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In what continues to be such a wonderful race for the top four, one unfortunate shellacking stood out among a significant number of champions’ individual milestones – a completely and utterly pathetic Richmond.
Many pundits, including experts here at The Roar, had Richmond knocking on the door of the top four this year.
I certainly saw them on last year’s tracking of making the top eight – but my vision is often very blurred as they seem to find a way to towel the Swans every time they play them.
Riewoldt, Rance, Deledio and Martin. That core is elite. Rance I would argue is on another level given who he has to help him down back.
Not surprisingly, coach Damien Hardwick came to Richmond and focused on a Hawthorn mark 2.0 approach.
The basic theory being utter domination of possession with accurate short-chipping, and strike when the opposition opened up. Turnovers are punished ruthlessly.
Hardwick certainly had some moderate success, with Richmond making three consecutive elimination finals albeit not being able to win one. But to play that sort of football you need talent in abundance – and the players they have brought in or draft around the core do not have that. Even Jack Riewoldt got sick of the game-plan in 2014.
To compound 2013 woes, only Richmond could find a way to lose an elimination final to a ninth-placed team.
For me, the seeds were sown on Hardwick in last year’s elimination final against North Melbourne.
During a significant period of the third term (and to a lesser extent fourth), it all fell to Alex Rance. He had to spoil, he had to be the link player, he had to rebound from defensive 50.
He kept them in the game and clearly what was needed for 2016 was another big-body defender to help Rance, and potentially a couple of younger players with skills to dispose the footy off the back flanks.
Richmond’s response? Draft Chris Yarran, from a ‘successful’ Carlton defensive unit.
Yes, it is also a fair call to blast very poor recruiting, but Hardwick has had a decent crack to get things right and any argument that a coach is not involved in recruiting is laughable.
Continuing my critique of Hardwick, the use of Jack Riewoldt is a case in point. In my opinion, having seen him destroy the Swans on a fare few occasions over the last few years, no one has a greater influence in the league inside forward 50 – let’s face it, Buddy is hitting goals from 50-60 metres these days.
His pack-marking, pressure, and clean hands when ball is on ground are amazing.
Yet Hardwick continues to play Riewoldt high up the ground, robbing Richmond of a marking and pressure weapon. Not that the ball would have gone there much against the rampant Giants.
The final, and probably most damning comment is you get the sense the players are not invested in the Hardwick game plan anymore. This is a bad time for any elite coach. You saw it last year with Hird, and similar pressure on Leppa at the Lions heading towards the season’s sunset.
On current tracking, the Tiges will finish around the mark of Hardwick’s first year in the job. It is time for someone else to drive this team forward as a new game-plan and reboot around the ‘fab-four’ is needed.
Which leaves me pondering, just why is Richmond the poisoned chalice of AFL coaching jobs?
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