Six times now in the last seven games we've played Richmond, Geelong has been pretty much been exposed as just not having the ammunition, speed and maybe fitness to go with them for the full 100 minutes. Truth be told maybe there have been signs even before our massive run of wins against them that they were getting closer, as several of the last few wins of our 13 game sequence were narrow, including that one from 39 points down in 2016 at the 'G.
Basically aside from the game where they had several out in that mid-year 2019 game, they are able to eat up our best efforts early on, and then just come home and whack us in the second half. All three finals have a similar score progression, although the 2017 QF was played in bitterly cold and wet conditions, Geelong drew level in the 3rd before the Tigers drew away. But all have the same sort of synopsis. They are just so quick, and our regular structure with our relatively tall defence just struggles to keep the fleet-footed Tigers in check. They never seem to fatigue, and generally win running away, and that's pretty much against all sides anyway, it's not that Geelong is Robinson Crusoe here. But how to actually beat the fleet-footed Tigers and their chaos style of taps, soccers, whatever means to get the ball in motion, and then of course to be on the runners as they scurry onto the ball and whoof it forward. To be honest it doesn't matter to Richmond by what means the footy enters the 50, they either create contests or mark with their two talls, or run onto it if that doesn't happen.
I am sure Hardwick has said that they identified their strength early in 2017 after a few finals failures was their speed. I guess they've then built a side of a bunch of quick smaller players, and even some taller ones who also have pace (and of course Dusty), and worked on that in 2017 and by season's end it was obviously proven to be successful. Their players have come through a fair few years of development as a group under Hardwick, and they believe 110% in their style, with good reason.
Geelong's style is more classical i guess, mark and kick, but in games of high pressure and when conditions are slippery those attributes lose their effectiveness, when all the opposition do is simply run and move the ball at all costs. The number of times the ball would enter a pack, but you'd see soccers, punches, taps and sometimes the ball would ricochet off a Geelong player and come out at any old angle, but of course a Tiger or two would be out there to run onto the ball. The Lachie Neale goal from 70m last week was a similar thing, a pinball type ball situation, but it pops out and they ran onto it. Geelong don't seem to be able to quite work through this, albeit it's hard to predict where the ball will go when it's completely random.
You'd even see the Tigers last night throw a boot at a ball in a marking situation, or a handball....they simply aim to propel the ball anywhere, although usually forward, but they always have blokes swooping onto it. And one kick that went wildly into their forward line last night when straight to Blicavs, who fumbled the footy and at best just munched a bad handball to Stewart i think for maybe a ball up. Against the tigers, a fumble is deadly. Hence that's why they might just tap it...there's no time lost in aiming to grab the ball, and they get it moving so quickly. It certainly works in Finals, 10 wins from 12 in the last 4 seasons.
But another aspect of their ability is to be clean picking up these loose balls. Whereas we fumble or bobble the ball in front and lose time trying to pick it up, so often the likes of Bolton, Pickett, Martin of course, Butler et al are able to simply pick up the footy first go. That's if they don't already just tap or soccer it forward. It gains them so much time, and of course their ability to always shimmy and evade tackles, or even when actually grabbed, their free their arms and dispose of the ball...mostly legally although far from always. Geelong often were oh so close to catching them, but they'd find a way out all the time.
I made a post in the autopsy thread, but look at how nimble and skillful their indigenous players are. So clean, so quick and so evasive. Geelong has Narkle and Cockatoo, but the latter hasn't played senior footy since early 2018, and Narkle sadly lost his place early in the year and couldn't get back. How those pair if fit would have helped last night! Maybe we need to recruit blokes who are expert at ball picking-up in packs, and who have lots of pace too. The Tigers are not an old side, only Edwards and Jack are much over 30, and i reckon those could be replaced quite easily. Their only limitation to me seems to be what their own fulfilment and hunger remains to be. Only a few sides have beaten the Tigers in the last few years, and only twice in Finals, and one of those was a Cox cameo.
So, do we get in Cameron, who will help certainly, but still look vulnerable with groundball speed against the Tigers? Can maybe Narkle (Cockatoo looks to be wanting to leave..and he just can never get fit) Fogarty, Cooper Stephens and others come in and help at least maintain Geelong's position. We are a very good side, but not in any way dominant like the '07-11 era. We may never be that again, but i guess do we continue to play in our own image as such, or specifically work out with Grigg (he should know what they do and how they do it) to build something that out-Tigers the tigers? I am not sure, and i think personally by the time we might build a side that can, the Tigers might naturally decline anyway. Their frenetic runball and chaos stuff has lasted much longer than the Pies in 2010-11, St.Kilda in '09-10, or Freo under Lyon from 12-15. And the Tigers have flags in the bag, only the Pies got one. And unfulfilled hard running sides i think lose their puff quicker.
What do you reckon?
Basically aside from the game where they had several out in that mid-year 2019 game, they are able to eat up our best efforts early on, and then just come home and whack us in the second half. All three finals have a similar score progression, although the 2017 QF was played in bitterly cold and wet conditions, Geelong drew level in the 3rd before the Tigers drew away. But all have the same sort of synopsis. They are just so quick, and our regular structure with our relatively tall defence just struggles to keep the fleet-footed Tigers in check. They never seem to fatigue, and generally win running away, and that's pretty much against all sides anyway, it's not that Geelong is Robinson Crusoe here. But how to actually beat the fleet-footed Tigers and their chaos style of taps, soccers, whatever means to get the ball in motion, and then of course to be on the runners as they scurry onto the ball and whoof it forward. To be honest it doesn't matter to Richmond by what means the footy enters the 50, they either create contests or mark with their two talls, or run onto it if that doesn't happen.
I am sure Hardwick has said that they identified their strength early in 2017 after a few finals failures was their speed. I guess they've then built a side of a bunch of quick smaller players, and even some taller ones who also have pace (and of course Dusty), and worked on that in 2017 and by season's end it was obviously proven to be successful. Their players have come through a fair few years of development as a group under Hardwick, and they believe 110% in their style, with good reason.
Geelong's style is more classical i guess, mark and kick, but in games of high pressure and when conditions are slippery those attributes lose their effectiveness, when all the opposition do is simply run and move the ball at all costs. The number of times the ball would enter a pack, but you'd see soccers, punches, taps and sometimes the ball would ricochet off a Geelong player and come out at any old angle, but of course a Tiger or two would be out there to run onto the ball. The Lachie Neale goal from 70m last week was a similar thing, a pinball type ball situation, but it pops out and they ran onto it. Geelong don't seem to be able to quite work through this, albeit it's hard to predict where the ball will go when it's completely random.
You'd even see the Tigers last night throw a boot at a ball in a marking situation, or a handball....they simply aim to propel the ball anywhere, although usually forward, but they always have blokes swooping onto it. And one kick that went wildly into their forward line last night when straight to Blicavs, who fumbled the footy and at best just munched a bad handball to Stewart i think for maybe a ball up. Against the tigers, a fumble is deadly. Hence that's why they might just tap it...there's no time lost in aiming to grab the ball, and they get it moving so quickly. It certainly works in Finals, 10 wins from 12 in the last 4 seasons.
But another aspect of their ability is to be clean picking up these loose balls. Whereas we fumble or bobble the ball in front and lose time trying to pick it up, so often the likes of Bolton, Pickett, Martin of course, Butler et al are able to simply pick up the footy first go. That's if they don't already just tap or soccer it forward. It gains them so much time, and of course their ability to always shimmy and evade tackles, or even when actually grabbed, their free their arms and dispose of the ball...mostly legally although far from always. Geelong often were oh so close to catching them, but they'd find a way out all the time.
I made a post in the autopsy thread, but look at how nimble and skillful their indigenous players are. So clean, so quick and so evasive. Geelong has Narkle and Cockatoo, but the latter hasn't played senior footy since early 2018, and Narkle sadly lost his place early in the year and couldn't get back. How those pair if fit would have helped last night! Maybe we need to recruit blokes who are expert at ball picking-up in packs, and who have lots of pace too. The Tigers are not an old side, only Edwards and Jack are much over 30, and i reckon those could be replaced quite easily. Their only limitation to me seems to be what their own fulfilment and hunger remains to be. Only a few sides have beaten the Tigers in the last few years, and only twice in Finals, and one of those was a Cox cameo.
So, do we get in Cameron, who will help certainly, but still look vulnerable with groundball speed against the Tigers? Can maybe Narkle (Cockatoo looks to be wanting to leave..and he just can never get fit) Fogarty, Cooper Stephens and others come in and help at least maintain Geelong's position. We are a very good side, but not in any way dominant like the '07-11 era. We may never be that again, but i guess do we continue to play in our own image as such, or specifically work out with Grigg (he should know what they do and how they do it) to build something that out-Tigers the tigers? I am not sure, and i think personally by the time we might build a side that can, the Tigers might naturally decline anyway. Their frenetic runball and chaos stuff has lasted much longer than the Pies in 2010-11, St.Kilda in '09-10, or Freo under Lyon from 12-15. And the Tigers have flags in the bag, only the Pies got one. And unfulfilled hard running sides i think lose their puff quicker.
What do you reckon?
