Season opener

[ceehook2]

Carlton would go into the game as under dogs with or without Walsh so i dont think a to big a change in mindset
it is however 1st game of the season and 1st game with a new coach expect them to come out and have a crack

Dimma has said "you cant have them fully screwed down , its a long season" in reference to early rounds , and back in the Tommy Hafey days he would have them peaking in the back half of the season so hardly a new concept

Voss wont see himself as contending for a flag , but he has to win over the Carlton board , players and supporters , and do it quickly and will want to restablish himself as a 1st grade coach in the eyes of the broader AFL community
I could see him having the Blues more ready for round 1 than us

we will have to rely on attitude and class for the 1st game , i'm not nervous

 

[turk-d-tiger]

Richmond have enough players that are experienced and wont be overawed by the stage and also have enough players with a point to prove after a disastrous 2021.

Rioli - New position and out of contract
Short - Payday year
Tarrant - New club
Trent / Jack / Shedda - Could be last year and want to make every game count
Lynch - Needs to prove why he is being paid the $$$ and has the character to step up to become best foward in the game
Stack - Make or Break
Nank / Grimes - Captaincy need i say more
Dusty - Will be wanting to show the AFL world he is still the best after 2021
Vlastuin, Broad , Pickett , Lambert they always do whats needed

2022 - Means something to Richmond and will want to get off to a flyer

 

[ceehook2]

Richmond have enough players that are experienced and wont be overawed by the stage and also have enough players with a point to prove after a disastrous 2021.

Rioli - New position and out of contract
Short - Payday year
Tarrant - New club
Trent / Jack / Shedda - Could be last year and want to make every game count
Lynch - Needs to prove why he is being paid the $$$ and has the character to step up to become best foward in the game
Stack - Make or Break
Nank / Grimes - Captaincy need i say more
Dusty - Will be wanting to show the AFL world he is still the best after 2021
Vlastuin, Broad , Pickett , Lambert they always do whats needed

2022 - Means something to Richmond and will want to get off to a flyer

add to that
Ross , RCD & Dow wanting to break into the top team and believing they are close

Sampson , Parker , Hugo and Miller will be hoping they are close

Cumberland could be a smoky

Caddy could drop out of the wilderness during the preseason games to be a chance

and Aarts & George might be feeling an uncomfortable breeze

that list have real reason to crack in during the preseason and early rounds and not be worried about what opposition we play
and our coaches and players seem pretty good at keep spirits up for players outside the top 22

all good at Punt Rd I'd say

 

[Ian4]

Richmond have enough players that are experienced and wont be overawed by the stage and also have enough players with a point to prove after a disastrous 2021.

Rioli - New position and out of contract
Short - Payday year
Tarrant - New club
Trent / Jack / Shedda - Could be last year and want to make every game count
Lynch - Needs to prove why he is being paid the $$$ and has the character to step up to become best foward in the game
Stack - Make or Break
Nank / Grimes - Captaincy need i say more
Dusty - Will be wanting to show the AFL world he is still the best after 2021
Vlastuin, Broad , Pickett , Lambert they always do whats needed

2022 - Means something to Richmond and will want to get off to a flyer

Our draw is tricky early as well.

Carlton won’t be a walkover. Nor will GWS (at least no Greene). St Kilda away is no certainty, bulldogs at home is no certainty, Adelaide away is probably a win, Melbourne will be difficult and West Coast away will be difficult.

 

[ceehook2]

Our draw is tricky early as well.

Carlton won’t be a walkover. Nor will GWS (at least no Greene). St Kilda away is no certainty, bulldogs at home is no certainty, Adelaide away is probably a win, Melbourne will be difficult and West Coast away will be difficult.

we wouldn't want it to be easy

 

[Ian4]

we wouldn't want it to be easy

I do. While 2019 and 2020 was a deliberate and meticulous slow build up, I reckon this backfired in 2021. When it came time to apply the blowtorch after the mid-season bye, we had run out of gas (and soldiers).

If we are to win the flag this year, the season needs to look a lot more like 2017 than 2019/2020. If we turn the halfway point at 6-5, I don’t think we have the energy or the depth to pull off a 9-2 run home and make top 4.

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

I do. While 2019 and 2020 was a deliberate and meticulous slow build up, I reckon this backfired in 2021. When it came time to apply the blowtorch after the mid-season bye, we had run out of gas (and soldiers).

If we are to win the flag this year, the season needs to look a lot more like 2017 than 2019/2020. If we turn the halfway point at 6-5, I don’t think we have the energy or the depth to pull off a 9-2 run home and make top 4.

2017 is 5 years ago now. Ancient history.
I'm totally agree, what we achieved in 2017 was when Griffens and Vickery weren't part of our side. Hardwick's hands were tied and he was forced to play Jack with 3 (Rioli Bulter and Castagna) smurfs surrounding him, with Caddy and Townsend playing cameos rolls.
It worked that day against WC @ the G, and it took the opposition by surprise and Hardwick kept it going.
He needs to reinvent again, what happened in 2017 happened by accident, now Hardwick's biggest challenge is with great old players surrounded by a truck of load of kids. Does he have the balls to move players out??
We will seee.

 

[Brodders17]

I do. While 2019 and 2020 was a deliberate and meticulous slow build up, I reckon this backfired in 2021. When it came time to apply the blowtorch after the mid-season bye, we had run out of gas (and soldiers).

If we are to win the flag this year, the season needs to look a lot more like 2017 than 2019/2020. If we turn the halfway point at 6-5, I don’t think we have the energy or the depth to pull off a 9-2 run home and make top 4.

we were 5-4, then 7-5 in 2017. we went 8-2 to end the season.
you perhaps want our season to look more like 2018 when we started 9-2 (and finished 9-2)?

 

[Ian4]

we were 5-4, then 7-5 in 2017. we went 8-2 to end the season.
you perhaps want our season to look more like 2018 when we started 9-2 (and finished 9-2)?

we did start 5-0 though, which gave us a buffer somewhat.

 

[RoarEmotion]

we did start 5-0 though, which gave us a buffer somewhat.

Yep and we were a ridiculous rule of the week against WB, a touched? Shai Bolton snap and another David Mundy special from being in a super strong position. Cookie crumbled the other way for us in second half of season - after those three close losses I think I had given up all hope / probably lowest had ever been that we were just going to Richmondy ourselves forever. Who would have think what was next.

 

[Ian4]

Yep and we were a ridiculous rule of the week against WB, a touched? Shai Bolton snap and another David Mundy special from being in a super strong position. Cookie crumbled the other way for us in second half of season - after those three close losses I think I had given up all hope / probably lowest had ever been that we were just going to Richmondy ourselves forever. Who would have think what was next.

The Sydney game too. i think we were 5 or 6 goals up. and we then went on the 16 game winning streak at the G