Is the top 4 set?

Sully90

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Like I said, people can say some crazy things sometimes.
 

tropicaltiger

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I know they are different, but all the crap written is about Fyfe is regarding his defensive pressure and Fyfe tackles more than Dusty does. Do you think 1 player who is less defensive but an absolute weapon is going to make you a worse side? It's just the media writing click bait.

Were you be concerned bringing Dusty back into your team on the defensive side or if we had Dusty, do you think Freo would be concerned bringing him in to our setup if available?
mate I agree with you mainly, but I have to say Richmond have/had a different system which allowed martin to do his own thing it probably took a year to show results and the sacrifice of 3 gut running selfless players to work-lambert, costanya and prestia spring to mind got us flags as martin is rated the best finals player ever. freo still way off in that area of sacrificial runners and a finisher like dusty
 

Royce Hafey

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Like most Tigers supporters I'm much more optimistic about our top four chances after the last two weeks, and it's not just because we had two victories (with all the caveats about who he beat) but because of what has been revealed about the team, though I have a big concern which still makes me worried. Obviously, there's Dusty back, the revelation of Maurice Jnr, Balta back where he belongs in defence and so on. But herein lies the rub.

For us this year its all been about the midfield. Our backline has been good all year, and with Grimes and Vlaustin alongside Gibcus, Balta and a rejuvenated/reinvented Daniel Rioli, is comparable with the best. They may have conceded a lot of points in games but that has been because the failure of the midfield has led to a tidal wave of inside 50s to the opposition. The forward line is also looking potent - reflected in the fact that it has scored the second highest total score after the Lions.

The Richmond midfield has always been its weakest line. Winning clearances has never been in the Tiger DNA. In our premiership years we tended to win whenever we broke even in clearances or lost them by a small margin. In many of the losses this year you can see (look at the Adelaide, Carlton and Melbourne losses) that the team has been blown away after being competitive, ahead, or even in control of the game, by a period when the opposition takes total control of the centre clearances. We lack big-bodied inside bulls that can win the ball in the guts. We rely too much on Cotchin and Prestia who are not that big (and in the case of Prestia is injured about half of the time). Bolton has won clearances too, but for all of his brilliance, is a small player. Short has been moved into the midfield in the last two weeks and has been brilliant there - but again he is a (pardon the pun) short player, and you wonder how he would go against teams like Melbourne or Carlton.

What worked against the Eagles and Pies was a ruck dominance which made up for the lack of big-bodied extractors. It also meant that the quality of the centre clearances were incredible. If you have the likes of Short or Bolton running free out of the centre, delivering silver service to Lynch and Riewoldt (with a Rioli at their feet), then the result is what we saw against the Eagles.

But, obviously, that's not going to happen against the top teams.

Now, of course, there is a big-bodied mid-fielder who has just come back into the team - a bloke called Dusty Martin. I've heard good things about him;), but then again, he's never been an extractor. Could the solution to get the Ferrari to do some of the blue-collar work? We won't find out this week, as we face Hawthorn who have another rookie ruck and are even worse at clearances than us. The test will come later.
 
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mate I agree with you mainly, but I have to say Richmond have/had a different system which allowed martin to do his own thing it probably took a year to show results and the sacrifice of 3 gut running selfless players to work-lambert, costanya and prestia spring to mind got us flags as martin is rated the best finals player ever. freo still way off in that area of sacrificial runners and a finisher like dusty
I'm not saying he'll make you worse, I'm using him as an example of how silly this train of thought is. Fyfe is a contested beast but could easily perform another role, one on one or in the air he rarely loses and very hard to match up on. I see him playing a Hird/Pav (mid career) role where he plugs gaps when required or the opposition is getting a run on in the middle.

Longmuir has done so well this year due to using players strengths rather than making them improve their weaknesses. Look at Brodie, he has no tank but is an inside bull so is instead getting 65% game time and dominating when he is on. So clean with his hands but has no depth with his kicking but doesn't need it with our outside runners. Watch him utilise Fyfe in a way that improves the team.
 

Boppo

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I'm not saying he'll make you worse, I'm using him as an example of how silly this train of thought is. Fyfe is a contested beast but could easily perform another role, one on one or in the air he rarely loses and very hard to match up on. I see him playing a Hird/Pav (mid career) role where he plugs gaps when required or the opposition is getting a run on in the middle.

Longmuir has done so well this year due to using players strengths rather than making them improve their weaknesses. Look at Brodie, he has no tank but is an inside bull so is instead getting 65% game time and dominating when he is on. So clean with his hands but has no depth with his kicking but doesn't need it with our outside runners. Watch him utilise Fyfe in a way that improves the team.


We're down the rankings on contested possession and centre clearances..he'll fit right in.
 

masai tu

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I’ll just throw in the point that Grumpy Mick has never rated Fyfe very highly, lacks a defensive game so he says. Kevin Bartlett is a hero to Mick, I don’t think Bartlett has the word defence in his vocabulary.

Grumpy is just that.

I think when Fyfe returns, he will be taking on a slightly different role, and he will do what the team needs. He doesn’t have to now carry the team on his shoulders ( code for do everything ).
 

Lsta062

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I don’t think it’s set because any of Carlton, Geelong, and St Kilda can make it.

Melbourne and Brisbane have the track record to call them likely locks, but we still need to see if Fremantle will keep up their form. They look good for a top 4 spot, but I want to see more evidence.

Sydney are close to the top 4, but they’ve been a little less consistent than the others. Think they’ll miss

Richmond is an outside chance because we have a relatively easy draw, but our form has been wildly inconsistent so we may miss out on that basis.

I don’t think anyone else will make it.
 
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I expect Fremantle and Carlton to fall in a heap and just be scraping to the 8

I also think that Richmond and Port have started their runs and will continue til the pointy end of the season by winning 75% of their games
I expect freo to struggle in the 2nd half of the season too.

I would laugh if freo beat the suns this week in gold coast and magpies at home next week and post a 9-1 record. Then lose to demons at MCG and Brisbane at home and be 9-3. I wont complain if freo get a 14-8 record or 13-9 record finishing 6th and get a home final and win it, then lose in the semi final
 
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At this stage i''l go:

MELBOURNE
Brisbane
Fremantle
Sydney
Richmond
St.Kilda
Carlton
Port Adelaide

Forget the rest, there is a huge gap between 1st and 2nd and we have at least 10 teams who are average or well out of contention already.

Only something drastically bad happening the Dees will prevent them from winning this year's Flag. I also think they will remain undefeated!
 

Saints TV

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At this stage i''l go:

MELBOURNE
Brisbane
Fremantle
Sydney
Richmond
St.Kilda
Carlton
Port Adelaide

Forget the rest, there is a huge gap between 1st and 2nd and we have at least 10 teams who are average or well out of contention already.

Only something drastically bad happening the Dees will prevent them from winning this year's Flag. I also think they will remain undefeated!
Richmond the fifth-best team in it?
 
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We won't make top 4, dropping leads and winning positions against Saints and Carlton will bite us, as will losing a game at the end of year we probably should have won against Adelaide, as I doubt they'll be a finals side.

I think we can make finals though, 6th-8th.

Richmond's key is staying healthy. Best 22 can cause some havoc, but in decline where we were a few years ago we need our best 22 to bridge the gap.
 

MickG88

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Yep,

I see them turning the corner in the 2nd half of the year...it's a raffle for positions in the top 8 after Melbourne, any team could finish top 4 out of the bunch i listed. I think the rest are finished.
It will be determined if they are fifth best in the next month or so. They have Bombers, Swans, bye, port, blues and cats. If they lose three of those matches then 8th but if they win 3 they could be fifth. only other hard patch is Brisbane and Dockers at round 19 and 20.
 

BringFevBack2021

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The gap between Melbourne and Brisbane is not as big as the gap between Brisbane and the pool of teams fighting for 3-4th.
Agreed. Carlton, Fremantle, Sydney, Saints, Richmond and Geelong are all vying for 3rd/4th and all of them have shown brilliance and all have had bad lapses too.

Most likely are Fremantle and Sydney IMO - but that pack is very tight I'd argue.
 
I doubt we stay in Top 4 contention for long as the loss of 2 big guys in Pitto and Harry is just irreplaceable and ruins our structure with TDK not ready yet to be a No.1 ruck.

Once again it comes down to who stays healthy and we are rarely winning that battle from season to season as our most important players seem to drop like flies. 😩🤷‍♀️
 

Greggy

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I still think Freo will fall off a cliff, they could easily lose 6 of the next 8, some real big games coming up for them.
 

estibador

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Agreed. Carlton, Fremantle, Sydney, Saints, Richmond and Geelong are all vying for 3rd/4th and all of them have shown brilliance and all have had bad lapses too.

Most likely are Fremantle and Sydney IMO - but that pack is very tight I'd argue.
I'm not overly confident given the tough run we have on the home straight. Hopefully we can manage top 6 and a home final though.
 

My Tilly

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Agreed. Carlton, Fremantle, Sydney, Saints, Richmond and Geelong are all vying for 3rd/4th and all of them have shown brilliance and all have had bad lapses too.

Most likely are Fremantle and Sydney IMO - but that pack is very tight I'd argue.

Geelong have very little upside from here on in. They simply have to win the games they are favoured to win. Other than Menegola and Henry (hearing news he is out for the year), there's not much quality coming back to bolster things.

Fyfe is a massive inclusion for Fremantle. Even if he's not the same player, he will draw a quality opponent up forward/midfield and that is what good teams do.
Carlton have McKay to return in a months time. Too much positivity to come from those teams already showing dramatic improvement 10 rounds in.
 
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