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2007 Blog: Tackling

August 4, 2007 10:13 pm
By Chris Greenway

Ah another game, another belting. At least they’re at the hands of top 8 sides.

This game uncovered yet another skill of the game that Richmond don’t have. They can’t tackle. Their pathetic attempts to stop players running are truly laughable. Their opponents tend to be really good at it and I lost count of how many times I saw Richmond players slammed into the turf and pinged for holding the ball. When the Tigers tried to do the same thing they were brushed contemptuously aside and the Cats ran freely down the ground.

One thing that has hurt Richmond this season is their inability to stop teams running, it’s often as if the opposition has an extra man on the ground. It all comes down to tackling and the simple fact of the matter is that not only is their technique flawed, they don’t have the physical size or strength to bring players down and stop them running without being hindered in any way.

I can only hope a couple of pre seasons and plenty of time in the gym will help.

1. Hey Chris, I just want to compliment you on doing an awesome job to keep going with this blog during the toughest season ever! You’ve come up with a lot more to say about our beloved Tiges than I’ve managed to come up with.

This has been a tough season to sit through but we all still love our Tigers, and we’ll get through this. There will be better days.

Comment by Becky — August 4, 2007 @ 6:53 pm

2007 Blog: Sweet Victory

August 17, 2007 12:07 am
By Chris Greenway

The week leading up to the Collingwood match on Friday night wasn’t the best for the Tigers. Both coach and players were pilloried by the media and frustrated, disappointed supporters. All week articles were written outlining how the players, mostly senior members of the team, had let the team down throughout the season, coach Terry Wallace didn’t escape the blowtorch and everything from his recruiting of players to the match day coaching was scrutinised. Supporters vented their spleen on talk back radio, in letters to the newspapers and on internet forums.

On Thursday evening things started to turn. Some of the commentators started to say that Richmond was not without a chance in this match. Collingwood had used a lot of young players and they were tiring as the season drew to a close, Richmond’s recent poor performances could possibly have given the Pies a false sense of security and they were using players who were under injury clouds, especially in defence. Richmond on the other hand had young players who were hungry and due for a breakthrough win, the players pride had to have been pricked by the barrage of criticism and the popular goal sneak Kayne Pettifer was playing his 100th match for the club.

To tell the truth I didn’t share the optimism of those few brave observers and went to the game just hoping for a good showing and that the players wouldn’t embarass themselves again. I didn’t even dare to dream of winning the game. The insufferably cocky attitude of the black and white army outside the MCG and in the great stadium was like salt into an open wound. Obviously stung by comments that he was yesterdays coach and had run out of options Terry Wallace dipped into his bag of tricks determined to prove that it was far from empty. Graham Polak found himself moved from defence to attack to provide a tall marking target and Brett Deledio also lined up in the forward line. These were smart moves. Polak could take a strong contested mark and although his kicking for goal could be erratic he’d still take minding. Deledio led well, marked strongly and is a clever and accurate kick. Along with Matthew Richardson. Nathan Brown and Kayne Pettifer the Richmond forward line was going to stretch Collingwood’s thin defence to breaking point.

Having marking forwards is all very well, but it won’t help if the midfield can’t deliver the ball and with the inexperienced ruck duo of Adam Pattison and Angus Graham contesting the hitouts Richmonds midfielders were going to have to work hard to win the ball in the centre. Within minutes of the siren Richmond had 2 goals from Graham Polak both courtesy of midfield breaks from the exciting Nathan Foley. Although this was good I’d seen the Tigers start well before only to fall apart once pressure was applied. When Richo tap danced on Heath Shaw’s head to put in his contender for mark of the year you started to think this night may be different. Richmond took a handy lead into quarter time.

Late in the 2nd term they started to tighten up and buckle under the pressure from the Pies. Collingwood managed to cut the margin to 8 points at half time and were unlucky not to be even closer. Could the Tigers reproduce that first quarter in the last half?

It didn’t look likely as Collingwood cut the margin and then opened a 6 point lead, however their forwards were kicking points when they needed goals. A Nathan Brown kick went soaring into the forward line, bounced off Angus Graham’s hands and fell into the waiting arms of Shane Edwards, who was crumbing the pack, he ran into an open goal and tied the scores. The deadlock remained for a time and then Richmond broke free with 3 goals in a row. Collingwood hit back late in the term, but Richmond were still up by 13 points going into the last.

Before long the Tigers were up anbd roaring. Deledio had 5 playing full forward, Nathan Foley’s audacious dash and bounce from the centre rewarded him with one of the goals of the year and by the time 100 gamer Kayne Pettifer put his 2nd goal through and went for a high stepping celebration down the ground Richmond were 32 points up and the game as a contest was over. Collingwood kicked 2 goals late to make the final margin a respectable 20 points, but Richmond recorded their 2nd win for the season.

Two wins is nothing to be proud of, but any win against Collingwood is to be cherished and celebrated and celebrate the supporters did. They sang the song, they high fived each other, they jeered at the remaining Pies supporters, they waved scarves and clapped the victorious, beaming, brave young Tigers from the ground. If you’re only going to get a few wins out of season and one of them is against Collingwood then it’s worth the pain.

2007 Blog: Time

August 18, 2007 10:56 pm
By Chris Greenway

As I was watching the game last night, never really had much of a hope that the Tigers would win it, I thought what this side needs is time. 31 points against the West Coast at Subiaco, a ground that the Tigers have played the Eagles on 12 times for one win, wasn’t an embarassing result. I did however have the feeling that the Eagles were in second gear for most of the game.

The skills, or lack thereof, came back into play in this game. The Coasters were without 2 of their topline midfielders in Chris Judd and Ben Cousins, but to balance that out Richmond’s ruck division consisted of 3rd year player Adam Pattison up against the competitions best ruckman Dean Cox and offsider Mark Seaby, who would be 1st ruck in most other sides.

Richardson finally beat Darren Glass, taking 15 marks and have multiple shots at goal, however most of those shots were offline. You can see the effect this has on the younger players and then the big fella wonders why team mates elect to have a ping themselves rather than kick it to him. You can never fault Richardson’s endeavour or his courage, but I really wish someone had taught him to shoot for goal when he was a junior.

Where the time comes into it is looking at the young players, it’s not really a skill issue with most of them. For the most part they’re quick and highly skilled, but they’re physically immature. They can’t lay tackles and make them stick and they can’t shrug out of them, the way their opponents can. A couple of preseasons and some muscle on the frames of youngsters like Shane Edwards and Daniel Connors and look out! These kids will be running lines and making other sides hurt, but it all takes time. There have been criticisms that Richmond hasn’t recruited any size, I’m not sure what games those critics have been watching, but they must be different ones to me: Jack Riewoldt, Will Thursfield, Adam Pattison and Luke McGuane are all key position size, they’re just very skinny. Give them some time in the gym and it won’t just be the midfield ticking over.

Unfortunately until this happens there are a few more painful seasons ahead, my hope is that it makes the young cubs hungry and keen for success.

2007 Blog: Spoiling A Party

August 26, 2007 5:53 pm
By Chris Greenway

You could have been excused for thinking that there was only going to be one team running around the MCG on Sunday evening 26th August. The game was the last one in Melbourne, provided that the team did not make the finals, for outgoing legendary Essendon coach, Kevin Sheedy and retiring club champion Jame Hird. You couldn’t begrudge either man a celebration or their fans one last chance to say goodbye. Sheedy had coached the Bombers for 27 years and picked up 4 flags and Hird is admired in the game as few others ever have been. Aside from the sentiment of the 2 men Essendon were still a chance to make the finals, if they beat Richmond and then West Coast the following week and other results fell their way they could still sneak in, lose this and that dream was over. The media predictably enough went overboard and there were pages and pages in the papers about Sheedy and Hird and Essendon as a whole, this dominated radio and television broadcasts, very few even acknowledged that Essendon had an opponent for the game. The blitzlike coverage and adulation thrown at the Dons prompted Richmond coach Terry Wallace to liken his team to The Washington Generals; the Harlem Globetrotters hapless opponents.

Richmond wanted to spoil the Bombers love in for a few reasons, we wanted to win the game and give the team some momentum for the next season, it would be a good chance for the Tiger cubs to experience a finals like atmosphere, it would salvage some sort of pride out of what had been a wretched season, it would annoy Kevin Sheedy as a former Richmond player and it would end Essendon’s finals hopes.

They stood up, for once this season the Richmond players stood up. They butchered the ball early, but once the nerves settled down and veterans like Joel Bowden, Richo, Nathan Brown and Kane Johnson started to demand and use the ball effectively the blistering pace of the young Tigers wore their older, slower opponents down. The goals flowed and the players grew in confidence. Youngsters like Shane Edwards, Brett Deledio, Will Thursfield, Luke McGuane, Daniel Jackson, Richard Tambling and Jack Riewoldt came into their own and they pulled away from Essendon. The Bomber dominated crowd quietened and the Tigers roar grew. Although this was Essendon’s night the Tigers had a victory to savour. No one likes to be labelled a party pooper, but this time Richmond wore the title with honour.