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PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
There seems to be a huge amount of anger/disappointment/resentment at Hawthorn's flag triumph.
But there is much hope to be taken from their fantastic win.
Firstly, the win shows that any team which makes the top four are a genuine chance - premierships still come down to ONE GAME and teams like Hawthorn, which refuse to be over-awed by a favourite's win/loss record and talk of "dynastys" can still snag the cup.
Secondly, the AFL's equalisation policy is having some effect. The 1980s were dominated by Carlton, Hawthorn and Essendon. The 1990s by West Coast, Essendon and North Melbourne (how the hell did Adelaide do it?). But look at the 2000s:
Brisbane went from AFL leper to powerhouse (hopefully we don't see that kind of dominance again any time soon, unless it is Richmond - in our dreams)
Port Adelaide broke through for its first
Sydney got its first in over 70 years (you could argue that AFL house was ecstatic, but that's another argument)
West Coast unfortunately got another one
Geelong broke through for its first in over 40 years
Hawthorn got its first in 17 years, despite many doubting that suburban Melbourne teams could only make up the numbers a few short years ago
All bar West Coast, which you would expect, were genuine breakthrough flag wins that didn't come along too often in the previous 20 years.
The last three also show the importance of getting the draft right: if we wondered what effect early draft picks could have on a team when West Coast won in '06 with Chris Judd, then Hawthorn have emphatically announced that bottomming out CAN deliver the talent to go all the way. With a caveat: you need to draft well and you need to sustain it over several years; and luck doesn't hurt. Geelong were lucky with father/son but they also drafted well around 2000/2001. St Kilda on the other hand, have not drafted as well as they could.
The good news for Richmond is that we are finally treating the draft seriously and - thanks to bottomming out ourselves - have some good emerging talent. We haven't drafted perfectly, but no team does. We must stay committed to the draft, and use the rookie draft to the full.
Finally, Hawthorn shows that clubs which are unified and organised can do it despite fighting in a highly competitive era against glamorous interstate clubs which are awash with money (and occasionally assisted by the AFL, such as Sydney).
Hawthorn should be a role model for us. They show it can be done. But they also show that to succeed club stability is an absolute must. Profitability is also non-negotiable - the Hawks have the cash and we will need a strong balance sheet with all bases covered in recruiting and development to get there.
If the Hawks and the Cats can do it we can too - but we must be stable and well organised to get there. The next few years will be absolutely vital...
But there is much hope to be taken from their fantastic win.
Firstly, the win shows that any team which makes the top four are a genuine chance - premierships still come down to ONE GAME and teams like Hawthorn, which refuse to be over-awed by a favourite's win/loss record and talk of "dynastys" can still snag the cup.
Secondly, the AFL's equalisation policy is having some effect. The 1980s were dominated by Carlton, Hawthorn and Essendon. The 1990s by West Coast, Essendon and North Melbourne (how the hell did Adelaide do it?). But look at the 2000s:
Brisbane went from AFL leper to powerhouse (hopefully we don't see that kind of dominance again any time soon, unless it is Richmond - in our dreams)
Port Adelaide broke through for its first
Sydney got its first in over 70 years (you could argue that AFL house was ecstatic, but that's another argument)
West Coast unfortunately got another one
Geelong broke through for its first in over 40 years
Hawthorn got its first in 17 years, despite many doubting that suburban Melbourne teams could only make up the numbers a few short years ago
All bar West Coast, which you would expect, were genuine breakthrough flag wins that didn't come along too often in the previous 20 years.
The last three also show the importance of getting the draft right: if we wondered what effect early draft picks could have on a team when West Coast won in '06 with Chris Judd, then Hawthorn have emphatically announced that bottomming out CAN deliver the talent to go all the way. With a caveat: you need to draft well and you need to sustain it over several years; and luck doesn't hurt. Geelong were lucky with father/son but they also drafted well around 2000/2001. St Kilda on the other hand, have not drafted as well as they could.
The good news for Richmond is that we are finally treating the draft seriously and - thanks to bottomming out ourselves - have some good emerging talent. We haven't drafted perfectly, but no team does. We must stay committed to the draft, and use the rookie draft to the full.
Finally, Hawthorn shows that clubs which are unified and organised can do it despite fighting in a highly competitive era against glamorous interstate clubs which are awash with money (and occasionally assisted by the AFL, such as Sydney).
Hawthorn should be a role model for us. They show it can be done. But they also show that to succeed club stability is an absolute must. Profitability is also non-negotiable - the Hawks have the cash and we will need a strong balance sheet with all bases covered in recruiting and development to get there.
If the Hawks and the Cats can do it we can too - but we must be stable and well organised to get there. The next few years will be absolutely vital...