My face wasn’t exactly covered in egg after the weekend footy results, but there was a certain amount of yellow and white, courtesy of the yellow and black.
Last week I wrote that Port couldn’t match it with Fremantle in the battle for fourth.
While the Power stuck strong and genuinely battled until the final siren, the Dockers’ class got them over the line, a top-four berth, and a showdown with Sydney… one tick.
But I also wrote the Richmond Tigers couldn’t come and “beat the Swans in the form the red and whites are in”.
I had the Tigers finishing 10th, but as we all know now they showed me. And credit where it is due, with Richmond making successive finals for the first time since 1975.
Nine wins in a row is a huge achievement, regardless of which nine teams you beat. To have come from a woeful 3-10 position to reach the finals is another tremendous feat.
But where to now? Having reached their seemingly unreachable goal of the finals, will that be it, or can they take another step up and be competitive in September?
Their coach Damien Hardwick believes they can, starting next week in Adelaide against Port.
Twelve months ago, making the finals was in many ways winning their grand final. For the Tigers, the big goal was to finally make the eight. They did that – even better, they finished fifth. But with mission accomplished they whimpered away in the first week of the finals, losing to a team which actually finished ninth but got in when Essendon were let out.
This season the mindset will be so different. Last year against Carlton, the pressure was right on them. They were expected to move on. This year, despite winning nine straight, they won’t be favourites to beat Port, and most expect another season to end for the Tigers exactly where it did in 2013.
It won’t be easy. Port looked good at Adelaide Oval two weeks back, belting Carlton, and lost few admirers on the weekend when they took it to Fremantle in Perth.
But the Tigers did comfortably beat Port back in Round 17, albeit in Melbourne. They also went to South Australia and beat the Crows at Adelaide Oval in Round 21 in front of 50,000 parochial fans.
As Hardwick said after the win which got them into the finals, over the minor premiership-winning Swans, they fear no one.
They should carry confidence into the clash with Port, but not get too carried away with the win in Sydney, as the home team was missing a handful of stars – Lance Franklin, Mike Pyke, Josh Kennedy, Ben McGlynn and Craig Bird – most of whom will be back this week for their big clash with Fremantle.
At the risk of wearing more egg, Port will end the Richmond dream and advance to week two of the finals.
As for the other finals, North can get over Essendon, with the curse a distant memory, Hawthorn will beat Geelong and then we have Sydney versus Fremantle.
At their best the Swans will win, my only concern is that it’s actually been a few weeks – possible back to the Round 20 game against Port, coincidentally, the last full game Kennedy played – since we’ve seen Sydney at their best.
Buddy is vital but Kennedy is too, and if he returns and isn’t hampered or rusty, then the Swans can win. If not, then Fremantle, who appear to have timed their run perfectly for September, are poised for an upset and a home preliminary final.
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
First things first. Congratulations to the Tigers and I hope you do well against Port this weekend. Second, and importantly, what do I as a Sydney member take out of the game? The answer is, not much one way or another. We rested five players all of whom, with the possible exception of Bird in fairness, would have played on the weekend had anything been riding on the game. The rest of the team played at half rat power all game to avoid injury and the instructions to do so were obvious when you look at Richmond and their five goal start - our players simply didn't know how to execute the game plan at half pace. Throw in the selection of a first gamer who looked totally out of his depth and was completely cooked just after half time and the Tigers should have romped the game in. Instead, with all they had going against them and being forced to play at a ground they hate to boot, the Tigers only just managed to fall over the line. So, with a deliberately weakened team, a watered down game intensity, playing on a difficult shifting surface at a ground we hate against a fully fired up team on a long winning streak playing their hearts out to make the finals, we only managed to lose by three points. Not exactly perfect preparation but, at the same time, no disaster or time for panic. We achieved everything we set out to do; kept top spot, saw Buddy win the Coleman, sustained no injuries or real soreness and gave some stars an extra weeks' holiday to freshen up. If that's a loss, I can't see how. We got everything except four premiership points we didn't need. Of course I would have preferred a win but this is not what I'd really call a loss; more like a tactical choice to tank for a week. Come Saturday, Fremantle is going to feel like it has been hit by the Indian Pacific, what with travel and the niggles to players following a hard fought battle against Port and then having to front up against a team fresh as a daisy and determined to make a statement and get a week's more rest afterwards. Glad it isn't us facing that task!
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
For the Tiger's sake hopefully they don't get smashed on the weekend. If they did their psyche might cop some (more) horrible festering wounds and I think they might've been better of with a close loss last Saturday night and get a chance to regroup for a preseason full of momentum.
AR
Guest
Richmond were fantastic and deserved their hardfought win over Sydney. 9 in a row is a great effort and they have earned their place in the finals. All that said... They beat a team without Buddy, Kennedy and Pyke - a team whose first objective from that game would have been "don't get hurt". There was no upside, and no downside, for Sydney losing that game. As I said, full credit to Richmond, but the Swans would be an entirely different prospect in a final. And whilst Port may be a step below Sydney, I expect the Tiges to bow out this wknd. ...I would wholeheartedly welcome the egg on my face next Monday.
Mark Soong
Guest
If the tigers body language and fighting spirit in the last quarter in Sydney is present for another week provided that they stay in touch with the scoreboard comes the last quarter, where the game is there to be won, I will tip tigers to get over the line..The match between the 5th and 8th finalists is potential banana skin where for the past 13th editions, 8 times the 8th team went on to win. So, the tigers may live to fight on another week.
BNR
Guest
"At the risk of wearing more egg, Port will end the Richmond dream and advance to week two of the finals." Port will be expected to win and more importantly, they will heap pressure on themselves to do so. The Tigers had nothing to lose against the Swans and with another good start like that, Port is not in the same class as Sydney who bridged the early margin. Besides 10 is a nice round number... and respectfully, I don't want to be anything you tip, Michael.
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Well Gene Port did manage to take it right up to Freo on their own dung heap on the weekend, but I know how little respect you have for Ross Lyon's mob and I'm sure it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Geelong's Skilled Stadium performance against them in last year's finals. No question Port have run out of puff in the second half of the year largely as a result of the gamestyle Hinkley has them playing, but its Richmond's brand of footy terribly well suited to Finals pressure either? I'm not convinced it is, nor is their best 22 overflowing with players who are famous for standing up when the going gets tough. Perhaps we can agree on one thing though - that the Port vs Richmond game will be played at a level of intensity several notches lower than the contests involving the top 4 teams.
slane
Guest
They beat Essendon and Port too. I reckon Port might be as good as Port....
Brian
Guest
Tigers havn't beaten anyone either. None of Adelaide, West Coast or the Sydney invitational XXII are as good as Port. Port will smash Richmond. Sydney will comfortably beat Freo The other 2 are harder to call. The Hawks should edge Geelong although its hard to be definitive. North v Essendon could go to the wire, both teams have a lot of players who seem to sporadically play well.
Cat
Roar Guru
Tigers a very real chance to win their first final, I for one an not convinced Port is 'back in best form' as some have been claiming. Tigers 3-0-1 against Port in their 4 most recent match-ups. For all the talk of the 'Portress' its been more like a leaky shack of late, 2 wins from the last 5 played there is hardly intimidating.
Sam Clark
Roar Rookie
The Power have beaten 12th, 13th and 17th in the last 9 weeks. That's nothing to write home about. No pressure on Richmond and it's all on Port. Furthermore, Port's front running style and distaste for anything tough isn't a sustainable finals model. It's going to be interesting.
EddyJ
Guest
"anally violated"? You're all class Bosk.
Axle an the guru
Guest
Bosk i agree with you. I think Richmond played there GF against Sydney, and now they will flop.
Bosk
Roar Rookie
We see this almost every year. A young or inconsistent teams flops over the line against expectations to make the finals, and their jubilant fans are suddenly talking unlikely premierships. Fast forward 7 days and the team can barely break out of a trot, the opposition has at least ten goals on the board by half time and the commentators are breaking out the usual cliches like "well it was always going to be a big ask after they'd worked so hard to make it here". Richmond will be smashed by the Power in a manner awkward to watch. The gulf in class and September expectations between the two teams is enormous and the home ground advantage is massive. The only ray of hope for the Tigers is they'll be facing a team with not much more finals experience than themselves.