Going back to "my gameplan", of needing middlefielders to run hard and carry the ball into the 50 and into goal scoring positions it was interesting watching the replay again last night that I noticed Gary Lyon say exactly the same thing.
For all you out there who taped the game, go to the third quarter when Hilton kicked that great goal where he span out of a tackle and snapped a 35m goal. After the goal Gary Lyon said " The tigers need a spark, they just need to get a bit more run through the middle, try and penetrate the 50m arc".
I really beleive this is where we fall down. Watching the game it was interesting to see that we probably scored 1 or 2 goals through hard running penetration from the middle into the 50m area - Tivendales goal in the last quarter was really the only one that I can remember.
The bulldogs, on the other hand, even though they lost, scored about 4-5 goals I can vividly remember in that fashion.
Yes I know many of you will say, yeh but the bulldogs lost, but my opinion on this is that they lost because our intensity was higher than there's in the 2nd half and that they didn't man up. I'm not trying to take credit away from us.
But what happens when the oppositions intensity matches ours, or even exceeds ours (like in a finals game). What usually happens? We more times than not crumble under this pressure and lose. Why? IMO this is because of our one dimensional and predictable attacking play.
Picture this. In the dying seconds on sunday Johnson took a mark about 60m out, stopped and delivered a beautiful pass to Hall who converted. This is great play, don't get me wrong. But what would have happened if the bulldogs ran harder and flooded and manned up all our forwards. Johnson, or any other tiger would (more times than not) have kicked long to a contest.
This is where I get upset with richmond and our game plan. We all to often don't have an alternative to this type of attacking play.
An alternative to this would be for midfielders to stream from behind the play, being prepared to leave their man and run hard to receive a hanball and penetrate the 50 into a goal scoring position. Similar to a rugby attacking play where players are running hard to receive the ball and have their momentum carry them forward.
All too often I see brisbane and adelaide do this and I ask why doesn't richmond.
The flood has been talked about in the past and teams have wondered how to beat it. I believe brisbane is so successful because this is how they have beaten the flood, to an extent.
Many people reading this thread may not agree with what I have written but I firmly believe that this is what is lacking in our game plan. Gary Lyon can't be that off the mark.