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IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
Instead of the usual comments on the current players and reasons why we lost the last game, etc., etc., I thought an appraisal of the season might be a change of pace.
Prior to the season start there was an air of optimism both at Tigerland and amongst the supporters. After all, we had Deledio coming off the Rising Star Award, Tuck expected to continue his '05 stellar season, Tambling expected to show his wares, and so on... you get the picture I'm sure.
Geelong, West Coast, St. Kilda, Bulldogs and Adelaide all expected to be shoe-ins for the final eight. Improvement was expected from Brisbane, Essendon and possibly Melbourne. Some scribes even had the Tigers as a chance to make the finals for the first time in many years. Not all, but some. We had trained well, were told our players were all fit as fiddles, and Richo was jumping out of his skin. Some exciting youngsters had been drafted along with Patrick Bowden who was to bolster our forward setup. Everything looked rosy.
Then along came the fixture from hell!! Who did we cop for the first four games?? That's right, the Bullies right off, then the Saints, Eagles on their home turf, followed by Brisbane at home. Not good. Does not matter that we have to play those teams, but the order of play was and is horrific.
So how have we fared. Absolutely thumped by the Bulldogs, which I'm sure, was a body blow to the self esteem and confidence of the team as a whole. One only had to see their faces leaving the ground to see that. We, as supporters, and the club as a whole wore that loss and deemed the game against the Saints to be a give all, take no prisoners affair. And that's what it was. A fierce, body crunching game with all the Tigers giving their all, and almost won the game. Big cost though with *smile* and Thursfield badly injured, the latter for the season. Being cheered off the ground bu the Richmond faithful did not sit right with the players, as they said afterwards, we did not deserve that as we did not win after being in a winning situation at the 12 minute mark of the last quarter. Fair enough I suppose, but the supporters only wanted to show their appreciation of the big effort made by them all.
Now to Saturday night at Subiaco. Up until the last 10 minutes or so of the second quarter we were in front, until the Eagles got their act together and started to play good skilful footy. When that happened the writing was on the wall. Why did it happen?? My take is that we are a very tired side, both mentally and physically. We took a mental beating in game one, took a physical one in game two. On top of that we had the arduous trip to the West, with all the pundits writing us off as no hope, and most even pencilling us in for the wooden spoon. Not exactly the type of preparation for a big game. We looked tired and played like it. A sportsperson lacking self confidence and physically tired is going to make mistakes, and we made many mistakes. That's not to say we don't have some players lacking in skill. We do, but all teams have some players that fit that mould. When confidence is down, so is the skill level.
Now what do we face?? Yet another interstate trip, this time to sunny downtown Brisvegas. Awaiting us will be a pumped up ruthless Lions outfit, licking their collective lips, after a humiliating loss this weekend. Again, they are a tough uncompromising, hard hitting side, who tackle hard, and generally have good foot skills.
After all of this, we return for our first game at our home, the G, against Carlton, who have shown remarkable improvement this year. After such a gruelling start to our year this will not be a walk in the park, and could easily drop this one as well. Our record against the Blues is not all that flash. Then Essendon, who will also be a hard one to match up against. How long is it since we defeated the Dons?? If we weren't tired before, then surely the bones will be aching after this little lot.
Finally, we next front up to Sydney at the Dome, and here is our real first chance to notch up a win. If we can't beat them, in Melbourne, then the pundits are probably right and the spoon could be ours.
The AFL stands condemned in my book, for such a lousy draw. It was obvious before the season started that the Bulldogs, Eagles and Saints were real final contenders and to slot us against them first up was a disgrace, despite TW's generous denial of any problems in this regard.
I have no doubt, some will disagree with my assessment of the season to date and to what may or not may happen, but I have tried to be objective and not to let my heart override my head. Of course, many things happen in football, and we may roll the Lions on the weekend, come back and thrash the Blues and the Bombers. I hope so, but reason says otherwise.
Like Andy, I don't go for the jugular on particular players, after all, the coach and selection committee pick the team as the best available at any given time.
So, there you go, my appraisal of the season to date and into the near future.
Prior to the season start there was an air of optimism both at Tigerland and amongst the supporters. After all, we had Deledio coming off the Rising Star Award, Tuck expected to continue his '05 stellar season, Tambling expected to show his wares, and so on... you get the picture I'm sure.
Geelong, West Coast, St. Kilda, Bulldogs and Adelaide all expected to be shoe-ins for the final eight. Improvement was expected from Brisbane, Essendon and possibly Melbourne. Some scribes even had the Tigers as a chance to make the finals for the first time in many years. Not all, but some. We had trained well, were told our players were all fit as fiddles, and Richo was jumping out of his skin. Some exciting youngsters had been drafted along with Patrick Bowden who was to bolster our forward setup. Everything looked rosy.
Then along came the fixture from hell!! Who did we cop for the first four games?? That's right, the Bullies right off, then the Saints, Eagles on their home turf, followed by Brisbane at home. Not good. Does not matter that we have to play those teams, but the order of play was and is horrific.
So how have we fared. Absolutely thumped by the Bulldogs, which I'm sure, was a body blow to the self esteem and confidence of the team as a whole. One only had to see their faces leaving the ground to see that. We, as supporters, and the club as a whole wore that loss and deemed the game against the Saints to be a give all, take no prisoners affair. And that's what it was. A fierce, body crunching game with all the Tigers giving their all, and almost won the game. Big cost though with *smile* and Thursfield badly injured, the latter for the season. Being cheered off the ground bu the Richmond faithful did not sit right with the players, as they said afterwards, we did not deserve that as we did not win after being in a winning situation at the 12 minute mark of the last quarter. Fair enough I suppose, but the supporters only wanted to show their appreciation of the big effort made by them all.
Now to Saturday night at Subiaco. Up until the last 10 minutes or so of the second quarter we were in front, until the Eagles got their act together and started to play good skilful footy. When that happened the writing was on the wall. Why did it happen?? My take is that we are a very tired side, both mentally and physically. We took a mental beating in game one, took a physical one in game two. On top of that we had the arduous trip to the West, with all the pundits writing us off as no hope, and most even pencilling us in for the wooden spoon. Not exactly the type of preparation for a big game. We looked tired and played like it. A sportsperson lacking self confidence and physically tired is going to make mistakes, and we made many mistakes. That's not to say we don't have some players lacking in skill. We do, but all teams have some players that fit that mould. When confidence is down, so is the skill level.
Now what do we face?? Yet another interstate trip, this time to sunny downtown Brisvegas. Awaiting us will be a pumped up ruthless Lions outfit, licking their collective lips, after a humiliating loss this weekend. Again, they are a tough uncompromising, hard hitting side, who tackle hard, and generally have good foot skills.
After all of this, we return for our first game at our home, the G, against Carlton, who have shown remarkable improvement this year. After such a gruelling start to our year this will not be a walk in the park, and could easily drop this one as well. Our record against the Blues is not all that flash. Then Essendon, who will also be a hard one to match up against. How long is it since we defeated the Dons?? If we weren't tired before, then surely the bones will be aching after this little lot.
Finally, we next front up to Sydney at the Dome, and here is our real first chance to notch up a win. If we can't beat them, in Melbourne, then the pundits are probably right and the spoon could be ours.
The AFL stands condemned in my book, for such a lousy draw. It was obvious before the season started that the Bulldogs, Eagles and Saints were real final contenders and to slot us against them first up was a disgrace, despite TW's generous denial of any problems in this regard.
I have no doubt, some will disagree with my assessment of the season to date and to what may or not may happen, but I have tried to be objective and not to let my heart override my head. Of course, many things happen in football, and we may roll the Lions on the weekend, come back and thrash the Blues and the Bombers. I hope so, but reason says otherwise.
Like Andy, I don't go for the jugular on particular players, after all, the coach and selection committee pick the team as the best available at any given time.
So, there you go, my appraisal of the season to date and into the near future.