I’ve been a tragic Tigers supporter for over 20 years. In that time, I’ve seen the club go through seven coaches and five finals appearances.
Six of those coaches were in the first 13 years, and three of those finals appearances were in the past four years.
Like most Richmond supporters, I started 2016 full of hope.
A closer call than was necessary against Carlton in Round 1 left me paused, but at least we had the points on the board.
A final-seconds snatch of defeat from the jaws of victory against Collingwood was both heartbreaking and ominous. Perhaps it just comes with being a Richmond supporter in the past thirty-or-so years, but it felt as if with that loss, a dark cloud of doom appeared on the horizon.
The six-game losing streak that followed brought hurricane 2016 right to Tigerland’s front door.
As ever in the eye of the storm, there seemed to be some hope.
Sam Lloyd’s post-siren winner stalled the inevitable momentarily. Fremantle and Essendon, despite not being big scalps in context, both still fell before us.
And as both a Hobart lad, as well as an ever-hopeful tragic, I jumped on one of the last-minute tickets to the game against North Melbourne, subsequently having my heart broken again.
It’s been a tough ride being a Tigers supporter over my lifetime.
Their last premiership was the year before I was born, and since then it’s been a difficult place to be. Our ‘golden era’ in this time netted only two finals appearances, when, as Kris Rhodes pointed out in August, we were “a total of four wins and percentage away from appearing in eight consecutive finals series.”
Though this season has been the toughest that I’ve endured as a Tigers supporter.
Perhaps it was due to starting out with such optimism.
Yet nothing seemed to be going right, and the commentary from inside the walls at Richmond wasn’t promoting hope, either.
To hear Hardwick, early in the season, saying that they were trying a few players in different positions and that a half-step backwards to take two steps forwards might be required, didn’t inspire confidence in the coach. Watching the Tigers fumble around, searching for a game plan was frustrating and aggravating.
Yet as frustrated as I am with the way the Tigers have performed this year, I refuse to look at one season as a measure of the coach.
Damien Hardwick, in seven years, has taken us to three consecutive finals appearances. Yes, our performances in those three games were consistently dismal, but we got there.
It was not a bad decision to renew Hardwick’s contract at the beginning of this year given the momentum that he had gathered.
I have enough faith in what Hardwick has done over the past seven years, to have hope that he can bounce back next year. The current administration has proven capable of moving the club forward, even if this year hasn’t gone the right way on the field.
We won’t go forward again next year if we have an off-season full of upheaval and uncertainty.
The current administration is obviously taking measures to try and turn things around quickly, but that’s not going to happen with a new board, especially a group of people who are throwing around big names like Neil Balme without even having spoken to the man.
So, in the words of the now famous ‘fake tradie’, “I reckon we should just see it through, and stick with the current mob for a while.”
The administrative rebuild that would be required if you overthrow the whole group like ‘Focus on Footy’ want, is going to take a number of years. If Martin Hiscock and his team take over the club, we won’t be returning to the finals in 2017. With Hardwick and the current administration, there’s a chance that we actually can.
So calm down Tiges.
Let’s play out 2017 with a clear intent that a second season of sub-par performance won’t be tolerated.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Richmond, like all clubs have supporters they're not exactly proud of. Thankfully, they now have one less. One of the few positives for the year.
David C
Guest
I figure he has about 6-7 games next year to decide if he sees out the year. If he is 2 and 4 or worse (maybe even 3 and 3) then he will be gone. Interested to see if they sign up a coach in waiting as one of the assistants to take over for the rest of the year before appointing a new coach at seasons end.
David C
Guest
Yes
rob
Guest
Scary thing is even Melbourne have been more succesful than the tigers since 1990... 9 finals apperances, 1 grand final...
Boris
Roar Rookie
Josh, i get the feeling that the Tigers should tap Hardwick on the shoulder, seriously he has to go, they have persevered more than what they should have because of a bad track record in maybe sacking coaches to early, but he needs to go,
Neveragain
Guest
Is that right David
David C
Guest
Richmond will be better off without you. Pitty the Lions though, but that will only be for awhile until you jump ship and start supporting GC.
Neveragain
Guest
Has Vickery signed with the Hawks? Seriously, what are the Hawks thinking, the guy moves in slow motion. In saying that, its not unusual for rubbish players to leave the Tigers only to have success at their new club (Roden, Shultz to name a couple). The whole Tigers organisation is just rotten, clean the whole place out. Some people are just born losers. Don't think Jack is the right person for captain either, he's too much of a sook. I feel for you Milo, this club isn't going far in the near future.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Seeing as Vickery will be at Hawthorn next year can we assume theyre not going far? But I agree with you on Cotchin. He's not a natural leader and though trying to be, simply isn't cut out for the job. Not that he's soft, but he's quiet and less likely to give a bollocking to one of his teammates on the field. That said, good to see him give Elton a whack in the guts last week when he didn't go for a contest. Leadership onfield has certainly been an issue this year and no co-incidence that Maric has been missing. Jack has matured now and is almost the go-to players' spokesman for Richmond. He should come into consideration for a leadership role at the club next year.
Neveragain
Guest
"and a new era will begin". Can't wait for that. Every era so far has been a complete disgrace since the 70's. Cotchin shouldn't be a captain of any team, the guy is as soft as they come, and can't kick straight. Any team with Vickery and Brandon Ellis in it isn't going far in a hurry.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Actually good riddance Neveragain. We certainly don't need 'supporters' of your ilk.
JamesH
Roar Guru
The problem with a 5-7 year plan is that you can't keep the exact same gameplan over that period because the landscape will shift under your feet. The Tiges were strong a few years ago when static, precision-passing footy was all the rage. Steady and accurate, forcing an opening in your opponent's defence. Hawthorn, Sydney and Freo all used it well during that time. However, the pace of the game has picked up since then and the Tiges have been too reluctant to commit to quicker ball movement. The Hawks and Swans were wise enough to do it (and the Cats just went back to their 'play-on-quickly' approach from 2007-2011), but Freo has fallen from grace in part for the same reason that the Tiges have this year: they just haven't evolved with the game. To be fair, I think Hardwick was trying to encourage faster ball movement in the first part of this year, but when results went against them the whole club went back to what it new. The fact that their old gameplan gave them a great win over the Swans was a curse in the sense that it encouraged a reversion to static footy instead of taking a risk to adapt. I'm convinced that the Tiges have almost all of the cattle they need to become a contender (perhaps just lacking a bit of pace off the half back flank/through the wings) but they don't currently have the gameplan to take the next step. Hardwick has to spend the preseason speeding up his team's ball use.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Ive been following a fair bit longer than 20 years Josh and while I agree with you on the achievements of Hardwick from 2010-2013 I think we've struggled from there. After copping a bruising against the old enemy in EF2013 we changed our game style from running hard and attacking to defensive keepings off. Luck and a good draw in the second half of 2014 allowed us into the finals and in 2015 we probably were lucky that so many other clubs had a year of rebuilding or were injury ravaged. Now we've had so many clubs sail past us in 2016 in terms of development I cant really see how we come back in 2017. The only positive is probably going to be a softer draw but from then on, its going to be tough. Realistically, given that its hard to see us making any improvement on current ladder position in fact a fall would be quite likely if Carlton continues to improve and the Suns have a much better run with injuries. So on that basis, Hardwick will be gone this time next year (latest) and a new era will begin.
Brian S
Guest
If things keep going the way they are i'd guess you'll be dead before the Tigers win a premiership!! you are delusional if you think everything is going well! have you looked @ what teams like Footscray, Carlton & St Kilda have done with there 5yr plans? I think Richmond is 7yrs into a 5yr plan?! get out of there come over to AAMI park & follow the Melbourne Storm a team that has a proven finals record!!! otherwise 2017 will be full of heart ache!!
Neveragain
Guest
Richmond is a complete joke of a club. I was, until recently, a supporter of this club. Over time I've grown to actually hate them. They constantly let me down. I somehow got dragged into supporting them in 2003 when I moved to Melbourne (from NZ). I have been disappointed ever since. The club is just full of born losers. I now live in Brisbane, and happily converted to a Lions supporter. Clearly the Lions have a long way to go, but at least I know that. Good riddance Richmond. I hope it's another 35+ years before you win a flag....LOSERS
michael RVC
Roar Pro
Only 20 years mate? You may be young then. From your perspective there is less long term frustration and more tendency to upside I guess. Fair enough. Last real RFC team was 1982. Imagine how that feels to lifetime supporters. Go Swans.