When you’ve won two premierships in the last three seasons – with both grand finals being blowouts – you can’t have too much to worry about.
Sure, Richmond were kept honest at times by Carlton in Round 1, but they come into 2020 with barely a care in the world.
As such, it was a challenge to come up with four burning questions for the Tigers, but I did my best!
1. Do we still have the hunger?
Yep, we’re clutching at straws here.
Whenever you’re the reigning premier, everyone else is gunning for you. Whether it’s the fellow finalists you knocked off or sides on the rise looking to test their mettle.
It can be hard to get back to the summit when every club you play rises to the occasion and the comfort of having a medal in the cabinet back home tempts some players into relaxing a little.
But that probably won’t be an issue for Richmond for two reasons. One, they’ve had essentially a second pre-season to miss football and rekindle their passion for the pursuit of another premiership.
Two, the disappointment of 2018 likely won’t stop burning for many until they’ve retired.
Former Geelong captain Cameron Ling was lucky enough to lift the cup in 2007, 2009 and 2011 but to this day he still speaks of how the shock grand final loss in 2008 haunts him.
With that pain still raw for many current Tigers players, you can bet the hunger won’t be going anywhere.
Jack Riewoldt and the Tigers are still the team to beat. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
2. Can we win away from the MCG? Will we even need to?
As insanely dominant at the MCG as Richmond have been over the last three seasons, their record almost everywhere else has been poor.
They have a ridiculous 41-5 record at the MCG since the beginning of 2017 (fun fact: that’s just one fewer game than Port Adelaide have played at the venue in history), but it’s nowhere near as good elsewhere.
They’re 2-4 at the Adelaide Oval, 1-1 at Optus Stadium, 0-3 at Giants Stadium and 0-1 at GMHBA Stadium. Even just down the road at Marvel Stadium (7-4) they haven’t been as consistent. Only the Gabba (2-0) and Metricon Stadium (3-0) have been happy hunting grounds.
With West Coast the current favourites for the minor premiership, an away final in Perth is what many see as the biggest potential banana peel to a Richmond repeat.
While they’ve been handed a huge reprieve by the fixturing gods in having their ‘away’ game against the Eagles on the Gold Coast, they may be forced to travel to Geelong to play the Cats this season.
Then there’s the (increasingly unlikely) possibility of this year’s grand final being moved away from the MCG.
As unfair as it seems, it’s likely Richmond won’t have to address their awful interstate record at all. This year’s just as likely to exacerbate that problem as it is to gloss over it completely.
3. Are we a touch light on depth?
Again, another grasp here.
Richmond’s reserves side won the VFL premiership last season too, and as you may have heard once or twice (a day for the last six months), Marlion Pickett made his debut in the grand final and didn’t look at all out of place.
Clearly they’re a deep team.
But they still have lost some depth in the latest off-season, with Brandon Ellis heading to Gold Coast via free agency, Dan Butler joining St Kilda via trade and Jacob Townsend being drafted by Essendon after being delisted.
The latter two of that trio combined for just eight games in 2019, but all three were 2017 premiership players. Last season, the Tigers were crushed by injury at times and found themselves outside the top eight as late as Round 14.
It wasn’t just Tom Lynch’s heroics that kept them afloat either, it was having enviable depth to call on and plug the holes.
Ellis is something of a big deal. The Richmond midfield now only has four 100-gamers in Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin, Dion Prestia and Josh Caddy. They’re still more than good enough without him, but if one of those four go down it could get a bit harder.
I’d cringe to think what would happen if Dylan Grimes or David Astbury were to succumb to injury.
Dylan Grimes has been critical since Alex Rance retired. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
4. How many more premierships does this list have in it?
The real question Richmond fans will be asking themselves.
Despite sitting at the competition’s summit for the better part of three seasons, the Tigers show virtually no signs of slowing down.
Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt, Shane Edwards and Bachar Houli are the only players on the list over the age of 30 and nobody else joins that group until next year. Astonishing.
So much of the list is still in their prime, while they’ve got plenty of promising under-24 talent coming through, headlined by Jason Castagna, Daniel Rioli, Jack Graham and Jack Higgins.
To cap it all off, they have barely anything to worry about in the contract department this year as well.
It will be a long while until this Tiger train pulls into the station.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
good to hear,let the games begin
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Of course, but Richmond won’t win.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
are you available for feedback on the day after pies v tigers clash and tigers win?
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I’ll take it to the Holden centre myself, I have keys
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Halfway through they will start Neil with those sides already ruled out.
Neil from Warrandyte
Roar Rookie
It would be a really interesting exercise to have regular posters on this site to declare now if they believe that this year’s premiership is legitimate. I would imagine that while their club is a chance, the majority would vote that it is legitimate. Might be different at season’s end.
Realist
Guest
According to you anyway, Pete. Might as well give you guys the Cup now!
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Yes. Total and utter failure
Realist
Guest
I look forward to our post game discussion. It appears anything less than a 40 point win will be fail for the Pies!
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
The rise from the yellow and black was worth the stir of the asterisk.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Same with the rubbish talk deriding the Tigers premierships...means nothing once the cup is in the cabinet.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I am seldom wrong Hawk12. I respect the current premier but have been watching us train and we look very good. De Goey kicked 4 in a quarter Thursday night and Jamie Elliott in the middle looks awesome if his hammies hold up. Grundy is a top 5 player in the competition and no Tigers ruck option will compete. If they ruck Pickett against him would be like when we put Jack Madgen on Buddy Franklin in his first game.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
PTS, quite surprised by you conceding major injuries by an opposing team being a major contributor to a Pies Premiership, very impressed. Yes I will be raining on anyone who starts undermining the achievement of a club winning the premiership in 2020. The season is what it is, so "let the games begin".
Hawk12
Guest
I think isolation has got to you Pete the scribe. Pies by 40 plus ha ha. That’s like he saying my hawks will beat the cars by 40. I’d be happy just to be competitive let only a smashing win. The first five weeks back from this long lay off is going to throw up some surprises. I still say until normal returns ( fans, atmosphere, abuse from sidelines, bias draws etc ) then this years flags is anyone’s to win. It’s a different game this year
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I won’t deride the 2020 premier if we get one. I find the “tainted” flag talk as hot air meaning nothing. Have never subscribed to the taunting of a premier due to some perceived advantage. The Pies premiership drought was broken in 1990 between Hawthorns 1988,89 and 91 flags. They probably would have won 4 straight but were hammered by injury in 1990. Take them where you can get them.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
No reconsider needed. Pies by 40. A new look Pies midfield with the speedy Jamie Elliott rotating forward with De Goey, well supported by inside mid extractor Taylor Adams and feeding off one of the top 5 players in the competition, Brodie Grundy. The sublime skills of Scott Pendlebury and outside run of Sidebottom and Phillips will cover the absence of Adam Treloar. Pies forward line will be back to the unpredictable nature of 2018. De Goey, Elliott, the underrated hard working Mihocek...competition for other places is strong...Will Hoskin-Elliott, Stephenson, Thomas, Callum Brown, Josh Daicos, Varcoe...who gets the other spots? As for the defence, it’s settled and strong. Maynard, Crisp and the mid season recruit John Noble who has been best on ground past two practice matches. Roughead, Howe and Moore can take care of the slow but good marking Lynch and the key to Richmond, Jack Riewoldt. This is a side like the Hawks of 2013...2 close heartbreaking finals in previous years drives them to ultimate glory.
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Yep. Agree with that.
Realist
Guest
I just had a look at the likely team line ups for the clash Pete. :happy: Are you sure you don't want to reconsider you 40 point prediction???? Hope they're peaking right now like you keep saying they are!
Neil from Warrandyte
Roar Rookie
You can’t really control what others think of the season and how the eventual premiers will be remembered. No doubt, the season will be remembered for so many unique reasons. At the season’s conclusion, there’ll be just one premier who has, each week, had to put 22 men on the field, to compete against the opposition’s 22 men. Like any season, teams will lose or gain advantages due to particular circumstances that have been well argued on this site. Back in March, I didn’t believe we’d see a conclusion to the season, so didn’t really get that excited with round 1. I’m getting more excited now though and believe that whoever prevails, will truly deserve claiming the title of 2020 premiers. I’m sure most people on this site will believe the legitimacy of the season if their team salutes on grand final day, and also, at the same time, deride the premiers if they’re not their club. That probably won’t change.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
burning question is who can stop future hall of famer mason cox now that best defender that ever lived retired after getting his colors lowered on that dark day that will live in the memory of all tiger fans for years and years to come