How did we go from a confident, imposing, proactive, forceful team, a club embracing excellence and actioning excellence TO a club that performs a never ending string, game after game of childish play and unthinking, stupid, acts? How did we go from Dynasty to Dumbnasty in one Season?
This is the dumbest Richmond side I've seen in a long, long time. Yes, our late 80's through the 90's and early 00's lacked overall talent, but they still were less stupid than this 2022 version of the Richmond Football Club.
We have the talent, but we are 100+ on a scale of a 100 on stupidity. Again, currently, this is the dumbest Richmond side I've ever seen. Lack of talent can be forgiven. Lack of common sense in a trade which is your career, when you should know better, is unforgivable.
Why do we now confidently put our arms around basic mistakes, brush them off, and say it will be 'alright in the end' if the same basic schoolyard stupid and unforgivable mistakes keep happening at the elite level? Why accept it over and over again? Why is it happening? Why is it as much of our current game style as was once our premiership style?
Our Brand right now is STUPIDITY. We can't go into a Final series like that. (If we fall in by luck)
Castagna, Short, Aarts, Balta, Cumberland and the rest of the team all screwed us dearly in recent weeks. Why is it now a cancer? Where's the circuit-breaker? A close win? Hasn't happened, but the mistakes keep coming, every week a new and original one.
We need some massive structural changes next year. Our Ruck division is atrocious. Flick em, blood some really young mobile rucks. Some veterans need to take a hike. Edwards is spent, runs on the spot. Lambert has strung us along far too long. Dusty...IN or GONE?, mentally screwing the club now.
We need one Captain...ONE. Not many useless Captains, splintering what should be one focus, from one leader.
When Richmond won the 2017 Flag, in the Rooms before the game, plastered on the walls, a poster leading out onto the ground said 'I am a Richmond man'. One focus, one mantra.
Well, the only player currently playing with any sustained tenacity and spirit with all the fighting willpower we hold up as being dear to our Club, as a "Richmond Man" is Liam Baker.
Young with a big heart and a never-say-never attitude, why not Liam Baker as the sole Richmond Captain for 2023? Why not Dan Rioli as Vice Captain?
We have to do something to shake ourselves out of this confident sapping quicksand we're in!
We need an all new football fitness department....not an Emergency Ward, merry-go-round. Too many soft tissue injuries and long lingering mysterious timeouts from players missing games.
Re-educate ALL the players on the Rules. Every kid in the entire country that plays our game, girl and boy, knows in their head when they've run too long with the ball. Every kid in the nation also senses that they may be taking too long to kick the ball from a free kick or mark. Noah Balta doesn't know that. Noah balta doesn't have that sense. Why not?
Players must have a shot for goal in the forward 50m. No excuses.
Players must be taught to tackle probably. Players must learn to not infringe on the mark. Means standing there and not pushing, grabbing or trying to hit the ball out the players hand....Shorty did it weeks ago....50m free against us. Vlastuin tried a quick drive by against Freo that wasn't picked up.
Our discipline is low. Our sports medicine fitness regimes are suspect. Our leadership is non-evident. Our match game thinking processes are lame. Our direction is missing. Our football basics are poor. Our understanding of the Rules is pathetic. Our skills are woeful. Our talent depth is weak.
From Dynasty to Dumbnasty so very, very quickly.
Dimma has a very short time to again reinvent himself and the team, because we can't continue down this path for too much longer. A series a small wins in future weeks will only put a band-aid over the cracks.
This is the dumbest Richmond side I've seen in a long, long time. Yes, our late 80's through the 90's and early 00's lacked overall talent, but they still were less stupid than this 2022 version of the Richmond Football Club.
We have the talent, but we are 100+ on a scale of a 100 on stupidity. Again, currently, this is the dumbest Richmond side I've ever seen. Lack of talent can be forgiven. Lack of common sense in a trade which is your career, when you should know better, is unforgivable.
Why do we now confidently put our arms around basic mistakes, brush them off, and say it will be 'alright in the end' if the same basic schoolyard stupid and unforgivable mistakes keep happening at the elite level? Why accept it over and over again? Why is it happening? Why is it as much of our current game style as was once our premiership style?
Our Brand right now is STUPIDITY. We can't go into a Final series like that. (If we fall in by luck)
Castagna, Short, Aarts, Balta, Cumberland and the rest of the team all screwed us dearly in recent weeks. Why is it now a cancer? Where's the circuit-breaker? A close win? Hasn't happened, but the mistakes keep coming, every week a new and original one.
We need some massive structural changes next year. Our Ruck division is atrocious. Flick em, blood some really young mobile rucks. Some veterans need to take a hike. Edwards is spent, runs on the spot. Lambert has strung us along far too long. Dusty...IN or GONE?, mentally screwing the club now.
We need one Captain...ONE. Not many useless Captains, splintering what should be one focus, from one leader.
When Richmond won the 2017 Flag, in the Rooms before the game, plastered on the walls, a poster leading out onto the ground said 'I am a Richmond man'. One focus, one mantra.
Well, the only player currently playing with any sustained tenacity and spirit with all the fighting willpower we hold up as being dear to our Club, as a "Richmond Man" is Liam Baker.
Young with a big heart and a never-say-never attitude, why not Liam Baker as the sole Richmond Captain for 2023? Why not Dan Rioli as Vice Captain?
We have to do something to shake ourselves out of this confident sapping quicksand we're in!
We need an all new football fitness department....not an Emergency Ward, merry-go-round. Too many soft tissue injuries and long lingering mysterious timeouts from players missing games.
Re-educate ALL the players on the Rules. Every kid in the entire country that plays our game, girl and boy, knows in their head when they've run too long with the ball. Every kid in the nation also senses that they may be taking too long to kick the ball from a free kick or mark. Noah Balta doesn't know that. Noah balta doesn't have that sense. Why not?
Players must have a shot for goal in the forward 50m. No excuses.
Players must be taught to tackle probably. Players must learn to not infringe on the mark. Means standing there and not pushing, grabbing or trying to hit the ball out the players hand....Shorty did it weeks ago....50m free against us. Vlastuin tried a quick drive by against Freo that wasn't picked up.
Our discipline is low. Our sports medicine fitness regimes are suspect. Our leadership is non-evident. Our match game thinking processes are lame. Our direction is missing. Our football basics are poor. Our understanding of the Rules is pathetic. Our skills are woeful. Our talent depth is weak.
From Dynasty to Dumbnasty so very, very quickly.
Dimma has a very short time to again reinvent himself and the team, because we can't continue down this path for too much longer. A series a small wins in future weeks will only put a band-aid over the cracks.
Ophidian Old Boys
