And the worst thing is ... it is not all that unexpected, either by the many skeptics of the Richmond Football Club, or indeed by many of us that have seen it all before.
You know, promising start to the year, including some good wins - and they were good wins, no matter what anyone says of the lack of quality of the opposition! - a handful of well-placed injuries, followed by a couple of months of sub-standard performances and subsequent heartbreak, before we get it together in the last month and have two or three good wins, allowing us to ponder again what could have been as we watch eight other teams enjoying September action.
Forget the "Subiaco hangover".
Forget the injury toll - we had 18 guys on the field at all times last night (and the Swans went in without O'Loughlin and Saddington).
Basically, they just wanted it more, and made more correct decisions in achieving it.
Strangely, it was after Round 8 last year that we also imploded, going from 4-4 to a disastrous 4-13 a couple of months later.
And, like last year, we are going into a make or break, 'season-game' on a Friday at Telstra against the Roos. It's the sort of game which will decide whether we'll play finals in 2003. Which is indicative of where we're really at - an average team who, with an ounce of luck, will finish Top 8, or without this same luck will finish Bottom 8.
Last night's loss was the first really bad loss of the season - Collingwood were coming off appearances in both the day-2002 and pre-season-2003 grand finals; Port at Port was a respectable loss; and West Coast over there have also proved to be quite insurmountable, so each of those losses, while not entirely acceptable, were quite understandable. The Swans loss was simply a terrible loss - they will not be a final four team, and they were a long way from home with a history of losing such matches.
So when was the last time we had a really big win? You know, beating a top team on their terms or turf. The Essendon win in Round 22, 2001 was very good, but they may have been looking further forward during that game. Carlton in the Semi of the same year was another very good win, but we had been above them on the ladder all year, so it was one we should have won. So when was our last really big win then? Certainly not in the past 18 months. We MUST now start to have big wins, or be resigned to once again finishing mid-table.
Even if it's just to silence those cynics who are EXPECTING us to implode, even though we can't really blame them for thinking so.
You know, promising start to the year, including some good wins - and they were good wins, no matter what anyone says of the lack of quality of the opposition! - a handful of well-placed injuries, followed by a couple of months of sub-standard performances and subsequent heartbreak, before we get it together in the last month and have two or three good wins, allowing us to ponder again what could have been as we watch eight other teams enjoying September action.
Forget the "Subiaco hangover".
Forget the injury toll - we had 18 guys on the field at all times last night (and the Swans went in without O'Loughlin and Saddington).
Basically, they just wanted it more, and made more correct decisions in achieving it.
Strangely, it was after Round 8 last year that we also imploded, going from 4-4 to a disastrous 4-13 a couple of months later.
And, like last year, we are going into a make or break, 'season-game' on a Friday at Telstra against the Roos. It's the sort of game which will decide whether we'll play finals in 2003. Which is indicative of where we're really at - an average team who, with an ounce of luck, will finish Top 8, or without this same luck will finish Bottom 8.
Last night's loss was the first really bad loss of the season - Collingwood were coming off appearances in both the day-2002 and pre-season-2003 grand finals; Port at Port was a respectable loss; and West Coast over there have also proved to be quite insurmountable, so each of those losses, while not entirely acceptable, were quite understandable. The Swans loss was simply a terrible loss - they will not be a final four team, and they were a long way from home with a history of losing such matches.
So when was the last time we had a really big win? You know, beating a top team on their terms or turf. The Essendon win in Round 22, 2001 was very good, but they may have been looking further forward during that game. Carlton in the Semi of the same year was another very good win, but we had been above them on the ladder all year, so it was one we should have won. So when was our last really big win then? Certainly not in the past 18 months. We MUST now start to have big wins, or be resigned to once again finishing mid-table.
Even if it's just to silence those cynics who are EXPECTING us to implode, even though we can't really blame them for thinking so.
one game they havnt performed and your jumping down their throats.
go tigers tfft
