Paul Gough's preseason review

[Dean3]

Here's afl.com.au's Paul Gough on our preseason build-up:

RICHMOND: Would rival Port as the club with the worst build-up to the season. Not only looked ordinary in crashing out to Melbourne at the first hurdle in the Wizard Cup but then copped practice match hidings off both Sydney and Fremantle. And to cap it off, the Tigers number one ruckman Brad Ottens was diagnosed with a back injury that will keep him out of the first half of the season while boom recruit Justin Blumfield has had an interrupted start to the season with osteitis pubis.

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I think Goughy is being a bit harsh on his beloved club. I think you've gotta look at more than just wins and losses in the preseason games to fairly judge a build-up. There were some real positives to come put of both losses to Freo and Sydney. I'm hoping that our coaching staff have got this one just about right. I feel pretty good about round 1.

 

[froars]

The world is full of doom and gloom merchants. Pre-season form means nothing - 28th March is when we should start judging how we've come along over summer. Can't forget 1993 - great pre-season, crap year.

 

[mightytiges]

Pre-season form means nothing - 28th March is when we should start judging how we've come along over summer.

Exactly froars. Every club is at a different stage of preparation. It'll take the first say 5 games to see where everyone is at.

All this downplaying of our chances will do us good. No one at the club will have an inflated sense of where we are at.

 

[gustiger12]

Couldn't agree more. A humble approach is much more comforting than one of huge expectations.

You only have to remember back to last year for a stark reminder of how relevant the pre-season can be to the real thing. I wouldn't have thought Essendon had the greatest pre-season either, but who expects them to be easy beats come season proper...

Bring it on and lets see where we're really at....only time will tell

If we haven't improved over the off season then something is seriously wrong at Tigerland, but I am not writing us off yet.

 

[MC24]

I agree with what you all say. The home and away season is when it counts.

Gus, I have to say, that goal is still one of my favourite goals, if not my favourite. I still have that game on tape and bring it out occasionally, just to see that goal.

Bruce McAvaney's call of it makes it that much better. Some commentators can make a passage of play live on, long after the moment has gone.

 

[Rampaging_Richo]

Paul Gough is one of the maddest tiger fans out there, and when he predicts doom and gloom, I start to get worried.

 

[Fireman_Sam]

Posted by: Rampaging Richo Posted on: Today at 11:41am
Paul Gough is one of the maddest tiger fans out there, and when he predicts doom and gloom, I start to get worried.


He's not really. He was a rabid Fitzroy fan before they sold out and Richmond was his second team. Nice bloke though, very funny man, very Jewish.

 

[froars]

I have a friend - I'll call him Mr G for Mr Gloom - and every year i ask him how we'll go - always he shakes his head and says, i dunno Froars, don't think this year. A very depressing man 'cos every time he says it we have a bad year.

Was almost afraid to ask him this year, but surprise surprise, he was full of optimism - so i'm predicting a good year, not based on any knowledge of how our list will go - but if Mr G says we're gonna have a good year, we is.

Good to him would be making the 8 lol - well, that's a start.

 

[Fireman_Sam]

Posted by: froars Posted on: Today at 12:38pm
I have a friend - I'll call him Mr G for Mr Gloom -


I'll call him Mr P for Puxatawany Phil

 

[gustiger12]

"Gus, I have to say, that goal is still one of my favourite goals, if not my favourite.  I still have that game on tape and bring it out occasionally, just to see that goal. "



Agreed MC24.  Just had a look at the tape the other day for a bit of inspiration.  Bruce's call of that passage of play makes the hair on the back of your next stand up.

Stewie....well one lost to Tigerland

 

[gustiger12]

Goughy was a diehard Fitzroy supporter, but a mate of mine who knows him well reckons he is now fully behind the Tiger cause and a mad supporter of the Yellow and Black.

Must have been a hard day for him watching the Tigers absolutely belt the poor old RoyBoys in their last game in Melbourne.

 

[TigerFury]

...

Can't forget 1993 - great pre-season, crap year.  

Can't forget 2002 either!!! great pre-season, crap year!!! :-[

 

[Leeds_Tiger]

Pre-season form isn't usually a reliable guide but I just don't have "THAT" feeling this year.

If Essendon had a poor pre-season, you'd write that off as of little consequence. When Richmond have a poor pre-season, it could be a portent of things to come.

 

[gustiger12]

Well we've had good pre-seasons before and that hasn't helped us at all

I hope the opposite is true this year