Richo V 'Buddy'

[IanG]

Wow ! You really are ripping into Richo.

Well given that Richo's game is based mostly around finishing the work of others rather than bringing others into the game the point is a valid one even if Phanto is overstating his case a bit.

 

[pahoffm]

Phantom, you have regret at how Bowden & Richo have developed as players & leaders.

Most PRE'ers also love rolling out how poor our senior players & leaders are/were. Leysy's not quite sure its correct.

Take the past 3 premiership teams - Say we exchange Scarlett/Ablett or Cousins/Judd or Goodes/Kirk for Richo/Bowden. How much difference would it have made over the past 5 years. Maybe a little, but in most cases not a hell of a lot because they've had the depth of "topliners" that carry teams to success.

Rather than searching for any perceived flaws in our own few leaders causing our teams failures - Is it simply because we haven't recruited/developed enough "A grade footballers" to put alongside our own "A graders" in Richo/Joel to build a team towards regular finals appearances. Leysy does.

It's not just about Richardson & Bowden.

It's about every Tiger player that under-achieves. And I don't BLAME them. I just feel disappointed about it happening!

 

[Leysy Days]

Leysy doesn't believe they have underachieved though phantom. Not at all.

We simply haven't had enough good players such as them.

 

[Scoop]

I cannot believe how two Richmond greats have been savaged and scapegoated and hung out to dry over a entire era. Not boneheaded coaching, not amateur hour recruiting for the majority of the past 20 years, not a board that has been stuck in neutral but a FF/CHF who has kicked almost 800 goals and a multiple All Australian, B&F winner who has played out of position and out of his weight and height division and preformed fantastically. Some people just have to involve themselves in controversy. Very disappointing.

 

[Broadsword95]

This was a pretty decent thread before it got hijacked. Whatever experience Phantom has had with Richo aside, his comments on his football ability do not in any way reflect on his character as an inidividual, and I'm quite certain that Phantom understands that. With regards to Richo's ability, it is of course remarkable. He is a top top player, no doubt. But it is equally clear that he is not perfect - no player is. There are flaws in his game that are down to nature operhaps, but there are flaws there that must be down to nurture as well. He could have been greater still with some better youth development no? Some of his shortcomings - he lacks a bit in positional discipline perhaps - have to some extent had a negative impact on his teammates. This is normal; it is not in any way outrageous to claim it.

It's all about balance. Why can't we at times recognise that he has his drawbacks? Such analysis and critique has almost reignited his career, now as a wingman. And why can't we for the most part just accept these, put them to the back of our minds, then give him the support and respect that he deserves and enjoy what he serves up for us each week?

He is a champion, but he is not perfect, and nor has he achieved all he could have. While this is disappointing, it in no way makes it his own fault. Any criticism is most likely aimed at Richo the footballer, not Richo the man. What is so hard to understand about all that?

 

[hutstar]

I think it is a credit to Richo the footballer and also Richo the person that he has been able to grow for his entire career - it isn't easy to change your spots as you get older.
1 thing i have been thinking about recently is - when Richo retires it will be FAR bigger news than Hird or Buckley. Richo is an icon of the game and personifies both the character and the imperfections that make footy a great, uniquely Australian sport.