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AstuteTiger

AstuteTiger

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AFL 2024: Jacob Hopper says Thomson Dow will lift Richmond midfield​

A fifth-year Tiger who only just clung to his spot on Richmond’s list has been backed by a teammate to “make us better” in 2024.

Richmond midfielder Jacob Hopper says the addition of teammate Thomson Dow this season will improve the Tigers’ on-ball brigade as he expects a host of senior players to return for next week’s practice match against Collingwood.

Dow, 22, secured a one-year lifeline at Punt Road thanks to three impressive performances at the end of his fourth season, and was prolific again as a first-choice centre bounce option when the Tigers beat Melbourne in a scratch match at Casey Fields on Sunday.
Hopper said the younger brother of St Kilda midfielder Paddy was ready for a breakout season after a terrific summer.

“He’s one of those younger guys who’s had a really good pre-season and we’re excited about what he can bring to the table for us,” Hopper said on Wednesday.

“He’s going really well, so he’s definitely one of those guys that we think can help make us a better footy team.”

Dustin Martin is among a host of Richmond stars who [PLAYERCARD]Jacob Hopper[/PLAYERCARD] expects to feature against Collingwood in next Tuesday’s pre-season game. Picture: Michael Klein

Dustin Martin is among a host of Richmond stars who Jacob Hopper expects to feature against Collingwood in next Tuesday’s pre-season game. Picture: Michael Klein

Dow will have a fight on his hands to secure a midfield spot in Opening Round though as Tim Taranto, Dustin Martin and Liam Baker all look set for minutes against Collingwood in the inaugural pre-season Charity Shield game next Tuesday.

Tigers captain Toby Nankervis is also expected to join the trio after he was managed against the Demons, but Dion Prestia is set to take longer to be ready to play as he battles a hamstring injury.

“I think most of those boys that didn’t play on the weekend will be gearing up to have a run around, just got to tick their final boxes I suppose,” Hopper said.

The 27-year-old former Giant, who arrived at Punt Road last season on a mega contract until the end of 2029, said his body was in “much better nick” after repeat injuries kept him to 16 games in 2023.

“I’m feeling really good. There was a bit going on (with injuries last year), but I suppose it’s part of footy and sometimes you just have to deal with that and manage that as best you can,” he said.

Along with Thomson Dow, Hopper (pictured) was at the most centre bounces for the Tigers on Sunday and had three clearances against Melbourne at Casey Fields. Picture: Michael Willson / Getty Images

Along with Thomson Dow, Hopper (pictured) was at the most centre bounces for the Tigers on Sunday and had three clearances against Melbourne at Casey Fields. Picture: Michael Willson / Getty Images

“Everyone’s on top of it, everyone’s got a better understanding of my body now being a year in, so we’re all feeling good about the year coming.”

A quirk of Hopper’s move from GWS to Richmond is that after the Opening Round clash against Gold Coast he will have played for five different senior coaches in just 24 games.

He said he was still excited by the different atmosphere brought by a change in coach, as he backed Adem Yze’s initiative to paint over an internal wall with images from the Tigers’ three premierships under Damien Hardwick.

Jacob Hopper's coaches since 2022​

GWS GIANTS
Leon Cameron: one game
Mark McVeigh: six games

RICHMOND
Damien Hardwick: eight games
Andrew McQualter: eight games
Adem Yze: yet to play

“New faces, new philosophies, different messaging, different ways of doing things … it just creates natural change and an excitement, especially for guys who have known one way for so long,” Hopper said.

“To create that natural sort of change and new voice has got the whole group really bought in and excited about the year ahead and the footy that we’re going to play.

“I mean the (premiership references) are not down everywhere, because we definitely want to respect this great club that we play for and the success that they’ve had, but no doubt it’s such a new group.

“There’s so many new faces, so it’s about making it our own … the group we have now is what we are, and who we are is the Richmond Football Club.”

 

Former Richmond skipper Chris Newman on working with the man who beat him to Tigers’ top job​

It would’ve been easy for Chris Newman to head back to Hawthorn after Adem Yze beat him to the top job. Instead, they’re working together. The former Richmond skipper opens up on the decision.

February 19, 2024 - 6:00AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Strictly speaking, Chris Newman signed up at Richmond only weeks after they had rejected him as senior coach late last year.

It would have been so easy to lick his wounds after missing out to Adem Yze and return to the exciting young Hawthorn list as Sam Mitchell’s lieutenant.

Yet as the club’s 2024 campaign begins, the Richmond favourite son will be bedecked in yellow and black again.
For Newman it is a canny move given the shift into coaching a senior midfield for the first time.
And swallowing his pride?

Not for the pragmatic Newman, who at only 41 is surely destined for a senior coaching gig if only he bides his time.
Not only does he get to round out his line coaching portfolio, he gets to pick the brains of former senior coaches Ben Rutten and David Teague and the highs and lows of their short stints in charge.

“It’s been great. It’s an opportunity to work with ‘Ooze” again but it was still a pretty tough decision,” he told this masthead.

Back in yellow and black, [PLAYERCARD]Chris Newman[/PLAYERCARD] has returned to Punt Road. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Back in yellow and black, Chris Newman has returned to Punt Road. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“I loved my time at the Hawks and it was so good for my development. I had great relationship with Sam and (football boss) Rob McCartney in particular.

“But it was the right decision in terms of my coaching career and. The time was right and I am enjoying the change. The midfield is another different challenge and a refreshing one. I have really loved it.”

Newman’s 268 games as a dependable Richmond backman and club captain morphed into a long spell at Hawthorn as a development coach, Box Hill coach, then backline and forward coach.

It meant he was perfectly positioned when Damien Hardwick moved on as he, Yze and interim coach Andrew McQualter went through a prolonged Richmond coaching process.

“It’s the first job I have really gone for and I really loved it. Even just sitting through those interviews and the process has been really beneficial for my development. It also gives you time to get everything aligned. What are your thoughts on the game, how do you want your teams to look? During the year you are caught up in the cycle of the game. You take bits and pieces from books, from podcasts. But it was a good opportunity to get my values aligned. Hone in on what I value as a coach. It was my first process so it was a bit nerve-racking.

“If anything it did intensify my desire to coach. Coaching my own team really benefited me at VFL level and it’s a totally different beast at AFL, but the timing feels right, and that’s why I came here. It certainly gives me lots of room for growth.

Former Tigers skipper and now assistant coach [PLAYERCARD]Chris Newman[/PLAYERCARD]. Picture: Richmond Media/RichmondFC.com.au

Former Tigers skipper and now assistant coach Chris Newman. Picture: Richmond Media/RichmondFC.com.au

Richmond’s midfield is intriguing – established players Dustin Martin, Tim Taranto, Dion Prestia, Jake Hopper and Jack Graham, mid-tier players like Jack Ross and up-and-comers like Thomson Dow, Tyler Sonsie and impressive first-year mid Kane McAuliffe.
Dow has had a huge summer of progress – set to be tested against Melbourne and Collingwood in coming weeks – while North Adelaide’s pick 40 McAuliffe has been exceptional in summer scrimmages.

Dustin Martin will play more mid this year as Shai Bolton plays almost exclusively as a small forward.
“Dusty is at a pretty high level at the moment. He doesn’t look like he’s lost any ability to play the game. More exposure inside helps him be around the ball. It gives us a first look and he can win the footy but when he receives it he is so composed with ball in hand.”

Best-and-fairest winner Tim Taranto put together an awesome debut season at Richmond and Newman is less worried about his polish with ball in hand than his critics.

“I didn’t appreciate the amount of work Tim does with his work ethic on the ground. He has an unbelievable ability to get from contest to contest to outwork his opponent.

“I didn’t see enough of him last year, but I have not had one issue. I have not had one issue. I have been really impressed by his kicking. His delivery inside 50 is very good and he is in a lot of pressure situations so he needs to sum up what is best for the team.”

CHRIS NEWMAN ASSESSES SOME OF RICHMOND’S BRIGHT YOUNG PROSPECTS​

THOMSON DOW
No. 21 pick Dow, now entering his fifth season: “He’s been really good. He has good lateral movement. He can win the ball, he is really clean and is dynamic and he can also get it outside. He has really good hands and he’s a great runner and he’s really diligent.”

KANE McAULIFFE
McAuliffe is a strong-bodied first year mid: “He’s really made an impression since he walked into the place. He’s built like a man. He’s a solid unit but he’a always got a note pad and pen and he’s feeding off not only the coaches but the older players. He’s one that’s really put his hand up. He had a bit of grunt and he’s a ball winner but he’s also got a good left foot and he will get an opportunity against Melbourne this week.”

SAM BANKS
The third year half back was a No.29 draft pick: “He’s a really good ball user and he has a high work ethic. He ca play wing and half back and he’s just a really diligent kid who can do a lot of damage. He has all the tools he needs to fulfil those roles.”
Third-year defender Tom Brown, a No.17 draft pick: “He plays in defence but he reads the game really well and he’s another good ball user. He has given himself every chance and he’s presented in great condition in the off-season which sets him up.”

TYLER SONSIE
The midfielder is a third-year No.28 pick who still needs to serve some of his suspension for a behind-play VFL strike: “ He’s an elite ball user and he’s just good at footy. IT sounds silly but he is creative with ball in hand and we feel like he has flexibility. He can do damage forward of centre as well as midfield and he’s had a taste of both this summer so hopefully when he gets back from suspension he can hit the ground running.”

SAMSON RYAN
Ruckman Samson Ryan has forced his way into the senior side: “He’s working with Ivan Maric really closely and all the rucks have done a lot of work on their actual craft. He works super hard and he is doing his aerial stuff with Ben Rutten. He recognises the importance of aerial dominance as a big guy so he’s got a lot of upside.”

TYLAR YOUNG
The second-year defender was outstanding on talls and smalls in 2023: “He is just super diligent and he’s trying to be hard to play on as well. He’s athletic for a big guy and I was surprised at the size of him but he moves really well.”

JAMES TREZISE
The mid-season pick made an impressive debut in round 24 against Port Adelaide: “He’s an intercept defender who gets from contest to contest. He’s cut his (long) hair so I didn’t recognise him but he’s a super kid and he’s got a lot of growth left in him.”

 
Stevie Wonder[H/S] has picked our Rnd 0 side.

FB: Nick Vlastuin, Dylan Grimes, Nathan Broad
HB: Jayden Short, Josh Gibcus, Daniel Rioli
C: Marlion Pickett, Jacob Hopper, Kamdyn McIntosh
HF: Shai Bolton, Noah Balta, Liam Baker
FF: Dustin Martin, Jacob Koschitzke, Judson Clarke
Foll: Toby Nankervis, Tim Taranto, Dion Prestia
Int: Thomson Dow, Jack Ross, Tylar Young, Jack Graham
 

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Tiger_Of_Old said:
Stevie Wonder[H/S] has picked our Rnd 0 side.

FB: Nick Vlastuin, Dylan Grimes, Nathan Broad
HB: Jayden Short, Josh Gibcus, Daniel Rioli
C: Marlion Pickett, Jacob Hopper, Kamdyn McIntosh
HF: Shai Bolton, Noah Balta, Liam Baker
FF: Dustin Martin, Jacob Koschitzke, Judson Clarke
Foll: Toby Nankervis, Tim Taranto, Dion Prestia
Int: Thomson Dow, Jack Ross, Tylar Young, Jack Graham
Click to expand...

Looks about right for overall personnel (the starting mid position order could change, need some outside run).

Judson Clarke, think it'll be Steely Green (due to the SONZ suspension and Mansell ankle inj)
Macca if he's in the side id say he would be starting on the bench and Ross on the wing.

Also another spot for the SUB, Banks, Cumbers, Coulthard etc

Next weeks game v Pies will answer a few more questions.
 
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AstuteTiger said:
Looks about right for overall personnel (the starting mid position order could change, need some outside run).

Judson Clarke, think it'll be Steely Green (due to the SONZ suspension and Mansell ankle inj)
Macca if he's in the side id say he would be starting on the bench and Ross on the wing.

Also another spot for the SUB, Banks, Cumbers, Coulthard etc

Next weeks game v Pies will answer a few more questions.
Click to expand...
Yes...ought to give us all a clearer picture of how good we are currently travelling at...and what needs to be worked on and fine tuned!
Early days yet...but the signs are encouraging!
Good test coming up agin the Wobbles who just had a wake up call agin the bottom side in the Roos!
 

“I WAS STAGNATING”: WHY KOSCHITZKE LEFT HAWTHORN AND WHAT HE BRINGS TO RICHMOND​

SEN - ANDREW SLEVISON
TR180224MW00521.jpg


Richmond recruit Jacob Koschitzke admits he was “stagnating” at Hawthorn.
The 23-year-old forward, who was drafted in 2018, spent five years and played 48 AFL games in the brown and gold before being traded to the Tigers last trade period.

Koschitzke has shown he is capable at AFL level, kicking a total of 54 goals including 27 in 2021, but he could not quite find consistency under Alastair Clarkson and then Sam Mitchell.
Now he is intent on finding some steadiness and stability under his former Hawks assistant Adem Yze at Punt Road.
“It’s been a bit of a unique experience,” Koschitzke said of his transition to Richmond on SEN’s Sportsday.

Ful story on link or listen to the interview.



“I was stagnating”: Why Koschitzke left Hawthorn and what he brings to Richmond

He made the shift last trade period.
www.sen.com.au www.sen.com.au
 

A very good read...​

The move that made Tigers coach feel 'crook in the guts'​

Richmond coach Adem Yze sat down with AFL.com.au's Josh Gabelich ahead of his first season in charge

www.afl.com.au

The move that made Tigers coach feel 'crook in the guts'

Richmond coach Adem Yze sat down with AFL.com.au's Josh Gabelich ahead of his first season in charge
www.afl.com.au www.afl.com.au
 
Ctl said:
www.codesports.com.au

CODE Sports

CODE Sports
www.codesports.com.au www.codesports.com.au

can anyone get past the paywall?
Click to expand...

Normally this works. Click on this link 12ft and as an example insert this age link below and you will be able to read the story.
www.theage.com.au

Nick Daicos and De Goey star as Pies set hot pace in countdown to season

Collingwood reinforced why they are the team to beat in 2024, the premiers - led by brilliant duo Nick Daicos and Jordan De Goey - dominating a Richmond side that showed scoring deficiencies without the injured Tom Lynch.
www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au

For some reason when I try the link that you want to open it doesn't work for me. Even though I am subscribed to the herald sun. Doesn't seem to work the herald sun articles on 12ft but The Age does.

I guess you will just have to resort reading the west coke eagles article
www.westcoasteagles.com.au

Eagles appoint Matthew Clarke as List Manager

The experienced recruiter will take the reins from Rohan O'Brien
www.westcoasteagles.com.au www.westcoasteagles.com.au
 
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SuperCoach AFL 2024: Fantasy Freako lifts lid on how Adem Yze will impact Tigers’ scores​

There are already signs of how Adem Yze wants Richmond to play in 2024. What does it mean for our SuperCoach teams? Fantasy Freako names his top Tiger picks.

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Adem Yze has undertaken a lengthy apprenticeship as an assistant coach over a 13-year period.
He was an integral part of the successful Hawthorn era under Alastair Clarkson from 2012-2020, but then went back to his roots at Melbourne and worked closely with Simon Goodwin. Now he’s the face of the post Damien Hardwick era at Richmond.
As a player, Yze was a utility who played 271 games for the Demons over 13 seasons. Of that tally 226 were in succession as he just fell short of Jim Stynes’ record of 244 consecutive games. He was a feisty player with a raking left-foot kick.

ASSISTANT COACH​

Hawthorn 2012-2020
Melbourne 2021-2023

Yze brings a new voice and a variety of experiences to Punt Road as he embarks on his first job as outright senior coach. In saying that, he did coach the Demons in one game in 2022 when Goodwin was unavailable, so he has had a brief taste of being in the hot seat.

Yze has some quality assistants under him with Ben Rutten and David Teague both boasting senior coaching experience, while ex-Tigers skipper Chris Newman returns to Punt Road after a lengthy stint at Hawthorn. Jack Ziebell rounds out Richmond’s assistant coaches for 2024 and brings a youthfulness to the group after retiring as a player at the end of last season.

If we look at the Tigers’ game style from last year, we need to be mindful that Andrew McQualter took the reigns after Hardwick stepped aside in the middle of May, so there was an overlap in the coaching ranks. But not much changed on the field.

Across the season, the Tigers were a low marking side and preferred to use the wing when exiting defence. They ranked in the top six for kick-to-handball ratio but were overtaken by Collingwood as the No.1 handball metres gained side. They continued to be direct by foot though and kicked long 44.2 per cent of the time, the highest percentage by any team.

[PLAYERCARD]Adem Yze[/PLAYERCARD] has sent [PLAYERCARD]Jayden Short[/PLAYERCARD] back to defence. Picture: Richmond FC

Adem Yze has sent Jayden Short back to defence. Picture: Richmond FC

Richmond’s famous forward-half game fell right away in 2023, ranking eighth for forward-half intercepts and 10th in scoring from that source. That’s on the back of ranking second and first respectively in 2022.

If we dissect the numbers from Yze’s first match in charge against Collingwood in the AAMI Community Series, then there are noticeable differences, but the obvious caveat here is sample size. We need a few more games to make a better judgement overall.
Having said that, one number that stood out was kick-to-handball ratio. Richmond used the ball by hand a lot more, but by foot they continued to be direct, which was a key trait of Hardwick coached teams. I wouldn’t take too much notice of the around the ground stoppage number as the Magpies took 120 uncontested marks which meant the game was more stop and start than anything. In terms of ball movement, there wasn’t much that changed at all.

Adem Yze's game style​

20232024
Kick-to-handball ratio1.491.16
Uncontested Marks73.661.0
Mark Play On %25.2%29.8%
Match Stoppages (TI/BU)93.578.0
% Kick forward89.2%94.4%
% Kick Long44.2%52.0%
% Corridor (From D50)16.3%12.3%
% Wing (From D50)35.5%38.3%
% Boundary (From D50)48.3%49.4%

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR OUR SUPERCOACH TEAMS?
We can already see what Yze is trying to implement with his game style, even if we only have one match of data to base that on.
From a structure point of view, he has spun the magnets and made a positional move which has seen Noah Balta move into attack. The expectation was that Dustin Martin ($527,300 FWD) would be handed a more prominent midfield role, but that didn’t eventuate in the Collingwood game – attending just three centre bounces. Liam Baker ($445,600 DEF/FWD) was also expected to feature in the middle, but he attended only two.

In 2023, Martin had a 15 per cent-85 per cent mid-forward split while averaging less than 100 SuperCoach points for the third year in a row. At the peak of his powers in 2017, he averaged 121 and had a 71 per cent-29 per cent mid-forward split. It’s unlikely that we see Dusty dominate to that extent again, so we need to be realistic about what he can produce in 2024.

The midfield will be led by Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper and Dion Prestia. Shai Bolton ($540,700 MID/FWD) looks set to play more as a forward this season, and there was evidence of this against the Magpies, attending only seven centre bounces. He led the team for score involvements but was off target with 0.3. In 2023, he had a 58 per cent-42 per cent Mid-Fwd breakdown.

Dustin Martin can be used in the midfield or up forward. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Dustin Martin can be used in the midfield or up forward. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Thomson Dow has been a standout this pre-season. Picture: Michael Klein

Thomson Dow has been a standout this pre-season. Picture: Michael Klein

In terms of new blood in the midfield, Thomson Dow ($254,800 MID) is the new kid on the block, attending an equal team-high 11 centre bounces. He finished with 20 disposals, 12 contested possessions, five clearances and a goal, but he only laid one tackle which is the only negative. He was also one of just four Tigers without a turnover, but a low kick-to-handball ratio (four kicks and 16 handballs) may have played a role there.

The wings won’t change with Marlion Pickett and Kamdyn McIntosh again playing that key role.

The nature of the ruck set up remains uncertain after Toby Nankervis missed the Magpies clash with a foot injury. When fit, will Yze go with a tandem set up which includes Sam Naismith ($123,900 RUC)? Or will he rely on Samson Ryan to provide cover in the ruck instead? Ryan played the forward-ruck role against the Magpies, while Naismith was one of Richmond’s best. His ability to win his own ball stood out more than anything, collecting 13 contested possessions. Only Tim Taranto, with 14, had more.

key defenders on the list, with Dylan Grimes being classified as a general defender in 2024 after being used primarily on general forwards last season. We could see Grimes return to playing on key position types – something he has done in the past. Nathan Broad will also play a key role here.​

Daniel Rioli ($485,700 DEF) and Jayden Short ($551,200 DEF) will provide the drive, with Short racking up a game-high 27 disposals and 799 metres gained against Collingwood. He also played on from seven of nine-kicks to cap off an excellent match.
Richmond has the round 6 bye, which is the latest of all teams playing in the opening round – so picking one, or even two Tigers has merit if you have a balanced team and can cover their absence.

Richmond has the round 6 bye, which is the latest of all teams playing in the opening round – so picking one, or even two Tigers has merit if you have a balanced team and can cover their absence.

 
THE THEME at Punt Road this summer can be summed up by the contents of a trailer travelling along the Princes Highway back from Gippsland in November. It wasn't quite the scene from The Hangover when Alan transports a giraffe behind his Mercedes-Benz convertible, but it was close.

Tigers high performance boss Luke Meehan had the idea and leadership and culture consultant Shane McCurry did the dirty work, driving a few hours east to collect a pair of plastic life-size camels. One has remained in the meeting room inside the Swinburne Centre, the other has been shifted around the Richmond Football Club.

FEATURE
'Pure attributes': Yze explains Tiger's surprise role change
Adem Yze wishes he saw the camels cruising back to Melbourne on the back of the trailer, but the Tigers' new senior coach has embraced a heat training program over the pre-season that Meehan introduced at the end of 2022 after taking over the reins from Peter Burge.

Previously viewed as the lazy way to get up a sweat, saunas have become a training tool at the Tigers – and at other Victorian clubs this summer – to increase the benefits of training during the warmer months, along with the heat room and in the spa.

Players have regularly sat in the sauna for up to 45 minutes at the end of main training sessions across December, January and February that stretch beyond two hours. The general consensus at Richmond is they are the toughest part of the day.

"No doubt it has been a focus. They have a rotation in the heat room or in the sauna or sitting in the spa for 45 minutes. The players have enjoyed it and worked their way through it. There is a bit in it with the science behind it. We used to travel to Mooloolaba at the Hawks to be exposed to the heat and humidity and test the players mentally. This is the way to do it in house," Yze told AFL.com.au.

pQsXBnqF.jpg


Adem Yze poses for a photo during Richmond's team photo day on February 21, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos
"Most footy clubs have a theme over the pre-season, whether it's a fitness theme or whether it's a footy theme. It is around our staff feeling like they belong and can thrive and have an impact. They started a heat program the year before. We've got a heat room and have been utilising a sauna and really testing how I players deal with the heat mentally.

"The camels have actually created some connection in our club. There was this massive camel in the meeting room and I have my arm leaning on this camel when presenting. That almost broke the ice. The one that was out on the oval, it started in the gym and the players moved it into the pool area, so it was almost like the elf on the shelf, someone would move it every morning. I just wish I had a photo of Shane driving it back from Gippsland on a trailer."

ANALYSIS
Richmond season preview: What impact will new voice have on Tigers of old?
New Western Bulldogs head of physical performance Daniel Duvnjak-Zaknich arrived at the Western Bulldogs at the start of the pre-season after moving from Greater Western Sydney where he spent 2023 as senior physical performance manager, following nine seasons as Fremantle's head of strength and conditioning.

The West Australian recently led the Bulldogs on a pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast in the summer and is completing a PhD in heat physiology at the University of Western Australia, researching how best to use heat acclimation in a team sports environment.

QLD-Camp-119.jpg


James Harmes during a Western Bulldogs match simulation session in Maroochydore on February 1, 2024. Picture: Western Bulldogs
Duvnjak-Zaknich said the reason some high performance departments have prescribed heat training and sauna usage across the pre-season is due to the benefits of increased time at critical core temperature.

"From a performance perspective, whenever you train in the heat, physiologically it's harder. The same session you get a higher heart rate response, a higher cardiovascular response. Naturally, it becomes a lot more effective as a training tool because you are working harder. It's not like you're doing any more work, but it is challenging your system more, you need to sweat more so you become more effective and efficient with your sweating response. That helps with your cooling, but you also get blood changes with plasma volume, that part of the blood will increase which will allow you to sweat more," Duvnjak-Zaknich said.

ANALYSIS
Western Bulldogs season preview: Massive contract calls loom, draftee firms for R1 debut
"Teams used to go to places like Colorado for two weeks at the back end of pre-seasons or pre-Christmas for the altitude benefits and once the research actually caught up, the altitude training was highly effective for the time you were there and then lasted for only a couple of weeks when you got home. Then it's done. Teams were spending a lot of money around these camps, but unless they could dose with altitude with a chamber and top-up, it really didn't fit a normal training programme.

"Whereas heat has always been there and the accessibility being in Australia helps. If you go to say Mooloolaba for a week then you're going to get a nice dose but then how do you top that up? There are active remedies with bike sessions in the heat chamber, but also passive remedies with a sauna or spa, which doesn't involve activity but you still get the potent nature of the heat stimulus."

Camels can withstand extreme heat. Yze plans for his Tigers to handle the heat this winter.
 
Age Predictions:


Gains​

Kane McAuliffe North Adelaide, Liam Fawcett Central District, Jacob Koschitzke Hawthorn, Sam Naismith Port Melbourne VFL, Oliver Hayes-Brown category B rookie, Mykelti Lefau SSP.

Losses​

Bigoa Nyuon North Melbourne, Ivan Soldo Port Adelaide, Kaelan Bradtke delisted, Jason Castagna retired, Trent Cotchin retired, Jack Riewoldt retired, Robbie Tarrant retired.

What Jake Niall thinks​

jake.jpg

Adem Yze will bring a fresh game style, potentially improving the defensive method from last year. But the Tigers simply don't have the personnel today to compete for the flag. A fit Tom Lynch would make them considerably stronger, and Josh Gibcus can turn into the needed tall back/interceptor. Otherwise, there's reliance on the survivors of the flag teams – outlandishly gifted Shai Bolton being the most capable – and on kids who are unproven, as Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin have entered the footy afterlife. A year of development, discovery and Dusty speculation. Projected range: 13-15.



2:23

Jake Niall's 2024 season predictions​

Why they can make the eight​

Heading into the fourth season since Richmond lifted the last of their three premiership cups in four years, the Tigers still have 15 premiership players on their list. One of them is Dustin Martin, who returned to something approaching his best last season. A fit Martin makes a world of difference; so too Tom Lynch, once he comes back from the foot injury that derailed him in 2023. Can Shai Bolton rediscover the game-breaking dynamism that made him an All-Australian (and walking highlight reel) in 2022? There’s plenty of quality around them – GWS import Tim Taranto won last year’s best and fairest, Jacob Hopper is still a very good footballer, and there are younger players pushing through too, such as Thomson Dow. All eyes will be on new coach Adem Yze and his well-credentialled team of assistants to see if they can knit the old and new guard together.Andrew Stafford

Why they can't make the eight​

The Tigers looked to be doubling down when they recruited Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper at the end of 2022 – trying to eke out one more flag from a group that, last year, still included talismans Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt. They’re gone now, so has coach Damien Hardwick, and the club seems to be taking a “turn it off, then turn it on again” approach, stockpiling picks after a modest trade and draft period. While Noah Balta, Shai Bolton and Liam Baker may be peaking, others such as Dylan Grimes are more likely to be nearing the end. So this is transition time, not Tiger time, and some pundits are tipping them for a bottom-four finish. Surely there’s too much class and nous on this list for that, but few are expecting more than middling results. They may well end up finishing ninth – and that would be a fair effort, really.Andrew Stafford
 

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Yze's current preseason selections saying the new game plan into the 2023 first 22 cattle, surprised me. I thought , they are all footballers 4 years older than peak 2020. But fair enough. There's talent and role players.


2022 we left a lot of close wins out there.

2023 midfield good on paper but 13th on the ladder

24: Dow for Cotch. Looks good, We probably need Bolton up fwd for goal scoring.

Mansell, Graham hold their positions. We have a look at Green & Campbell, MRJ.

Balta Kosi Ryan. Good, not great and still no Lynch. Has he lost marking and kicking power?

Naismith looks AFL standard. TICK

Easy draw, new coach bounce with Saints, Pies & GWS giants.

Its Nostradamus stuff trying to work out how its going to go.
 
All these articles just reinforce to me that all the experts are just making pure, unsubstantiated and unequivocal, guesses! One of them comes up with a theory and the rest run with that so as not to be called out in the future.

Just bring on the footy so we can start discussing actual events rather reading AFL Media Fortune Tellers using their cracked and clouded crystal balls. Waste of time.
 
Football Tragic said:
All these articles just reinforce to me that all the experts are just making pure, unsubstantiated and unequivocal, guesses! One of them comes up with a theory and the rest run with that so as not to be called out in the future.

Just bring on the footy so we can start discussing actual events rather reading AFL Media Fortune Tellers using their cracked and clouded crystal balls. Waste of time.
Click to expand...
af98c-this.gif david-tennant-laughing.gif
 
Tiger_Of_Old said:
Age Predictions:


Gains​

Kane McAuliffe North Adelaide, Liam Fawcett Central District, Jacob Koschitzke Hawthorn, Sam Naismith Port Melbourne VFL, Oliver Hayes-Brown category B rookie, Mykelti Lefau SSP.

Losses​

Bigoa Nyuon North Melbourne, Ivan Soldo Port Adelaide, Kaelan Bradtke delisted, Jason Castagna retired, Trent Cotchin retired, Jack Riewoldt retired, Robbie Tarrant retired.

What Jake Niall thinks​

jake.jpg

Adem Yze will bring a fresh game style, potentially improving the defensive method from last year. But the Tigers simply don't have the personnel today to compete for the flag. A fit Tom Lynch would make them considerably stronger, and Josh Gibcus can turn into the needed tall back/interceptor. Otherwise, there's reliance on the survivors of the flag teams – outlandishly gifted Shai Bolton being the most capable – and on kids who are unproven, as Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin have entered the footy afterlife. A year of development, discovery and Dusty speculation. Projected range: 13-15.



2:23

Jake Niall's 2024 season predictions​

Why they can make the eight​

Heading into the fourth season since Richmond lifted the last of their three premiership cups in four years, the Tigers still have 15 premiership players on their list. One of them is Dustin Martin, who returned to something approaching his best last season. A fit Martin makes a world of difference; so too Tom Lynch, once he comes back from the foot injury that derailed him in 2023. Can Shai Bolton rediscover the game-breaking dynamism that made him an All-Australian (and walking highlight reel) in 2022? There’s plenty of quality around them – GWS import Tim Taranto won last year’s best and fairest, Jacob Hopper is still a very good footballer, and there are younger players pushing through too, such as Thomson Dow. All eyes will be on new coach Adem Yze and his well-credentialled team of assistants to see if they can knit the old and new guard together.Andrew Stafford

Why they can't make the eight​

The Tigers looked to be doubling down when they recruited Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper at the end of 2022 – trying to eke out one more flag from a group that, last year, still included talismans Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt. They’re gone now, so has coach Damien Hardwick, and the club seems to be taking a “turn it off, then turn it on again” approach, stockpiling picks after a modest trade and draft period. While Noah Balta, Shai Bolton and Liam Baker may be peaking, others such as Dylan Grimes are more likely to be nearing the end. So this is transition time, not Tiger time, and some pundits are tipping them for a bottom-four finish. Surely there’s too much class and nous on this list for that, but few are expecting more than middling results. They may well end up finishing ninth – and that would be a fair effort, really.Andrew Stafford
Click to expand...
written like a true colonwood umpie lover
 
If Damien Hardwick didn’t leave Jacob Hopper at the altar their relationship barely got past the honeymoon stage before it was annulled.

For the brilliant ex-Giants midfielder, Hardwick’s shock decision to quit Richmond was only one of a number of setbacks in a debut season for the Tigers.

The club he pledged his future to until 2029 was distinctly mediocre as his former side Greater Western Sydney roared all the way to a preliminary final.

His debut season at Richmond was ruined by a litany of injuries that included achilles tendinitis, an associated calf tear, a late-season concussion and a bizarre leg injury that nearly had season-ending consequences.

As Hopper sits in Richmond’s Punt Rd Oval stands charting that tough initiation to a Victorian power club, he is reflective and sanguine about those challenges.

As he tells this masthead of the criticism, he could hardly complain about the lack of attention in western Sydney then bitch and moan when the scrutiny arrived.

Yet as Richmond prepares to take on former coach Hardwick on Saturday night, Hopper for the first time opens up about his mixed feelings about his departure.

Filthy Hardwick left Hopper and ex-Giants teammate Tim Taranto in the lurch after working so hard to lure them south?
No way.
And yet like all Richmond players, as Hardwick giddily announced his arrival in a Gold Coast polo shirt in August, Hopper couldn’t help a strange swirl of emotions.

“Dimma was an incredible coach and I loved the time I had with him, even though it was a very small amount of time. But s**t happens as well. No doubt there was that natural human part of me. It was a bit like, ‘Come on mate, what happened here?’” he says of his reaction to Hardwick revelling in his new set of bright, flashy “new toys” at that press conference.
How could those left behind not feel like Woody and Jessie in the Toy Story movies?

“I just think because it was all new for me in terms of coming here and experiencing that with him. And it was all new and exciting to me. For sure there is a little part of me that’s like, ‘Righty-o. Good on you mate’,” Hopper said.
“But we were able to have really good conversations when he made the decision to leave. And it was on to business.

“I appreciated the respect but I think there is still a little part of me that feels like, ‘Could he have kept trying to figure it out or find a way (through his burnout)?’ But his time was up.

“Some of it was personal and some of it he made clear (to the public) and ultimately you have to respect the decision. If he doesn’t really feel like he can be here fully, then as much as he’s a great coach you don’t want him here.
“Whereas with ‘Ooze’ (Adem Yze) coming in you feel like he’s a Richmond person. And you know every fibre of him wants to be here. So let’s get to work.”

What happened after Hardwick departed has cooled any resentment he might have felt and invigorated young and old players at Tigerland.

“I have experienced an interim coach coming in and it can be so disruptive and it can feel quite s**t regardless of who takes over and with ‘Mini’ (Andrew McQualter) it didn’t feel like that,” says Hopper, whose Giants sacked Leon Cameron in mid-2022.
“And then ‘Ooze’ (Yze) has come in and the way he operates is a way I really connect with. When I was at the Giants a lot of people assumed he was going to get that job (instead of Adam Kingsley) and so it’s just funny how it panned out.”

The moment Yze was appointed, Hopper hit the phones searching for intel — “everyone knows everyone in this industry” — and former teammate Adam Tomlinson told him Yze was “positive, personal, approachable” and a great connector.
That mail certainly landed on every score and if Hopper is understandably a little miffed by Hardwick’s departure he and the players are all in on Yze.

“Just the way he operates and the person he is, I have just really enjoyed this pre-season,” Hopper said.
“Even Chris Newman coming back (to Richmond) has been incredible. It’s great to create those relationships, but then we have just had a good period of time where everyone gets to work.”

Yze is determined to maximise Richmond’s potential stoppage dominance and play a forward half game instead of sweating on opposition turnovers as in the recent past.

Finally Hopper’s body is in a place to help that goal.

By round 11 last season as Richmond slumped to 15th on the ladder — with Hopper sidelined with a five-week calf issue — the Tigers looked to be handing over the No.4 draft pick as well as their 2022 No.31 pick in the Hopper trade.

He finished the season playing 16 solid but not exceptional games as Richmond slightly improved its ladder position and handed away a pick that became the No.8 selection (Adelaide’s Daniel Curtin).

Relatively unflappable, he says it would be hypocritical to decry the attention he came to Richmond to attract in a footy stronghold.
“Yeah, it was different. But it comes with the territory. And it’s good to experience both,” he said of that scrutiny over him and the value of the Tigers’ trade.

“To be at a club in Sydney where you know footy isn’t at the forefront of everything, and then you come to a more traditional state where it is at the forefront, you have to accept it and embrace it. Sometimes you got frustrated with the lack of attention to footy in Sydney so you can’t get frustrated with too much attention. Like anything you have to find that balance.”

As it turned out Hopper and Richmond knew how banged up he was, from season-long achilles tendinitis to the round 2 injury that saw his leg twisted so badly the club scanned his knee, ankle and toe for damage.

“It was frustrating for sure. The tendinitis in the achilles is just something that is tough to have to manage,” he said.
“It was a constant thing through the year and ideally I would have loved it to be different but we feel like we are in a much better place this time around.

“There was the achilles and some calf issues associated with the achilles and then it could have been really nasty with my whole leg (against Adelaide). I think we avoided a really significant injury there. So it’s frustrating because the ideal year is to work and improve but when you feel like you are managing your body it becomes a mental struggle. So it’s just been good to come in and feel better and get to work.”

The GWS academy product, 27, has settled in Brighton with girlfriend Liv as he explores Melbourne’s rich culture, having grown up in Riverine town of Leeton and then boarded at Ballarat before moving to Sydney.
“I didn’t really know where to live and we got some advice from teammates,” he said.

“Some of it was poor and some was good. Dusty (Martin) was very biased, but we moved around a little bit last year to figure it out and which pocket suits. I am feeling more settled. We are in Brighton. It’s a bit frowned upon by outsiders but I love the feeling of coming in and getting among it. And then to be able to get away closer to the beach.

“Melbourne has that certain energy which I don’t reckon Sydney quite has. It has the beaches, but to get amongst it at the Australian Open was unreal and the GP is around the corner. I love all the sport, the music and the food is great. I love my coffee and I enjoy how everyone is loyal to their area and puts the big sell in and every pocket seems to have its own identity. In Sydney everyone goes to Bondi or Bronte but here there is a bit of everything.”
 
_RT_ said:
If Damien Hardwick didn’t leave Jacob Hopper at the altar their relationship barely got past the honeymoon stage before it was annulled.

For the brilliant ex-Giants midfielder, Hardwick’s shock decision to quit Richmond was only one of a number of setbacks in a debut season for the Tigers.

The club he pledged his future to until 2029 was distinctly mediocre as his former side Greater Western Sydney roared all the way to a preliminary final.

His debut season at Richmond was ruined by a litany of injuries that included achilles tendinitis, an associated calf tear, a late-season concussion and a bizarre leg injury that nearly had season-ending consequences.

As Hopper sits in Richmond’s Punt Rd Oval stands charting that tough initiation to a Victorian power club, he is reflective and sanguine about those challenges.

As he tells this masthead of the criticism, he could hardly complain about the lack of attention in western Sydney then bitch and moan when the scrutiny arrived.

Yet as Richmond prepares to take on former coach Hardwick on Saturday night, Hopper for the first time opens up about his mixed feelings about his departure.

Filthy Hardwick left Hopper and ex-Giants teammate Tim Taranto in the lurch after working so hard to lure them south?
No way.
And yet like all Richmond players, as Hardwick giddily announced his arrival in a Gold Coast polo shirt in August, Hopper couldn’t help a strange swirl of emotions.

“Dimma was an incredible coach and I loved the time I had with him, even though it was a very small amount of time. But s**t happens as well. No doubt there was that natural human part of me. It was a bit like, ‘Come on mate, what happened here?’” he says of his reaction to Hardwick revelling in his new set of bright, flashy “new toys” at that press conference.
How could those left behind not feel like Woody and Jessie in the Toy Story movies?

“I just think because it was all new for me in terms of coming here and experiencing that with him. And it was all new and exciting to me. For sure there is a little part of me that’s like, ‘Righty-o. Good on you mate’,” Hopper said.
“But we were able to have really good conversations when he made the decision to leave. And it was on to business.

“I appreciated the respect but I think there is still a little part of me that feels like, ‘Could he have kept trying to figure it out or find a way (through his burnout)?’ But his time was up.

“Some of it was personal and some of it he made clear (to the public) and ultimately you have to respect the decision. If he doesn’t really feel like he can be here fully, then as much as he’s a great coach you don’t want him here.
“Whereas with ‘Ooze’ (Adem Yze) coming in you feel like he’s a Richmond person. And you know every fibre of him wants to be here. So let’s get to work.”

What happened after Hardwick departed has cooled any resentment he might have felt and invigorated young and old players at Tigerland.

“I have experienced an interim coach coming in and it can be so disruptive and it can feel quite s**t regardless of who takes over and with ‘Mini’ (Andrew McQualter) it didn’t feel like that,” says Hopper, whose Giants sacked Leon Cameron in mid-2022.
“And then ‘Ooze’ (Yze) has come in and the way he operates is a way I really connect with. When I was at the Giants a lot of people assumed he was going to get that job (instead of Adam Kingsley) and so it’s just funny how it panned out.”

The moment Yze was appointed, Hopper hit the phones searching for intel — “everyone knows everyone in this industry” — and former teammate Adam Tomlinson told him Yze was “positive, personal, approachable” and a great connector.
That mail certainly landed on every score and if Hopper is understandably a little miffed by Hardwick’s departure he and the players are all in on Yze.

“Just the way he operates and the person he is, I have just really enjoyed this pre-season,” Hopper said.
“Even Chris Newman coming back (to Richmond) has been incredible. It’s great to create those relationships, but then we have just had a good period of time where everyone gets to work.”

Yze is determined to maximise Richmond’s potential stoppage dominance and play a forward half game instead of sweating on opposition turnovers as in the recent past.

Finally Hopper’s body is in a place to help that goal.

By round 11 last season as Richmond slumped to 15th on the ladder — with Hopper sidelined with a five-week calf issue — the Tigers looked to be handing over the No.4 draft pick as well as their 2022 No.31 pick in the Hopper trade.

He finished the season playing 16 solid but not exceptional games as Richmond slightly improved its ladder position and handed away a pick that became the No.8 selection (Adelaide’s Daniel Curtin).

Relatively unflappable, he says it would be hypocritical to decry the attention he came to Richmond to attract in a footy stronghold.
“Yeah, it was different. But it comes with the territory. And it’s good to experience both,” he said of that scrutiny over him and the value of the Tigers’ trade.

“To be at a club in Sydney where you know footy isn’t at the forefront of everything, and then you come to a more traditional state where it is at the forefront, you have to accept it and embrace it. Sometimes you got frustrated with the lack of attention to footy in Sydney so you can’t get frustrated with too much attention. Like anything you have to find that balance.”

As it turned out Hopper and Richmond knew how banged up he was, from season-long achilles tendinitis to the round 2 injury that saw his leg twisted so badly the club scanned his knee, ankle and toe for damage.

“It was frustrating for sure. The tendinitis in the achilles is just something that is tough to have to manage,” he said.
“It was a constant thing through the year and ideally I would have loved it to be different but we feel like we are in a much better place this time around.

“There was the achilles and some calf issues associated with the achilles and then it could have been really nasty with my whole leg (against Adelaide). I think we avoided a really significant injury there. So it’s frustrating because the ideal year is to work and improve but when you feel like you are managing your body it becomes a mental struggle. So it’s just been good to come in and feel better and get to work.”

The GWS academy product, 27, has settled in Brighton with girlfriend Liv as he explores Melbourne’s rich culture, having grown up in Riverine town of Leeton and then boarded at Ballarat before moving to Sydney.
“I didn’t really know where to live and we got some advice from teammates,” he said.

“Some of it was poor and some was good. Dusty (Martin) was very biased, but we moved around a little bit last year to figure it out and which pocket suits. I am feeling more settled. We are in Brighton. It’s a bit frowned upon by outsiders but I love the feeling of coming in and getting among it. And then to be able to get away closer to the beach.

“Melbourne has that certain energy which I don’t reckon Sydney quite has. It has the beaches, but to get amongst it at the Australian Open was unreal and the GP is around the corner. I love all the sport, the music and the food is great. I love my coffee and I enjoy how everyone is loyal to their area and puts the big sell in and every pocket seems to have its own identity. In Sydney everyone goes to Bondi or Bronte but here there is a bit of everything.”
Click to expand...
u dog dumma
 
THOMSON Dow knows this is his chance to stake a spot in Richmond's best 23.

The 22-year-old finished last year on a high, playing the last three games of the season in the seniors, culminating in a 27-disposal game against Port Adelaide.

>> Win $25,000 in the official AFL Tipping comp! Sign up NOW

The retirement of Trent Cotchin has opened a midfield role, and a strong pre-season means he's ready to come into his own.

"I definitely took some confidence from the end of last season. I think it was maybe three games towards the end of the season, which was good to get that run in," Dow told AFL.com.au.

"I feel like it did set me up for the pre-season that's just been, in confidence more than anything, and the belief I can challenge at the highest level. Hopefully the ball keeps rolling.

"I think it's something everyone battles with at different stages, even the best in the game. Having star players around me, of the likes of Tim Taranto and Dustin [Martin] – having those guys around to support and instil confidence as well is important, because we all go through it."

dBFDXIV4.jpg




00:39
Feb 27 2024

Dow delivers cool consolation after solid showing​

Promising Tigers midfielder Thomson Dow caps off an encouraging performance with a well-deserved major in the final term
Once match simulation kicked off in late January, the word from Punt Road suggested there were two clear standouts over summer – small forward Rhyan Mansell (who will miss the first few games with an ankle injury) and Dow.

"Over the pre-season, I've definitely worked closely with [ex-North Melbourne star Jack] Ziebell and Chris Newman. Ziebell's come in as the stoppage coach, which is one of my strengths, so I've obviously worked pretty closely with him in trying to grow my game even more and using it as a real weapon," Dow said.

PREVIEW
Richmond season preview: What impact will new voice have on Tigers of old?
"We've got players like Tim, as I mentioned earlier, where contest is also is a big part of his game, so leaning on players like him is really beneficial to me as well."

Dow was a talented junior and was selected with pick No.21 in 2019, with the likes of Sam De Koning, Deven Robertson and Dylan Williams drafted in the immediate picks around him.

Thomson-Dow-after-being-drafted-by-Richmond-at-pick-No.21-in-2019.jpg


Thomson Dow after being drafted by Richmond at pick No.21 in 2019. Picture: AFL Photos
It didn't translate into a dream beginning to his career, having played 17 games over four years, but he's come a long way in the past 12 months.

"I recognise that it's important to grab your career with two hands. So much changes in a year, and even if I look back to me last year, I wasn't even in contention for round one, due to different reasons," he said.

"It's important to take control of that and go in with so much confidence, because everyone's on the list because they're capable of change. Making sure I believe that too."

qHEmrpdl.jpg


Thomson Dow in action during the match between St Kilda and Richmond at Marvel Stadium in round 22, 2023. Picture:/Getty Images
The life of an AFL player on the fringe of the best side can be tenuous, with Dow offered a one-year contract in September last year.

He's currently studying a business degree with a major in sports management, ticking away on the backburner just in case.

"You can look at it [a one-year deal] in many different ways. Any year, I suppose, can be a carrot," Dow said.

OPINION
Expert predictions: Damo's surprise Cats call, Cal's bold Port tip
"Everyone's always striving to get that next contract, but you can't really look at it like that because that's looking pretty far forward.

"I don't try and think about that too much, I think week-to-week is the best way to go about it for me."

https://fantasy.afl.com.au/
 
_RT_ said:
If Damien Hardwick didn’t leave Jacob Hopper at the altar their relationship barely got past the honeymoon stage before it was annulled.

For the brilliant ex-Giants midfielder, Hardwick’s shock decision to quit Richmond was only one of a number of setbacks in a debut season for the Tigers.

The club he pledged his future to until 2029 was distinctly mediocre as his former side Greater Western Sydney roared all the way to a preliminary final.

His debut season at Richmond was ruined by a litany of injuries that included achilles tendinitis, an associated calf tear, a late-season concussion and a bizarre leg injury that nearly had season-ending consequences.

As Hopper sits in Richmond’s Punt Rd Oval stands charting that tough initiation to a Victorian power club, he is reflective and sanguine about those challenges.

As he tells this masthead of the criticism, he could hardly complain about the lack of attention in western Sydney then bitch and moan when the scrutiny arrived.

Yet as Richmond prepares to take on former coach Hardwick on Saturday night, Hopper for the first time opens up about his mixed feelings about his departure.

Filthy Hardwick left Hopper and ex-Giants teammate Tim Taranto in the lurch after working so hard to lure them south?
No way.
And yet like all Richmond players, as Hardwick giddily announced his arrival in a Gold Coast polo shirt in August, Hopper couldn’t help a strange swirl of emotions.

“Dimma was an incredible coach and I loved the time I had with him, even though it was a very small amount of time. But s**t happens as well. No doubt there was that natural human part of me. It was a bit like, ‘Come on mate, what happened here?’” he says of his reaction to Hardwick revelling in his new set of bright, flashy “new toys” at that press conference.
How could those left behind not feel like Woody and Jessie in the Toy Story movies?

“I just think because it was all new for me in terms of coming here and experiencing that with him. And it was all new and exciting to me. For sure there is a little part of me that’s like, ‘Righty-o. Good on you mate’,” Hopper said.
“But we were able to have really good conversations when he made the decision to leave. And it was on to business.

“I appreciated the respect but I think there is still a little part of me that feels like, ‘Could he have kept trying to figure it out or find a way (through his burnout)?’ But his time was up.

“Some of it was personal and some of it he made clear (to the public) and ultimately you have to respect the decision. If he doesn’t really feel like he can be here fully, then as much as he’s a great coach you don’t want him here.
“Whereas with ‘Ooze’ (Adem Yze) coming in you feel like he’s a Richmond person. And you know every fibre of him wants to be here. So let’s get to work.”

What happened after Hardwick departed has cooled any resentment he might have felt and invigorated young and old players at Tigerland.

“I have experienced an interim coach coming in and it can be so disruptive and it can feel quite s**t regardless of who takes over and with ‘Mini’ (Andrew McQualter) it didn’t feel like that,” says Hopper, whose Giants sacked Leon Cameron in mid-2022.
“And then ‘Ooze’ (Yze) has come in and the way he operates is a way I really connect with. When I was at the Giants a lot of people assumed he was going to get that job (instead of Adam Kingsley) and so it’s just funny how it panned out.”

The moment Yze was appointed, Hopper hit the phones searching for intel — “everyone knows everyone in this industry” — and former teammate Adam Tomlinson told him Yze was “positive, personal, approachable” and a great connector.
That mail certainly landed on every score and if Hopper is understandably a little miffed by Hardwick’s departure he and the players are all in on Yze.

“Just the way he operates and the person he is, I have just really enjoyed this pre-season,” Hopper said.
“Even Chris Newman coming back (to Richmond) has been incredible. It’s great to create those relationships, but then we have just had a good period of time where everyone gets to work.”

Yze is determined to maximise Richmond’s potential stoppage dominance and play a forward half game instead of sweating on opposition turnovers as in the recent past.

Finally Hopper’s body is in a place to help that goal.

By round 11 last season as Richmond slumped to 15th on the ladder — with Hopper sidelined with a five-week calf issue — the Tigers looked to be handing over the No.4 draft pick as well as their 2022 No.31 pick in the Hopper trade.

He finished the season playing 16 solid but not exceptional games as Richmond slightly improved its ladder position and handed away a pick that became the No.8 selection (Adelaide’s Daniel Curtin).

Relatively unflappable, he says it would be hypocritical to decry the attention he came to Richmond to attract in a footy stronghold.
“Yeah, it was different. But it comes with the territory. And it’s good to experience both,” he said of that scrutiny over him and the value of the Tigers’ trade.

“To be at a club in Sydney where you know footy isn’t at the forefront of everything, and then you come to a more traditional state where it is at the forefront, you have to accept it and embrace it. Sometimes you got frustrated with the lack of attention to footy in Sydney so you can’t get frustrated with too much attention. Like anything you have to find that balance.”

As it turned out Hopper and Richmond knew how banged up he was, from season-long achilles tendinitis to the round 2 injury that saw his leg twisted so badly the club scanned his knee, ankle and toe for damage.

“It was frustrating for sure. The tendinitis in the achilles is just something that is tough to have to manage,” he said.
“It was a constant thing through the year and ideally I would have loved it to be different but we feel like we are in a much better place this time around.

“There was the achilles and some calf issues associated with the achilles and then it could have been really nasty with my whole leg (against Adelaide). I think we avoided a really significant injury there. So it’s frustrating because the ideal year is to work and improve but when you feel like you are managing your body it becomes a mental struggle. So it’s just been good to come in and feel better and get to work.”

The GWS academy product, 27, has settled in Brighton with girlfriend Liv as he explores Melbourne’s rich culture, having grown up in Riverine town of Leeton and then boarded at Ballarat before moving to Sydney.
“I didn’t really know where to live and we got some advice from teammates,” he said.

“Some of it was poor and some was good. Dusty (Martin) was very biased, but we moved around a little bit last year to figure it out and which pocket suits. I am feeling more settled. We are in Brighton. It’s a bit frowned upon by outsiders but I love the feeling of coming in and getting among it. And then to be able to get away closer to the beach.

“Melbourne has that certain energy which I don’t reckon Sydney quite has. It has the beaches, but to get amongst it at the Australian Open was unreal and the GP is around the corner. I love all the sport, the music and the food is great. I love my coffee and I enjoy how everyone is loyal to their area and puts the big sell in and every pocket seems to have its own identity. In Sydney everyone goes to Bondi or Bronte but here there is a bit of everything.”
Click to expand...

Great article, enjoyed reading that. Positive vibes all round :handok:
 
LAST year wasn't what Jacob Hopper envisaged when he moved to Punt Road. First it was another knee issue. Then it was a calf strain, followed by the concussion on the Friday night stage. Not much went right amid a changing of the guard at Richmond.

The plan was to make an instant impact, especially after moving from Greater Western Sydney in a deal that cost the Tigers a future first-round pick. Tim Taranto was able to do that, winning the Jack Dyer Medal after also moving from the Giants, but Hopper was forced to deal with persistent injury headaches for the second straight year.

Hopper ended up playing 16 games in 2023 but was sidelined on three different occasions, carrying a lingering Achilles injury across the winter, which prevented him from training much between games. Recover, play, repeat.

It has been more than two years since Hopper established himself as a star midfielder when he was named in the 2021 All-Australian squad and finished third in the Kevin Sheedy Medal, before managing only seven appearances in 2022 due to multiple knee operations.

But now ahead of his second season at the Swinburne Centre, the 27-year-old has banked a six-month block since the end of last season that should lay the foundations for Hopper to return to his best across the next six months.

"Last year was incredibly frustrating, especially when you move clubs. All your intents and purposes are trying to make it as great as it could possibly be. There were some real frustrations with the body. To come off a year of not really playing much [in 2022] and then launching into the work created some different issues as well," Hopper told AFL.com.au at the Swinburne Centre this week.

"I had a lot of tendinitis issues with my Achilles, which was a nightmare, such a pain in the arse to manage. You can't do the work you want and you are always thinking of it. It was what it was. Then the calf strain was a pretty significant one. I think part of it was with missing so much footy the year before and naturally you lose some conditioning.

"Part of the challenge when you come to a big club and everyone expects so much is the noise can be pretty noisy. As hard as it can be sometimes, you just have to trust what's inside the building.

"It has felt refreshing and nice to have a good off-season – I think good off-seasons can really set you up for good pre-seasons and then good pre-seasons obviously set you up for good seasons – so it was good to come in for pre-season and feel like I had a lot of work under my belt and be able to do a lot more this pre-season."

Hopper left for Queenstown straight after the best and fairest with his partner, Liv Pellegrino, and then travelled from New Zealand to the United States with former teammates Josh Kelly and Adam Kennedy, stopping in Los Angeles, Austin and New York.

Under the direction of Richmond's physical performance manager Luke Meehan, veteran physiotherapist Andrew Schache and rehab coordinator Marcus Krygger, Hopper has dotted his i's and crossed his t's to bulletproof his body ahead of a 2024 campaign that starts on the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Part of his spring and summer program involved Pilates classes at a Brighton studio, where Richmond great Trent Cotchin is a director.

"I think it is important to find new things. Pilates is something that I've got really into. To be able to go in there and really sweat as well, because it's in the heat, that was good to go and do some of that finer work that can be mundane and boring," Hopper said.

"I've done a lot of treatment and really focused on the gym. I think I know I'm going to get to work out here in the more obvious footy places, but I think in those spaces like the gym or the Pilates room.

"I've worked really closely with the high performance guys at the club that have put together a program that will hold me in the best stead. I committed to that process from the moment last season finished to make sure I've been on top of my body so I could hit the ground running at the start of pre-season. to see how much those guys care as well, is special."

For Hopper, this year isn't about proving anything to anyone other than himself. Making a big-money, long-term move was always going to attract forensic examination. Just ask Taranto. Even he copped more than his fair share, despite producing a career-best season that resulted in 19 Brownlow votes.

"I don't have a point to prove to anyone else, it's more to myself; I want to contribute in ways that I know I can. Regardless of what anyone else thinks or says, I want to be part of something special here. I feel like I can," he said.

"At the end of the day you want to let your footy do the talking, but I feel really good and feel like I'm well and truly ahead of where I was at this time last year, which creates its own confidence. No doubt there is still that element of wanting to prove it to yourself and to everyone else.

"I feel genuinely excited to start the season and play the footy I know I can play personally and as a group as well. As a group, we certainty didn't have the year we anticipated. The feeling around the group is different, but it does feel like we are ready for it. We are ready."

Hopper left Greater Western Sydney after it finished 16th and went from Leon Cameron to Mark McVeigh, before eventually hiring Adam Kingsley. He thought he was arriving to play under Damien Hardwick for most, if not all, of his contract. But that changed in May.

The Riverina region product, who boarded at St Patrick's College Ballarat, doesn't waste time dwelling on the past. He has built a strong connection with new senior coach Adem Yze across the pre-season and is confident in the direction of the club.

"He is the sort of guy who you meet him for the first time and you feel like you've known him for ages. He is quite personable, connects on a really deep level and you feel that on a daily basis, just because he is so approachable," he said.

"I've really enjoyed just knowing that he is my coach and is going to be my coach going forward. It is something I haven't been able to tap into for the last couple of years because of so much change, so much movement.

"To be like this is my guy for the next whatever [period of time], I'm loving that relationship and being able to lean in. He allows for it to be collaborative out there, which feels so natural and organic."

After two years of injuries, Hopper is ready to get back to work this weekend, after getting the work done this summer.

https://fantasy.afl.com.au/
 
The Match Review Officer has completed their review of Saturday's Opening Round match, with Noah Balta offered a financial sanction.

Charge laid:

Noah Balta, Richmond, has been charged with rough conduct against Gold Coast's Alex Sexton during the first quarter of the Opening Round match between Richmond and Gold Coast played at People First Stadium on Saturday, March 9, 2024. The incident was graded as careless conduct, low impact and high contact.

In summary, he can accept a $2500 sanction with an early plea.

The incident was classified as a $3750 sanction as a first offence. The player can accept a $2500 sanction with an early plea.

www.richmondfc.com.au

Balta fined by MRO

The Match Review Officer has completed their review of Saturday's Opening Round match, with Noah Balta offered a financial sanction.
www.richmondfc.com.au www.richmondfc.com.au
 
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