prestia adds 10% to us when he takes the field close to full fitness. Lambert is another along the same line of thinking. Vlaustin would be a full time budding midfield star at the vast majority of other clubs, Higgins is a gold plated born ball winner and instinctive right choice ball user, Rioli will dominate like Maurice in time. With half a dozen other candidates left unmentioned, from both ends of the ground we have a stack of midfield potential lining up and jostling for opportunities. Martin and Cotchin have had average seasons and it's scarcely mattered. We set up behind and ahead of the ball well enough (partly through the power of that latent midfield depth and partly through smart structure) to keep us in every contest.
4) Key players are moving well and building into peak form. Top of the list is Nank our Tank, he never stops learning, he's moving well, his touch and timing has never been better and he's handling his epic workload beautifully. On a side note, I loved the disdain for indulging the terminally cringe worthy BT overtures post-match. Dusty is gradually shrugging off the niggles which have hampered his output all year and we all know Cotch will be hungry and ready when he needs to be. Rance is rolled gold in his prime and Jack has never been better, you wouldn't swap him for any other forward in the league, he's easily the most complete forward going around. Have to be favourite for his first JD.
5) We're seen by some good judges as being critically vulnerable to injury to key players, I would argue we're not as much as it may seem at face value. I'd back us to cover any of the 'big 4' come finals or multiple seasons if need be. Our midfield depth covers our 'star' mids, our back line covers itself, I'd back any of our key defenders to go forward and cover Jack - Astbury would be my first choice. As surprised as many have been at him becoming a premiership level key defender, I think he'd surprise even more being thrust into the role of no.1 forward target.
6) Traditionally 'most improved' goes to a junior player, I'd argue that this year despite the fact he'd be considered too senior for consideration, there would be no more fitting winner than Titch Edwards. We all know how valuable he is when he's 'on', this year he's been at or close to his best far more often than any previous season. He's quadrupled the number of games he's been comfortably named in the top half a dozen and that's been massively important in our transition from top-8 contender side to top of the ladder premiership.
7) Nothing would please me more in preseason 2019 than to see an opposition hff automatically move to guard Short's swing to his right side, then be dumbfounded by him bourking (a great word which has been lost from footy's vocabulary) left and delivering 55m long and low on his left foot.
8) Finally, a massive slap on the back to Hardwick and our coaching group. Anyone familiar with my posts from 2016 and prior to that will all too easily recall the fact that I completely disagreed with our game plan and football philosophy and was self admittedly a bit over the top and abusive in expressing that, particularly in Hardwick's direction. I'm on record ad infinitum stating my belief that the heart and core of successful football is really simple; winning the ball, forcing it forward and keeping it there. I very strongly believed our coaching focus under Hardwick was light years away from basing itself on this fundamental principle and that he should be moved on accordingly. Throughout the early-mid Hardwick period I remained steadfast in three beliefs; that Brendon Gale was an outstanding man to lead the club to success; that despite my objections to the rest, Hardwick had done a very good job from what I saw and heard of bonding the playing group; and that we did have a list that should be contending for a flag. Self evidently, our list has proved itself, we play and present like a group whose bond is unprecedented in the history of football.
In a season that maybe even a majority of Tiger supporters expected us to plateau or fall a bit after the heights of last year, we have become a better side. We've done that with only Jack of our 'star' players improving their output from 2017. Maybe Martin has been able to give 60% of last season, maybe 80% for Cotchin, Rance you could argue for parallel or a 5-10% dip. Yet we are undoubtedly a better side and the coaching group should be highly commended regardless of how the fortunes of this year turns out.
Personally I think the RFC looks a red hot chance to take flag streaks into uncharted territory and it's really difficult to poke holes in that belief or support any argument that we'll fall away - we have so much untapped improvement to come.
Heroes from the top of administration right on down to the blokes battling in the VFL for a spot in a flag side, there's so much to love about what is happening at Richmond.
So happy to be witnessing it.
1) We are verging on 100k members. If you'd gone back in time not so many years ago, this would be completely beyond the realms of comprehension. From the 'Save Our Skins' era where the emptying of every Richmond child's piggy bank (hand raised) really mattered (in itself a begging on bygone days campaign), through to the 'Richo is worth watching' era, we've survived by the skin of our teeth to get to where we are now. Powerful words like 'pride' and 'faith' are not sufficient - there are no words to describe the transformation the older supporters amongst us have witnessed.
2) We have in recent times got close to the most out of our list, but there is still so much more to come. We finally have genuine hunger and depth, confidence and belief. All the ingredients for sustained decades of success.
3) Midfield depth working both ways wins premierships. Earlier this season I perhaps raised a few eyebrows in saying that Prestia adds 10% to us when he takes the field close to full fitness. Lambert is another along the same line of thinking. Vlaustin would be a full time budding midfield star at the vast majority of other clubs, Higgins is a gold plated born ball winner and instinctive right choice ball user, Rioli will dominate like Maurice in time. With half a dozen other candidates left unmentioned, from both ends of the ground we have a stack of midfield potential lining up and jostling for opportunities. Martin and Cotchin have had average seasons and it's scarcely mattered. We set up behind and ahead of the ball well enough (partly through the power of that latent midfield depth and partly through smart structure) to keep us in every contest.
4) Key players are moving well and building into peak form. Top of the list is Nank our Tank, he never stops learning, he's moving well, his touch and timing has never been better and he's handling his epic workload beautifully. On a side note, I loved the disdain for indulging the terminally cringe worthy BT overtures post-match. Dusty is gradually shrugging off the niggles which have hampered his output all year and we all know Cotch will be hungry and ready when he needs to be. Rance is rolled gold in his prime and Jack has never been better, you wouldn't swap him for any other forward in the league, he's easily the most complete forward going around. Have to be favourite for his first JD.
5) We're seen by some good judges as being critically vulnerable to injury to key players, I would argue we're not as much as it may seem at face value. I'd back us to cover any of the 'big 4' come finals or multiple seasons if need be. Our midfield depth covers our 'star' mids, our back line covers itself, I'd back any of our key defenders to go forward and cover Jack - Astbury would be my first choice. As surprised as many have been at him becoming a premiership level key defender, I think he'd surprise even more being thrust into the role of no.1 forward target.
6) Traditionally 'most improved' goes to a junior player, I'd argue that this year despite the fact he'd be considered too senior for consideration, there would be no more fitting winner than Titch Edwards. We all know how valuable he is when he's 'on', this year he's been at or close to his best far more often than any previous season. He's quadrupled the number of games he's been comfortably named in the top half a dozen and that's been massively important in our transition from top-8 contender side to top of the ladder premiership.
7) Nothing would please me more in preseason 2019 than to see an opposition hff automatically move to guard Short's swing to his right side, then be dumbfounded by him bourking (a great word which has been lost from footy's vocabulary) left and delivering 55m long and low on his left foot.
8) Finally, a massive slap on the back to Hardwick and our coaching group. Anyone familiar with my posts from 2016 and prior to that will all too easily recall the fact that I completely disagreed with our game plan and football philosophy and was self admittedly a bit over the top and abusive in expressing that, particularly in Hardwick's direction. I'm on record ad infinitum stating my belief that the heart and core of successful football is really simple; winning the ball, forcing it forward and keeping it there. I very strongly believed our coaching focus under Hardwick was light years away from basing itself on this fundamental principle and that he should be moved on accordingly. Throughout the early-mid Hardwick period I remained steadfast in three beliefs; that Brendon Gale was an outstanding man to lead the club to success; that despite my objections to the rest, Hardwick had done a very good job from what I saw and heard of bonding the playing group; and that we did have a list that should be contending for a flag. Self evidently, our list has proved itself, we play and present like a group whose bond is unprecedented in the history of football.
In a season that maybe even a majority of Tiger supporters expected us to plateau or fall a bit after the heights of last year, we have become a better side. We've done that with only Jack of our 'star' players improving their output from 2017. Maybe Martin has been able to give 60% of last season, maybe 80% for Cotchin, Rance you could argue for parallel or a 5-10% dip. Yet we are undoubtedly a better side and the coaching group should be highly commended regardless of how the fortunes of this year turns out.
Personally I think the RFC looks a red hot chance to take flag streaks into uncharted territory and it's really difficult to poke holes in that belief or support any argument that we'll fall away - we have so much untapped improvement to come.
Heroes from the top of administration right on down to the blokes battling in the VFL for a spot in a flag side, there's so much to love about what is happening at Richmond.
So happy to be witnessing it.
