After reaching the finals for the first time in 12 seasons last year, it was widely expected that Richmond would take the next step up and contend for a top-four position in 2014.
Instead, the Tigers crashed to their 10th loss of the season, after failing to convert a strong first half against the Sydney Swans.
Damien Hardwick’s men entered the match against the Swans believing they could take it right up to them; after all, they had won three of their last five against the red and white, though all three had been at the MCG.
The Swans were coming off eight consecutive wins and appeared flat after not only defeating Port Adelaide in front of 41,000 fans at the SCG last week, but also coming off a six-day break and with key players Dan Hannebery and Kurt Tippett out injured.
The Swans were slow to start the match, as Richmond built up a three-goal lead at quarter time. After Brett Deledio goalled midway through the second quarter, the Tigers were 26 points up and a fourth victory this season was within sight.
But from there the Swans rediscovered their form, with four goals from Lance Franklin helping the Swans win by 11 points and extend their winning streak to nine.
The defeat continues what has been a poor season from the Tigers this year. Hardwick’s men could find themselves on the bottom of the ladder after 14 rounds if the Greater Western Sydney Giants, Brisbane Lions and St Kilda all spring upsets this round.
Richmond’s horror season all started with a three-goal loss to bogey side the Suns on the Gold Coast in Round 1. Apart from last season, when they finally got it right against one of the AFL’s improving teams, the Tigers have struggled to contain the talent-laden Suns outfit.
They started to find some form with wins over Carlton and the Brisbane Lions, the latter being at the Gabba where the Tigers haven’t lost since 2004. However, three more losses, including an upset 20-point loss to Melbourne in Round 9, saw the critics all but write the Tigers off for 2014.
Add to that Jack Riewoldt’s criticism of their game plan from the loss to the Demons and you had a team that was further in crisis. After avoiding being dropped by Hardwick, he and the Tigers bounced back in the most devastating way possible, and it was the Giants on the receiving end.
Riewoldt kicked 11 goals against the hapless Giants to not only boost his chances of winning a third Coleman Medal, but also single-handedly (and supposedly) get the Tigers’ season back on track with the 113-point victory.
Any faint hope the Tigers had of repeating their run to last September were revived, but it would be short-lived as they reverted back to their old ways seven nights later against Essendon, losing in the annual ‘Dreamtime at the G’ match by 50 points.
Two of the Tigers’ last three matches have seen very good first halves, but poor second ones.
The match that has undoubtedly been the story of their season was the Round 12 loss to North Melbourne, when they led by 35 points at half-time only to completely unravel in the second half. In the third quarter of that match, they coughed up eight unanswered goals in just under 20 minutes on their way to a 28-point loss.
Almost the same was displayed against the Swans on Friday night; after leading by 26 points late in the second quarter, they kicked only one goal for the remainder of the match.
The loss has all but ended Richmond’s finals hopes, and now their biggest challenge will be not only to avoid the wooden spoon, but also to win back the respect of fans.
While the team could not win where it mattered most, at least four players could hold their heads high, with Dustin Martin, Brandon Ellis, Trent Cotchin and Bachar Houli all gaining at least 30 disposals. It was a good team effort from the Tigers but had Riewoldt received more support, the Tigers could have pulled off a morale-boosting victory over the competition heavyweights.
It’s pretty clear last year’s finals breakthrough was a one-off, as has been the case since 1982, with the Tigers reaching only three finals series since then. Their previous two finals appearances prior to last year came in 1995 and 2001.
Compare the Tigers’ recent finals woes to that of the Sydney Swans, who have missed the finals only three times since reaching the grand final in 1996. Prior to that, the Swans were the laughing stock of the AFL, picking up a hat-trick of wooden spoons between 1992 and 1994.
That surprise grand final appearance has proven to be the turning point in the history of not only the Sydney Swans, but also the game of Australian rules football in New South Wales.
We all know what the Swans achieved in the almost two decades since then; they have produced one dual Brownlow Medallist in Adam Goodes, won two premierships (2005 and 2012), and developed the ‘no dickheads’ policy which has even been praised by rugby union’s All Blacks.
If the Tigers are to find their way out of their poor recent finals record, which stretches back more than three decades, they need not look back at what the Swans have achieved.
Maybe one day the men from Punt Road may develop their own dynasty or culture, and if they can maintain it for the long term – something the Swans have been able to do under Rodney Eade, Paul Roos and now John Longmire – then the Tigers might be onto something in the near future.
But for now, the rest of the season will be about trying to salvage something. Even if they win most of their remainders and make a late charge, they could still finish in that all-too-familiar position of ninth.
kick to kick
Guest
Agreed MWM. Something is seriously wrong with the Richmond game plan. Less wrong with the attitude. Tigers won the disposal count by 400 to 330, and even contested possessions 143 to 128. Those are big margins in the modern game and shown those alone you'd be prepared to predict a sizeable Tigers win. But then a real anomolie - the Swans won the inside 50 count 46 to 37. These are seriously weird stats. What were the Tigers doing with all that ball? In the first quarter they were slicing up the Swans who were heavy footed and lethargic off the tough Port game game and 6 day break. What the Tigers didn't react to was Sydney responding, closing up space and picking up the pressure. Sydney may have been off but they didn't give up. In fact Longmire said in his presser that for the first ten minutes the Swans made only one tackle. The coaches were obviously apoplectic as was Logmire at quarter time. For the whole game Sydney made 99 tackles - the kind of tackle rate of the 2012 Grand Final. And Richmonmd wilted with no variation on the short kicking, high possession game that had been rendered ineffectual. Only 1 goal after half time. From then the cupboard was tactically bare.
Milo
Guest
1. Too much reliance on the recylces. Chaplin, Grigg, Houli, Edwards, Hampson to name a few. None should be playing. Houli gets the ball as running receiver a fair bit, but is prone to clangers and has little defensive aspect to his game. Rather they try the talent at VFL level such as Arnot, McBean, Helbig, O'Hanlan, Elton and co and stick with them for rest of 2014. That way they'll know at seasons end who has got potential and who aint. Need a clean out then. 2. Lack of game plan. As mentioned, short kicking around backline leads to pressure and turnovers and goals. Also means forwards esp JR dont get clear oppty if Riich actually gets that far, as the opposition backs crowd the F50. 3. Player development is lacking. Players like Vickery Grimes Rance should be at another level this year. Instead theyve mainly stalled or gone backwards. Clearly something is lacking here. 4. Coaching staff inability to change tact when momentum swings against. So many times Hardwick and co seem to have no Plan B or C. No changes are made, or what little that do get made are ineffective. 5. Hardwick stop being one of the boys. Lovely bloke but needs to forget about making friends and start hardening the F$#k up like he used to as a player. 6. Lack of fitness. Too many other clubs seem to be able to run over the top of them at half time. In fact probably only the Giants and Lions havent and their teams were full of kids. Need a massive preseason in terms of running ability and strength.
andrew
Guest
2013 was flattering for the tiges. they had a soda of draw. this was the difference between finishing 5th and 9th. that said, they have still gone backwards. concur with above posted, combine a harder draw with a more pronounced (but still hardly overwhelming) injury list and this is a big factor.
Bosk
Guest
Two reasons why Richmond's season has been rubbish immediately spring to mind. Firstly, they tried copying Hawthorn's precision kicking game without possessing anywhere near enough players who are elite kicks of the football, and second they basically got ahead of themselves after last year's promising season once again demonstrating the organization's inability to cope with success in a professional manner. Speaking of professionalism, although Hardwick & Gale seemed to have done everything in their power to inject more of it into the club it must be said that they were always coming from a long way back, and from an outsider's perspective are still a million miles away from the better-run clubs like Collingwood, Geelong & Hawthorn in that respect. Of course there are other causes that could be mentioned also. Their charmed run of luck with injuries last season left the club's wafer thin depth largely unexposed, but that changed markedly almost from the beginning of this year. Their top end of talent is probably good enough for the team to be challenging for the top 4, but conversely their bottom echelon of best 22 players are of the kind I would normally associate with bottom 8 teams. Hardwick has been criticized for trading for ready-made talent from other clubs, but I see no alternative if Richmond are to rectify their depth issues quickly. Why quickly? Because with the GC & GWS juggernaughts soon to be a rollin' the Tigers' premiership window (assuming we subscribe to the theory that it exists) may well be very short indeed.
Kyle
Guest
I think one obvious factor is fitness. Some richmond players appear spent after a quarter and a half. Hence second half fade outs. Apart from Martin, nobody is willing to provide any run after half time.
Momentbymoment
Guest
If the reaction of their fans has anything to do with it, its all pretty obvious. If you spend your effort searching for conspiracies in umpiring rather than focusing on your performance, you are destined to live at the bottom of the ladder.
Radelaide
Guest
No Matt White I'd say :) , I didn't notice last year but I wonder if maybe he was an underated super sub for them. Or I might just have my Port goggles on and I have no idea how it could go so wrong for Richmond.
mwm
Guest
Richmond haven't been able to adapt in 2nd halves this season when teams change game plans. Their short kicking game, the type that racks up lots of disposals for players is rendered effectively useless when teams like the swans tighten up defensively and force the tigers to make pressure kicks and kicks to packs of players. The team has found no answer to this all season and the blame must be put on the coaching staff who decide tactics.