Opinion Our premiership window

[SpudsLoveChild]

Where are we at?

Is the premiership window open, half closed, a little bit ajar, rattling due to the wind?

Our core players Lids, Jack, Cotch, Titch, Rance, Martin, Ivan, etc. have been together for a few years now and are a mature group.

Is the window open?

 

[Groupie_]

 

[AlorraVex]

2017 and 2018.

 

[Nostradumbass]

 

[I Rock]

Where are we at?

Is the premiership window open, half closed, a little bit ajar, rattling due to the wind?

Our core players Lids, Jack, Cotch, Titch, Rance, Martin, Ivan, etc. have been together for a few years now and are a mature group.

Is the window open?

PS. I hate myself for starting this thread.

I would suggest that as the list stands at the moment the window is open for it to reach it's peak if not this year then next. Realistically I doubt highly that it still makes it good enough for a Premiership. I await the inevitable hate to come back at me for this view, however to me it just seems the list still has too many holes and the Players needed to reach the next level to make it a real top 4 then potential Premiership side are just not at the consistent levels they need to be.

Having said that the core group is still young enough that the Club could potentially take a step back to develop a huge leap forward, instead of all out with the current list.

 

[tigs2010]

Someone needs to contact the builder. Architect forgot the bloody windows.

 

[Darth_Tiger]

Premiership windows are a crock.


Sent from my brain using ESP.

 

[tugga]

Going by our 33-year cycles our next window is open in 2049.
Let that sink in a bit before you dismiss it.

 

[Helen Wheels]

Our "win a final" window better be open.

 

[I Rock]

Going by our 33-year cycles our next window is open in 2049.
Let that sink in a bit before you dismiss it.

If ever you needed a reminder of as fans/supporters/members of the RFC what we deal with. Just again; Ray Hall has been close to Best on Ground in all of Richmond's final wins in the past two decades.















.

 

[SpudsLoveChild]

Our "win a final" window better be open.

Good point

 

[TigerImposter]

If ever you needed a reminder of as fans/supporters/members of the RFC what we deal with. Just again; Ray Hall has been close to Best on Ground in all of Richmond's final wins in the past two decades.















.

Thanks Ray

 

[TigerImposter]

I course it wasn't difficult for me to vote. Spud already voted for me when he constructed the poll

 

[I Rock]

Thanks Ray

Nah, my injuries and lack of talent meant my AFL career fell 99 games short of Ray's.

 

[Roachy8]

Just had to vote the last option.
I reckon we are in it this year and the next couple - problem is we are not ready.... (If that makes sense)

 

[prodigy1311]

2017 and 2018.

lol.. in 2013 it was 2014-15, in 2014 it changed to 2015-16, in 2015 it changed to 2016-17 and now its 2017-18..!
Only Richmond.......

 

[I Rock]

lol.. in 2013 it was 2014-15, in 2014 it changed to 2015-16, in 2015 it changed to 2016-17 and now its 2017-18..!
Only Richmond.......

If only the actual goal post shifted as much as the metaphoric ones when a few where taking set shots last Friday night.

 

[Sassafras]

I think the last few years were better chances. I think the word "premiership" should never be mentioned until at least one final has been won. I like Dimma but not winning a final this year means a new coach and high quality player recruited is a must to take advantage of the handful of great players currently on the list.

 

[zimma]

I feel as though our Premiership window is a big unknown right now, relying a lot on players to live up to potential... Right now a few players aren't living up to expectations, nor are they consistent enough for us to make a deep finals run. Biggest issue for mine is our ruck stocks and durability of our stars, everyone here is pinning all the hopes of this season on two of our oldest, most injury plagued (in recent times) players returning. Which is sort of the big issue, Lids and Maric are considered to be two of the biggest keys to our success, and by the time the rest of our list hits their straps, they'll both be spent.

Right now I believe the window opening is dependent on a few key things;

• Breaking this reliance on Lids, our record without him is abyssmal, and you can't be that reliant on a single aging player with fitness issues.
• Ruck stocks, Maric is getting more of the "old man" injuries, he can't shoulder a full games ruck load against an A grade ruck anymore, Elton appears to be a non-event, Griff can't cut it, Vickery is better in the forward line, Hampson shows signs at times at being good at tap work (arguably superior to Maric), seems to be getting better around the ground, but he can't kick for shit... End of the day, we aren't getting anywhere without a decent ruck.
• Younger talent, we hear about the raw talent of our youth, the "elite" midfielders, but they're inconsistent or arguably over-rated, most just need more time to develop, but while we wait, the others are dropping out of their prime years.

As it stands, our list is that standard fair 5-8 ranked kind of team, good enough to make finals, might snag an EF win eventually, but unlikely to go deep into the run. Really unless something is done odds are they spend a few years making finals, doing **** all, then having to rebuild without achieving much other than getting worse draft picks. Either we need to actually lure a few star players in via FA or trades, or have a down year, prop up on talent / picks to trade on for talent, and build for a serious run in 3-5 years when the current youth hits their prime and rely on a veteran Cotchin, Martin and co. rather than "prime years"

 

[SpudsLoveChild]

We won 9 on the trot last year and haven't seen a huge change to the roster, so its not a stretch to say that this team can beat all comers.

 

[fumbler]

Where are we at?

Is the premiership window open, half closed, a little bit ajar, rattling due to the wind?

Our core players Lids, Jack, Cotch, Titch, Rance, Martin, Ivan, etc. have been together for a few years now and are a mature group.

Is the window open?

Cranked slightly.... we should be using the air con shortly.

 

[Craze]

I'll say our window is open when our best 5-6 players hit 28.

Riewoldt now, Rance next 18 months, Cotchin next 24 months, Martin/Ellis/Vlastuin 3 years.

So I'll say our window (if there is such a thing) opens next year, depending on how well we go at the draft table and in trades. Our bottom 5-6 players are the ones who need to lift.

So I'd say the peak of this cycle will be 2017-18. Unfortunately, I don't think our potential best is anywhere near that of the dogs, the Eagles, the Hawks, the Swans, Geelong, GWS. Our VFL team is S***HOUSE, even though it started as a stand-alone in the same year as Footscray. The fact that the dogs have gone past us like a slingshot just shows how you don't need to be a rich club with 100,000 members to be successful on-field. You just need competent people who are prepared to do the hard work, making the important decisions.

As far as windows go, I think we're seeing Geelong, Hawthorn and Sydney (and to a lesser extent Collingwood and Eagles) provide a template of how you can be perpetually good (and therefore the 'window' is never closed). The way they phase out older players and bring in ready-mades is the new benchmark. They float from 1st, down to about 10th at worst.

 

[exceptional design]

We won 9 on the trot last year and haven't seen a huge change to the roster, so its not a stretch to say that this team can beat all comers.

Before round 1, I would have said yes. But instead of picking up where we left off last year, we have gone backwards at the start of the year, just like the previous 3 years. But the game has changed. I don't think we have have.

 

[webbie]

If we merge with the hawks we will be set. Otherwise its the year 3000

 

[CoggaRules]