Confidence Therapy

[TigerTank]

Gentlemen,

I guess those of you who read the AFL Rant know my view on these matters, but this week's character assassination of Matthew Richardson is covering up the real root of Richmond's problems.

The reality is if Greg Tivendale and Joel Bowden actually kicked goals from 'getable' situations, Richmond would still be in the hunt for the finals. And that's regardless of Richardson's behaviour.

Last year these two would have been our best kickers - now, I'd give Duncan Kellaway a shot before either of them.

It's their job to finish off their teammates' hard work in getting the ball - when they miss from 30, they're actually saying to our oft-maligned inside players, 'don't bother'.

And frankly, Greg Tivendale's kick-out clanger - not half an hour after he'd done the same thing, and somehow gotten away with it - was absolutely incomprehensible.

Obviously it's in their head - and I think that Tivendale, and maybe Bowden, could do with some "confidence therapy" down at Coburg, just as Richardson could.

I believe these two players have a hell of a lot to offer the team, but at the moment they are counterproductive. For their long term future as valuable players at the club, something must be done now.

 

[CJH]

I wept metaphoric tears of joy last Friday for Kayne Pettifer.

He burst through the Half Forward Flank and hit Ottens lace out with a beautiful, lace out 40 metre pass. He also made the most of his opportunities with 4 goals.

Point is, Pettifer is every bit as good a kick as Tivendale but also has many more strings to his bow. It is for this reason he should be the first picked of the running players going foward.

As for Bowden and Tivendale, it would be a tough call. Aside from their clangers in front of goal (at both ends!) they have been in reasonable form. Nonetheless, they are in the side as running finishing players and they are failing in this regard.

The only downside to dropping them is that there aren't that many players capable of coming up in their place.

 

[Richmondfan#1]

First up, are you calling me a bloke?

I tend to agree with you TT. The confidence just isn't there and therefore making the skill hide in a dark corner.

I wouldn't really go about putting them into the Coburg side because, as CJH said, we have no players to come up for them.

However, with the situation we're currently in, it won't make a huge difference if these two players did have a run with Coburg. Perhaps it will benefit their and the club's future so I wouldn't rule it out completely.