News Tigers Doing Hard Yards

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DAMIEN Hardwick is talking like a man whose plan is on track.
After a morning hike with his players up Sabino Canyon outside Tucson, the Tigers coach offered a glimpse of his hopes for the club and its long-suffering Tiger Army.
"As a Richmond supporter, I think you would be mildly excited about our future," Hardwick says.
"You see the development of Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin, and then we're looking for the emergence of guys like Ty Vickery, Jake Batchelor, Reece Conca and Ben Griffiths.

Read More:Tigers Doing Hard Yards

 

[Rustof]

Great minds.

Reckon this kid will be one of our best not before long.

Kinda reminds me a bit like Murphy from the Blues/Kelly from Geelong... Absolute guns but probably don't get the same amount of credit due to playing alongside Judd, Bartel, Ablett etc... Similar to what Conca will be doing playing with Cotch n Dusty.

From the article...

Changes are also planned for the midfield, with Conca - likened by the Richmond coach to a young Marc Murphy - to get his chance on the ball next year.

 

[UpTheGuts]

Mildly excited? We don't do mild...

Edwards up fwd looks the go

 

[Grange Hermitage]

I nearly wet myself with excitement when i opened the Sunday Herald Sun this morning and saw a two page spread on the Tigers. I cannot wait for the season to start. No more false dawns, i believe this years squad can legitimately challenge for top 8. First time i have thought this genuinely in maybe 10+ years. Go tigers!!!

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Mildly excited? We don't do mild...

Edwards up fwd looks the go

Must say I didn't see anything in that article which indicated to me that Edwards would be playing forward and unless he adds a little toughness to his game, I think he is on borrowed time .

 

[RoaringTiger]

Must say I didn't see anything in that article which indicated to me that Edwards would be playing forward and unless he adds a little toughness to his game, I think he is on borrowed time .

Edwards is one of our most courageous players. I don't think he lacks hardness or toughness at all. Interested in other people's thoughts.

 

[TigerTime88]

I nearly wet myself with excitement when i opened the Sunday Herald Sun this morning and saw a two page spread on the Tigers. I cannot wait for the season to start. No more false dawns, i believe this years squad can legitimately challenge for top 8. First time i have this genuinely in maybe 10+ years. Go tigers!!!

Lol calm down buddy...one puff piece article doesn't make us a better side.

The things I took from the article were mainly his thoughts on players which confirmed alot of suspicion anyway:

1. Deledio to move to the midfield with Conca
2. He loves Matty Dea
3. He loves Helbig
4. He loves Batchelor

 

[Grange Hermitage]

Puff piece or not, i would rather read two pages on the Tigers than say on St Kilda going for a team swim down at Sorrento.

Despite what Hardwick has been saying on Matty Dea, I'm yet to be convinced. Am still looking to see what sets him apart as an AFL footballer.

 

[Bazzar]

Must say I didn't see anything in that article which indicated to me that Edwards would be playing forward and unless he adds a little toughness to his game, I think he is on borrowed time .

Dimma said “We threw Shane forward last year and were pleased with the pressure he applied, but also he’s got an uncanny ability to generate shots on goals, and theirs not to many guys that can do that”

Sounds to me he is regarded by Dimma and has him earmarked as a small forward.

And someone forgot to tell Dimma we arnt allowed to mention the round 1 clash until February.

 

[coke_zero]

Sounds like Griffiths will play defence next year. We must have some faith in Elton in the forward line then. But now we have tried to turn both Astbury and Griffiths into backmen.

 

[santa claws]

Edwards is one of our most courageous players. I don't think he lacks hardness or toughness at all. Interested in other people's thoughts.

DUD.Just too many deficiencies

just another fluff piece from the club. we all know its about selling memberships at this time of yr.
im yet to see a coach not talk up his players before a season starts.

thus far the only changes are we have 3 young players out of the nd and two mature types one of whom is an unproven sanfl player and the other a 26yo from another club whos record is not flash.

i look at it like this
Group 1 - we have a small group of established players who are definately A thru C graders that is elite/vgood/good or core list.

Group 2 - A small group who look likely to make it but are not quite there yet. included in this group are players who have some real weaknesses.

Group 3 - A large group of promising players with another 3 or so who are playing for their lives.

Group 4 - We then have a largish group of mainly mature players who we must upgrade on to get anywhere.

Finally i have a couple who arent in a category because of injury and role/needs.

For me still have far too many in groups 3 and 4 to truly be a top 8 side but i do agree things are looking up.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Dimma said “We threw Shane forward last year and were pleased with the pressure he applied, but also he’s got an uncanny ability to generate shots on goals, and theirs not to many guys that can do that”

Sounds to me he is regarded by Dimma and has him earmarked as a small forward.

And someone forgot to tell Dimma we arnt allowed to mention the round 1 clash until February.

Just read the print version and saw the brief on the individual players .
I thought his comments on Edwards where fair from the most glowing .
Matt Dea however has alot of luv !

 

[santa claws]

Sounds like Griffiths will play defence next year. We must have some faith in Elton in the forward line then. But now we have tried to turn both Astbury and Griffiths into backmen.

yep one has to ask are we being too smart by half. what is wrong with targeting a genuine kpd with decent picks rather than apply a band aid solution.

06 wanted eric mackenzie over edwards we didnt do it
so in 07 i wanted us to take rance and pears at 18 and 19. i also wanted us to take hooker. we got just one in rance.
so in 08 i was keen on hurley but he didnt last was happy to get a kpd in post who we promptly tried to turn into a forward.sheesh. so the list problems remained.

in 09 i wanted us to load up with talls having wanted morabito/martin 3 and bastinac at 19.they were too good to not take. 35tall astbury, houghton reid, 44 tall was hoping one of astbury houghton or reid would slip also had shaw in here. 51 taylor, 67tall hartigan, 71 tall grimes, psd tall bradshaw. rookie tall daw.

not to say 2010 i still wanted us to target kpds.pat mccarthy was the best kpd in the draft and available at 30. i was one of few who wanted us activate the tambling pick because it was highly likely we would get a very good player and be able to adress some list needs with two good picks so close to each other.
i will say lycett at 27 and mccarthy at 30 would have done me.or one of lycett mccarthy at 27 and batchelor at 30 who has been a good pick up. i still believe batchelor would have lasted to 47 anyway.

so for me kpd has been a problem for a fair while.in fact ive been going on about talls in general.i only mention these drafts to show this is not something out of the blue.and we have gone about things in a roundabout way.

just on todd elton have we done it again. while i like a lot of what i see about elton i have to ask what role did we take him for. are we hedging our bets again.
if it was as a ruckman i dont see it, not at 197 no way.
if as a forward i dont understand it as far as list management goes we had two very similar in vickery and griffiths.if we needed a kpd why not take one specifically.

people keep on telling me that ruckmen forwards is the future but i dont see that either. i will take a big strong mobile aggressive genuine ruckman any day as your #1 ruckman.
the dominant talls in the comp remain players who are specific in their roles.

genuine ruckmen ottens jolly jamar goldstein leuenberger mumford sandilands cox etc are primarily ruckmen first.yes a few can go forward or rest forward and take a mark and kick the odd goal but they are ruckmen first and foremost. is elton a ruckman. he may do a leigh brown and give one of these a rest but so could vickery and griffiths imo.

the dominant forwards are your riewoldts x2 franklins browns petries podsiadlies etc.the best kpd have been genuine kpds lake brown glass scarlett jamisons etc.

finally i have to ask if griffiths a forward is to play back why did we not target a genuine kpd in the draft or trade period if the need is so great.
not to say it wont work but are we being too cute trying to turn players into what they are not. why not draft specifically for needs.

 

[JR82]

Puff piece or not, i would rather read two pages on the Tigers than say on St Kilda going for a team swim down at Sorrento.

Despite what Hardwick has been saying on Matty Dea, I'm yet to be convinced. Am still looking to see what sets him apart as an AFL footballer.

Dea has been injured during his 2 yrs at the club, so should be fit this year to show us what he's made of