Schulz at CHB ??

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Yep goalless but kicked .4.
Richardson does that and no one bats an eyelid.

Richo has never kicked 0.4.

Schulz had an unusual off day with the boot but he created the opportunities.

Yes, surprising. Perhaps the pressure of being the go-to forward got to him?

He and Hughes worked very well up forward as the key targets that day. Our spine looks promising and we run the Weagles right to the wire...

Hughes at least took his chances when they came. 3 goals between Hughes, Schulz and Richo, compared with 9 to Lynch, Hansen and Hunter. What was the losing margin again?

A week later and we are pulverised by 157pts courtesy of Gaspar-gate.
Wallace drops the ball and Hughes in the process and then goes back to the 'Frawleyish' Richardson setup instead of having the kahunas to stick with the youngsters up front.

Hughes played the following game against Port and had one touch.

I ask you is it paying dividends?

Look further up the ground for the main reasons for our failure to kick winning scores.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Richo has never kicked 0.4.

Now you are just being cheeky L2R.
Richo is the master of having bad days with the boot where he fails to convert opportunities.

Yes, surprising. Perhaps the pressure of being the go-to forward got to him?

Would you say the same for Richardson when he has a bad day kicking?

Hughes played the following game against Port and had one touch.

After kicking two bags of three the weeks before it was an extremely tough call on a young player.

Look further up the ground for the main reasons for our failure to kick winning scores.

No doubt the poor quality of our mids contributes to plenty of problems for our forward line as well.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Very good responses ToO. Let's call it a stalemate and see what eventuates.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Very good responses ToO. Let's call it a stalemate and see what eventuates.

TBH L2R I really couldn't give a stuff if it's Schulz, Hughes, Riewoldt or whoever who takes over the mantle from Richardson but what I do know is the clock is ticking.

What I do not buy is the Richo can play until he's 37 crap that gets trotted out.
I cannot see how that benefits this rock bottom football club whatsoever.
It is just stagnating the development of young forwards who will hopefully be around for the next ten years.

we might as well take a punt whilst we are dead last or when will we?

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

What I do not buy is the Richo can play until he's 37 crap that gets trotted out.
I cannot see how that benefits this rock bottom football club whatsoever.
It is just stagnating the development of young forwards who will hopefully be around for the next ten years.

we might as well take a punt whilst we are dead last or when will we?

I'm pretty confident Richo won't put the club in a difficult situation if he loses it. Players of his age can fall away sharply and it's usually terminal, but I don't think any reasonable person would say he isn't making a worthwhile contribution. He wants to be there when the team plays finals again; don't know whether that's realistic but if that's what keeps him going, then so be it.

Perhaps the tactics need to change but I just don't buy this "stagnating the youngsters' development" stuff. You didn't respond to my inside 50 stats on the other thread - put two quality midfielders in the guts, plus a decent/fit ruckman, and all of our forwards would look better.

Laycock at Essendon strikes me as a taller version of Schulz - does some good things and kicks straight but is just a tease at present. Haven't heard anyone saying Lloyd should make way for he and Courtney Johns.

Obviously when you've had such a shocking season, all aspects need to be questioned, but I don't think the situation has anything to do with gambling. Logic says Richo stays and Schulz takes a leaf out of his book as far as endeavour goes.

 

[GoodOne]

This a case of Hughes vs Riewoldt vs Schulz.

It's Richardson(33) vs Schulz(22)/Hughes(20)/Riewoldt(18)

The facts are none of the young key forwards are functioning all that well alongside Richo.

Give them the responsibility and the breathing space and you might be surprised at the results.
What have we got to lose?

Two of them have played 15 games between them. And they aren't functioning? Please give the poor guys some decent game time experience before judging their ability to win the ball beside Richo. Schulz has had plenty of chances and has not taken them in 5 years at the club. Richo is not going away, maybe for at least another 3 years, so if Schulz can't make his own space in that vast MCG forward line then he is clearly not good enough.

Personally my biggest concern is not how soon will Richo leave, but can any of the younger guys step up into Richo's footsteps, because once Richo goes there is going to be a big gap to be filled and a sudden loss of ball-getting ability. I'm not sold on Hughes yet but he has 2 years time on Schulz. Reiwoldt I am keen on but think that he may end up as a better CHB then forward from what I've seen so far.

 

[nwonash]

Schulz at CHB ? thats about as funny as Schulz getting a senior game.

Another fine example of poor recruiting decisions.

 

[Tigers of Old]

I'm pretty confident Richo won't put the club in a difficult situation if he loses it. Players of his age can fall away sharply and it's usually terminal, but I don't think any reasonable person would say he isn't making a worthwhile contribution. He wants to be there when the team plays finals again; don't know whether that's realistic but if that's what keeps him going, then so be it.

I think Richo is on the slide despite still being a contributor.
The matchwinning efforts are now few and far between despite having returns stronger than all our other forwards(again).
It was interesting to hear some of his thoughts during the year that he was even considering this as his final year.
Who could blame him as it is clearly unlikely he'll be part of any genuine successes.

Perhaps the tactics need to change but I just don't buy this "stagnating the youngsters' development" stuff. You didn't respond to my inside 50 stats on the other thread - put two quality midfielders in the guts, plus a decent/fit ruckman, and all of our forwards would look better.

Perhaps you are right re the youngsters.
I wish we could see how Franklin would be travelling in a Richmondson forward 50 as a comparison.

I'm sorry re my lack of response re the inside 50 stats. Pretty poor for sure.

Logic says Richo stays and Schulz takes a leaf out of his book as far as endeavour goes.

Except defensively.

I have already stated my disappointment re Jay for this season.
Like many players on our list I had high hopes for him this year and he hasn't delivered.
I think his papers are stamped if another club shows interest because Wallace obviously doesn't rate him, despite the reassurances in the press last week about Jay's future.

Time will tell.

 

[GoodOne]

I think Richo is on the slide despite still being a contributor.
The matchwinning efforts are now few and far between despite having returns stronger than all our other forwards(again).

Cmon ToO. We've won 1 match this year. Of course his matchwinning efforts are few and far between. Interestingly Richo has averaged more marks per game this year than in his previous 3 years. Against Geelong 19 possessions, 10 marks and 4 goals. One could argue he is playing not that far from his best ever. His defensive pressure is certainly better in the last couple of years than ever before. He's definitely got some years ahead of him on current form.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

I think Richo is on the slide despite still being a contributor.
The matchwinning efforts are now few and far between despite having returns stronger than all our other forwards(again).
It was interesting to hear some of his thoughts during the year that he was even considering this as his final year.
Who could blame him as it is clearly unlikely he'll be part of any genuine successes.

Yes I agree that his powers are waning slightly (not alarmingly) and he's been unable to produce a matchwinning effort this year, with 4 goals his best tally. Someone put it to him in an interview that "You've still got as much pace as ever" and he refuted that comment. Even so, his athleticism alone is still a handful for most opponents, and he reiterated in a recent interview that he felt he had two years or more left in him and saw no reason why he couldn't play finals again at Richmond.

http://www.puntroadend.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=28153.msg607544#msg607544

I'm sure Franklin would be a star in any side, just not as big a star at Richmond as we have the worst supply to the forwards of any club.

Back to Sarge. Like you, I was a supporter at the end of last year and still hold out hope that he can be part of the future at Richmond. Without the full support of the coach (if true) then it's unlikely.

I'm sorry re my lack of response re the inside 50 stats. Pretty poor for sure.

That's OK, the stats weren't directed specifically at you.

 

[jb03]

I was at the Richo 250 after game presentation after the Port Power game and Richo said in his speech that he would be definitely going on for at least another 2 years and that there was no way he was going to finish his career this year after such a dismal season.

His form has been pretty good actually - had Scarlett moved off him on Saturday.