Some Observations

[GhostofJimJess]

Might be some other posters that have pointed the following out but I'm just too hungover to trawl through it all, so i'll throw a few observations of mine from the last month or two of the season.

1) We lost to no team the second time we played them this year. That includes everyone - the two we beat the first time we played (Brissy, Carlton) and the five we lost to first up - Adelaide, Freo, Saints, Geelong and GWS, the latter we got 4 goals better on the two latter contests. That in itself speaks volumes of the learning capacity of the coaching and playing groups.

2) The similarity of how our three finals played as was uncanny. Absorbed and imposed plenty of pressure in the first and second quarters. Went to half time pretty locked together, and each game was clearly up for grabs early in the 3rd quarter. Then we flicked a switch, dominating the latter half of the 3rd quarter, then performed the burial in the final quarter.

3) We finished in 3rd place after the H&A. In the finals we played and beat the 1st, 2nd and 4th placed teams. There was no easy ride here.

Feel free to add some others as you think of them.

 

[Calcium Man]

3) We finished in 3rd place after the H&A. In the finals we played and beat the 1st, 2nd and 4th placed teams. There was no easy ride here.

We never left the MCG so that was an easy ride

I'm stupidly superstitious when it comes to sport so I never say we've won until its over, never call anything but for some reason I sent a msg to a group chat i'm in saying the crows looked done in their power stance. The previous two games there was fire in the way they eyeballed the opposition on grand final day it was the opposite 4 or 5 of their players were sucking in deep breaths, their eyes were darting and they looked soft whereas our boys just looked relaxed.

 

[TigermanM2]

Some critics who were adamant that we couldn't win a final let alone a premiership because we don't have a second tall have just amended their story to Richmond can't follow up with a premiership win next year because they don't have a second tall forward.

Give me a break.

Looking at you Dal Santo

 

[Tigerbob68]

Some critics who were adamant that we couldn't win a final let alone a premiership because we don't have a second tall have just amended their story to Richmond can't follow up with a premiership win next year because they don't have a second tall forward.

Give me a break.

Looking at you Dal Santo

Really? We're barred from trading and drafting this year? Never heard that bit of news!
The guys who run our football dept aren't stupid. They KNOW they will have to amend some stuff for next year. Same old same old probably won't do the trick. The pressure will continue to work if they bring it but will definitely need to change a few structures. But how can someone like a former player call themselves an expert if they are going to make a comment like that? It's beyond stupidity!

 

[GhostofJimJess]

We never left the MCG so that was an easy ride

Okay, GWS can do something proactive and shift three or four of their home games to the MCG, sacrifice the patronage of their 13 or 14 Spotless Stadium supporters to develop these so called "elite young guns" on their list into players who are accustomed to and can perform at the G when it counts.

Or they can all continue to sook for the next however many years the MCG contract stands.

 

[Calcium Man]

Really? We're barred from trading and drafting this year? Never heard that bit of news!
The guys who run our football dept aren't stupid. They KNOW they will have to amend some stuff for next year. Same old same old probably won't do the trick. The pressure will continue to work if they bring it but will definitely need to change a few structures. But how can someone like a former player call themselves an expert if they are going to make a comment like that? It's beyond stupidity!

Because AFL footballers are stupid, most of them come from being a teenager into an environment where they never have to think for themselves. Cam Smith said it best in his acceptance speech yesterday when he said thank you to all the support staff because they hand everything to us, all we have to do is train.

 

[Rayzorwire]

Nice OP, JJ.

I was reflecting yesterday on what a magnificent job the fitness and medical staff have done over the year.

For starters, I'd argue that this has been the first year where we have genuinely looked as big as we need to be to win a flag right across the 22 and then some depth.

The extra big bodies we traded in and drafted helped, but that's only part of the story and it's impossible not to notice that this year, against all the biggest bodied sides, never once did we look the smaller or physically weaker side.

And yet, there's still plenty of pace among the bigger boys, especially over those first few steps it takes to get in on the next contest. Our naturally smaller and/or youngest players are wiry, tough and strong.

Graham is already a budding monster.

Finally, so few soft tissue injuries in a season where we sent out the biggest, strongest, fastest Tigers we've ever had the pleasure of watching.

Take a bow, all involved, it was a huge factor in our success.

 

[tugga]

Whoever was in charge of those boys' fitness and injury prevention needs a medal. A premiership medal.
I have never seen a Richmond side so fit.

 

[hognogger]

I'm stupidly superstitious when it comes to sport so I never say we've won until its over, never call anything but for some reason I sent a msg to a group chat i'm in saying the crows looked done in their power stance.

They looked like they belonged in a wax work museum.

 

[Rayzorwire]

Whoever was in charge of those boys' fitness and injury prevention needs a medal. A premiership medal.
I have never seen a Richmond side so fit.

You'd remember well, Tug, so many past seasons where fitness and medical had their own dedicated threads with long lists of failings both real and perceived.

They've been annual Richmond forum traditions for considerably longer than Windows has been around.

This year?

Not a peep except for a little fuss on Prestia and look how well they proved to have handled that in hindsight.

One of those roles where when you get everything right, people half forget you exist or how bloody tough the job is to get right.

 

[Joey longshadow]

Might be some other posters that have pointed the following out but I'm just too hungover to trawl through it all, so i'll throw a few observations of mine from the last month or two of the season.

1) We lost to no team the second time we played them this year. That includes everyone - the two we beat the first time we played (Brissy, Carlton) and the five we lost to first up - Adelaide, Freo, Saints, Geelong and GWS, the latter we got 4 goals better on the two latter contests. That in itself speaks volumes of the learning capacity of the coaching and playing groups.

2) The similarity of how our three finals played as was uncanny. Absorbed and imposed plenty of pressure in the first and second quarters. Went to half time pretty locked together, and each game was clearly up for grabs early in the 3rd quarter. Then we flicked a switch, dominating the latter half of the 3rd quarter, then performed the burial in the final quarter.

3) We finished in 3rd place after the H&A. In the finals we played and beat the 1st, 2nd and 4th placed teams. There was no easy ride here.

Feel free to add some others as you think of them.

I'm somewhat perplexed and annoyed as to why Thomas, Commetti and Co keep comparing us to the doggies finals campaign of last year... They struggled fought and won very close fought games mostly at the death... We smashed who we played in every game after half time... We dominated

 

[Gosha]

We won five straight to start off the season and won five straight to finish off the season.

Five is also a special number. Five minus five equals zero and zero is how many premierships Tex Walker has.

 

[wagstaff]

Richmond didn’t concede 90 points in any of their 14 MCG games this year (believe it or not Carlton got the closest with 89 in Round 1).

 

[Del65166]

Some critics who were adamant that we couldn't win a final let alone a premiership because we don't have a second tall have just amended their story to Richmond can't follow up with a premiership win next year because they don't have a second tall forward.

Give me a break.

Looking at you Dal Santo

We don't have one 2nd tall we have two 3rd talls.

 

[tigernsw]

Some critics who were adamant that we couldn't win a final let alone a premiership because we don't have a second tall have just amended their story to Richmond can't follow up with a premiership win next year because they don't have a second tall forward.

Give me a break.

Looking at you Dal Santo

When did he say that? How could you possibly spew out a comment like that and be paid to do so. Small **** needs to find another career.

 

[DrMike]

Some critics who were adamant that we couldn't win a final let alone a premiership because we don't have a second tall have just amended their story to Richmond can't follow up with a premiership win next year because they don't have a second tall forward.

Give me a break.

Looking at you Dal Santo

Will add this to the list.

Deluded into thinking we won't finish bottom 6.
Deluded into thinking we won't miss finals.
Deluded into thinking we won't finish 9th.
Deluded into thinking we won't lose an elimination final.
Deluded into thinking we won't finish top 4.
Deluded into thinking we won't lose to Geelong.
Deluded into thinking we won't go out straight sets.
Deluded into thinking we won't be impacted by the bye.
Deluded into thinking we won't lose to GWS.
Deluded into thinking we won't beat Adelaide.
Deluded into thinking we won't go back-to-back.

 

[Drofder]

I'll give you an observation: Chris Scott.

That $$$$ of a barracker of a coach has simply refused....refused to acknowledge us one iota. Over the entire season - especially the finals. It pains him to say the word "Richmond."

I just got home Ok...admittedly from celebrating... but that campaigner could do nothing more on 360 than talk about the spectacle of the GF and how ordinary it was. What ????

Fck off you prck. You're the biggest sore loser in the AFL bar none you turd.

Geelong. They are totally underrated in terms of our enemy.

 

[Rayzorwire]

I watched Lloyd, Barrett and Gawwy today for the first time in many years - they're all instant switch-off's for me - just to see them have to force praise out of their parasitic mouths which was directed towards us.

Like they were choking on every word.

And is it just me, or does Lyon from the neck up increasingly resemble Garfield after a four day crack bender?

 

[Aeons]

Some critics who were adamant that we couldn't win a final let alone a premiership because we don't have a second tall have just amended their story to Richmond can't follow up with a premiership win next year because they don't have a second tall forward.

Give me a break.

Looking at you Dal Santo

Agreed. It's fine to have an opinion. We all have those along with other things...however..when you do get it wrong you you have to own it...

 

[Rustof]

We won five straight to start off the season and won five straight to finish off the season.

Five is also a special number. Five minus five equals zero and zero is how many premierships Tex Walker has.

hold up

ok, the maths checks outs

 

[JR#8]

Observation.

Tex Walker is a massive flog. All he is good for is mouthing off during games. Was no where to been seen when it mattered.

 

[ryancash]

Okay, GWS can do something proactive and shift three or four of their home games to the MCG, sacrifice the patronage of their 13 or 14 Spotless Stadium supporters to develop these so called "elite young guns" on their list into players who are accustomed to and can perform at the G when it counts.

Or they can all continue to sook for the next however many years the MCG contract stands.

Just noticed your Radio Birdman avatar. What a band.

 

[Madtiger2006]

Need to once again get a good run into our best 25 in the jlt like we did this year. Get them prepared for a good start to the season. Would like to beat the dogs next year. Been 3-4 years

 

[Helen Wheels]

The Me Too FoFers still slipping in sneaky claims to having been part of Richmond's success in 2017.
As always, success has many fathers.
But FoF would fail any paternity test miserably.
They may claim their DNA was found at the scene but, if so, only because it was Onanistically placed there after the fact.

 

[RunningBounce]

i reckon there were a couple of things that haven't yet been mentioned that really, really helped.

At some point, Riewoldt started contesting marking contests like they were ruck hit-outs. That is, he flew for the ball but didn't even attempt to come down with it. He started going for taps to advantage and spoils, rather than trying to clunk 'em. The man has great footy iq. We wouldn't have come close without JR8 figuring out a way to make that forward line function. Good luck to the 17 suckers who try to replicate it with some dumb fathead as their CHF.

Another observation i'd make is that the defenders all started using Rance's technique of moving their opponents off the ball by either jumping early and pushing the oppo under the footy with momentum through the hips or grappling well before the ball arrived. i'd guess they trained that all summer. Not sure we will get away with that next season.

Similarly, Towner holding the intercept marking defender still so Jack can use them as a ladder... Reckon the umpies have already had a look at the replays and changed their interpretation of interfering in a marking contest. Won't get away with that again.