If you want to win a game of AFL football, is it better to grind your opponent down by getting the little things of defensive pressure right every time, or blow them away with big, bold strokes of unbeatable superstar play?
If you asked Richmond of 2017 this question, I imagine they’d answer in the immortal words of Tony Stark: “Is it too much to ask for both?”
The Tigers’ premiership victory was built on a foundation of hard work and defensive pressure, but it’d be a mistake to say that this alone was the reason they came home with the flag.
It had to be supported by the stratospheric, game-breaking talent of Dustin Martin and Alex Rance, a superstar combination boasting enough might to make even the staunchest Dangerwood devotee blush.
More likely a focus on suffocating defence will stifle the team that plays in that style almost as much as it does the opposition, a paradigm anyone who has supported a side coached by Ross Lyon would be familiar with.
Going into the grand final against Adelaide, Richmond had both the superior superstar talent, and the better-drilled grunt workers. In retrospect, I have no idea why I was so reluctant to believe they could pull it off.
Or, as it was put so much more eloquently by Jay Croucher: “But on the big day, Adelaide walked into the exam room armed simply with an expensive pen and visions of exquisite handwriting. The Tigers brought neck tattoos and a baseball bat. And they had a nicer pen too.”
But you need a Martin and a Rance to make it happen. Accept no substitutes.
In December last year I wrote an article titled ‘Planning to copy Richmond? Good luck’, which despite being 2600 words long, you can probably get the gist of from that title alone. Many will try it. Many will fail.
However… there is one from the 17 teams that is not Richmond, that has what it takes. Today, I’ll tell you who it is.
I was interested to read on Friday that, according to co-captain Steven May, the Gold Coast Suns will be modelling their 2018 gameplan under new coach Stewart Dew on Richmond’s 2017 efforts.
“It’s no secret we haven’t been the best defensive side the last few years, so that has been the focus this pre-season,” said May.
“Look at Richmond last year – their ability for their forwards to be laying the most tackles makes the life of the defenders a lot easier. That’s the model we’re trying to implement.”
At this early juncture, it looks like a wise decision on Dew’s behalf to make defence the defining characteristic of his young team, and comes as no real surprise given his coaching influences.
Paul Roos, Alan Richardson and Brendon Bolton are all examples of coaches who have rebuilt lowly clubs from the ground up by focusing on defence first.
There are two key benefits here. Focusing on defence reduces the likelihood of getting absolutely smashed on the scoreboard, leaving players a little more proud of their performance, even if they’re losing most weeks.
And – perhaps more debatably – teaching young players defence first is conducive to establishing a culture of hard work and professionalism, rather than one where talent alone gets you everywhere.
There is a competing theory of course that focusing on attacking footy is the better way to rebuild, something that’s clearly in practice at North Melbourne (ninth for overall scoring despite finishing 15th) and Brisbane (13th for scoring despite finishing last).
We could debate forever which is the right way to do it, and perhaps in five or ten years the success or failures of these clubs will give us evidence with which to do so.
In the meantime, what can be said for certain is that last year’s premiers provide an aspirational example to all those young teams being raised on a defence-diet – but, do any of them have the class-A talent needed to balance it out?
In the case of Gold Coast, it is far too early to tell. The same is true of Carlton, though there are some promising signs. As for St Kilda, I’m worried they simply don’t – but let’s talk about that more another time.
That leaves one team, the one team who can give us a repeat of what Richmond achieved and how they achieved it in 2017: the Melbourne Demons.
Just every now and then I’m able to look back on something I predicted in years past and think that I was onto something at the time.
Here’s me writing in March 2016:
“In the year 2020, we may be looking at the centre square combination of Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw and Clayton Oliver as the hardest to play against in the competition.”
In February 2018, I stand by it. Those are four ultra-hard players who will make opposition midfields fear for their lives. And at Melbourne that approach to the game extends well beyond the four in the square.
After the disaster that was Jimmy Toumpas – a player with more than enough skill but seemingly not a competitive bone in his body – we’ve seen a shift in the Dees’ recruiting pattern towards only picking those players who have impeccable mental attributes.
No one is more emblematic of this than Tom Bugg, a player whose competitiveness might be literally his only footballing virtue, but it runs so strong in him that he almost commands a spot in the team solely because of it.
In time, we’ll come to see Jack Watts’ forced departure from the club last October as the end of an era where there was any kind of toleration for not having the right stuff between the ears.
It’s this kind of attitude across the team that you need to maintain the high volume of defensive pressure that was crucial to the Tigers’ success.
But, perhaps unlike some other sides who practice the same sort of philosophy, the Dees also have the top-line talent needed to make the side not just persistent, but potent.
Dustin Martin? Christian Petracca. Alex Rance? Jake Lever. Trent Cotchin? Jack Viney. Jack Riewoldt? Jesse Hogan. For all of Richmond’s ‘big four’, there’s someone at Melbourne that, in their prime, can be just as good.
It’s pretty rare for a club to have two players who are top-ten quality in the league like Martin and Rance. But if you want to see how highly I rate Petracca and Lever, consider that I included both of them in my predicted top ten AFL players in 2025.
Let’s be clear – I’m not saying this will happen in 2018. So many of Melbourne’s key players are young to the point where that’s just not realistic. But give it time.
Key defender? Small defender? Rebounding defender? Inside midfielder? Outside midfielder? Ruckman? Key forward? Small forward? There isn’t an area on the ground where the Demons don’t have a player that is either already elite, or has the talent to get there.
The Dees might not ultimately decide to go down this path – they might eschew Richmond’s example altogether and blaze their own path towards premiership contention. Regardless, that’s where they’re heading, sooner or later.
And if they decide to do it like Richmond, they just might have the talent and the temperament to pull it off.
Peter
Guest
Agree, but going hard and low leaves his arms free to get a handball off
vocans
Guest
Nothing is guaranteed in umpiring. The don't argue going low will infringe above the shoulders, or push downward which in is the back or only slightly affects the momentum of the tackler. Especially on a one off, but over a series of mistakes they usually get it. So, keep at it, and if he continues to offend, he should be pinged.
Steve
Guest
I would have thought "getting the little things of defensive pressure right every time, or blow them away with big, bold strokes of unbeatable superstar play" is basically the Swans' MO.
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
Josh, that is one of your best articles so far and I agree with it all. Richmond/Melbourne fixtures will be blockbuster viewing over the next few years. The Dees are behind but catching up. My beloved Sydney has known this secret for a while now. We have "see ball, get ball, kill opponent in the process' players like Hannebery, Parker, Mills, Franklin and Heaney who are scared of nothing human and our latest to enter the leadership group, Tom Papley, has more gravel in him than a quarry. Players like these have brought our decade of success but that very success has been our downfall in some ways; our draft positions let us draft the gravel but not the gravel with talent available in the earlier picks. Oliver Florent against Martin, Lever, Bradshaw, Petracca - just bury him where he falls. Rohan, Towers, Cunningham, Foote - anyone want to trade a Tomas Bugg type who will die trying to get the ball for their 'superior' talent. With kids like Mills, Heeney, Hayward, Papley, young academy draftee Bell and a small handful of others to go with them and the experienced Parker, Rampe, Lloyd, Smith, Kennedy, Hannebery and Franklin the Bloods will continue to be there or thereabouts at the pointy end each year but with so many on our list who need bodies or minds wrapped in tape marked "Fragile" it will be a while before we climb the mountaintop again unless we fluke a couple of overlooked runaway gravel trucks; something Kinnear Beetson and our draft team are admittedly good at doing. I live in hope. Until then, go Dees and Tigers. You've both earned it and my hat is off to you. Enjoy the ride; it's great fun I can tell you
Don Freo
Guest
Fyfe has shown his fitness. Did you see his second half of last year? Even the glimpse against Ireland? The boy has only played 138 games. Do you expect him to be worn out? Dusty has played 40 more games...albeit lots cruising up forward. Wouldn't you expect Dusty to be worn out?
Forestgimp
Guest
Far out Josh! Of your 3 coaches to have completed a rebuild none have produced a vehicle that would pass a roadworthy inspection yet, strewth Bolton's jalopy is still up on the trolley jack in his mate's shed, Richardson's broke down on the way out the driveway abd roos' sold his off with dodgy number plates and serious miss fire ob hills.
Cameron Rose
Expert
Melbourne could win the flag, and I'd be very confident saying they're the only team from outside the eight last year that could do it, as Richmond did. Inside is no issue for them, as Josh points out, but I see a weakness in outside run at the moment, and they lack some class going inside fifty.
Rob
Guest
Melbourne were 2 men down - including their ruckman - by half time. Diffrent season to be had for both clubs had Jake Spencer not injured his shoulder thst night...
Daz
Roar Pro
While I'm hopeful that the Dees can finally emerge from the doldrums this year I am not going to get my hopes up yet. We have a habit of letting things slip when we shouldn't. Games against North and Freo this year. We only just made it against Brisbane, St Kilda and Carlton at the end, and after 3 weeks of escaping from jail, we couldn't do the needful against the Pies. On the upside, 2017 was our best result for a long time. We have now improved every year since 2014. Last year was the first with a percentage over 100, and more wins than losses. In 2014 we lost our last 10 in a row, it was 4 of 5, in 2016 it was the last 2, last year, we faltered at the last game. I've come to accept that we had to let Jack Watts go, and honestly for 21 games of the year I hope he plays brilliantly. I hope he has a shocker against Melbourne, but knowing history of ex-Melbourne players, that will be his blinder. While I'm used to copping the shtick from the media and footballing public, like many of these comments here, I know that there will come a time when we are respected again. It's probably not this year, but it's coming. There is still a mindset to slip into old habits, handball to the guy standing right next to you, and keep passing the ball around the forward 50 instead of just taking a shot. Hopefully, those stop, as we gain more confidence and get better.
Lamby
Roar Rookie
"He can’t legally don’t argue a player’s head that’s coming in low around the hips." But it doesn't mean the umpires will actually pay the free kicks against him. (see 3:46 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bet9xIXVhdk)
guttsy
Guest
But how fit is Fyfe? His roll as an inside mid is incredibly wearing on the body because of the opposition attention his talent attracts. He could be used in a much less wearing mobile strong marking forward role, where he could easiy average two goals (if not closer to three) a game as well as assisting others with the same number. If I was his coach I would use him as a forward and try to find others to fill the midfield void he leaves behind.
Snert Underpant
Guest
Richmond won the flag due to their stars playing outstanding games and relentless, committed defensive pressure by the lesser lights. And you compare this to same Melbourne club that went behind their coaches back to get out of a training camp because it was too hard the year before? Culture in football clubs, good or bad, eventually becomes ingrained. When the whips are cracking some just can't handle the heat and lose when they shouldn't. Melbourne is such a club.
Mattician6x6
Guest
It will be good to see a fit and firing fyfe remind ppl he's yen times the player martin is.
guttsy
Guest
Maybe something else fell into place for Richmond. Like Adelaide being inexplicably woeful after the first quarter. Try talking to a New Zealander about the 1995 Rugby World Cup and then consider that there are at least a hundred and one ways to covertly hobble a team, to understand the challenges of a non-preffered team winning. People need to understand that there are lots of organisations (both in Aus and outside Aus, including betting syndicates amongst many others) trying to covertly (and sometimes not so covertly) influence sporting outcomes in Australia. This unfortunately is the world we live in.
TomC
Roar Guru
This was amusing.
tim
Guest
Beautifully put. Lever is no Rance. His one on one defense is ordinary. He will be found out early, then he will adapt or die.
guttsy
Guest
Since the Victorian based teams are handing the Premiership Cup around to each other and the A(V)FL is not only happy to let this happen but also support it (as long as the right troubled Victorian based teams win and not the wrong ones) then Melbourne is a good choice for the next in line. The way I see it North and the Saints aren't in that queue
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Fyfe reckons he's got a technique worked out that goes a long way to nullifying Martin's fend-off so he can nail him in the tackle more often than not.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Some interesting stats there Harold, but I’d also like to add that it’s been 4917 days and counting since the Essendon Bombers won a final – I would have thought that’s a stat that would put some fear into Bombers fans. AFL records started in 1990, when the AFL started. I would have thought that was perfectly obvious. I could refer back to all the glories my ancestors created too but ultimately no-one really cares. If you want to watch a real team with red flourishes on their kit win a final, come and see the Fuchsias bloom this year. The only thing flatter than Bombers supporters come September will be the drop-in wickets at the G.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Usually I’d eschew any invitation to follow in the footsteps of the cheap black and gold brand from Punt Road, but after months of cheers, stale beer and premiership hangovers alternately wafting over towards my enormous pile of bricks in Prahran I could perhaps be convinced to microwave my membership and assume the perennial hangdog expression of woe, if the rewards are there to be had. It’s not unheard of for the working classes to enjoy a rare triumph, labor unions started after similar decades of fruitless toil and a lot of lumps and brickbats – but usually what happens in the aftermath is the vested interests and money coalesce and bring about a happy ending for the rich people. Certainly I have my fingers crossed this will be the case. I am highly confident that the Fuchsias will be able to not just imitate, but replicate the Tigers triumph, and 2018 will see the trifecta completed of “in from the cold” premierships, with the greatest one of all as the Demons return the AFL premiership to its rightful home in the bosom of the MCC members area.