1. Structure / Consistent Team Plan / Discipline
I don't want to see who the token player is at CHB this year (ie natural forwards spending time back there in pre-season). I want to see natural forwards in forward line, natural backs in the back line. I want to see consistent pigeon holes on the ground for players. Only way back half's become the league's best is by playing constantly together and learning to gel/bond. Let's think long and hard in pre-season, then STICK to a team structure mostly.
There needs to be a method of play, structure to moving the ball. It seems like we do a lot of "winging" it out on the field. I want to see the coach developing and sticking to a structure & style of play. I want to see players being dropped/ dragged/disciplined if they deviate from that.
2. 1%ers / Killer Instinct / Pack Mentality
Nothing wings games more and equalises a game if playing a superior side more than PRESSURE. No it doesn't have to be boring, dull flooding. Simple pressure. Tackling, bumping, shepperding, contesting high and low and second third efforts when you don't get the ball at first.
For years, no matter what coach we have had, we have been WOEFUL at tackling as a team and shepperding etc. Most of our greatest upsets we have won in the last 5 years have solely come from the occassional time we have come out with ferocious pressure on the ball.
We need to be in a mentality of having just been done over the week before by 10 goals...EVERY WEEK (as we seem to come out hard only after getting thumped). Come out angry, intent only for the ball, with no thought to ego or personal welfare.
Hunt in packs!!!!!! Other team has more experience? Higher paid superstars? Media / Business Mogul Presidents? "That team" got Judd by tanking? Fuel your aggression into your tackling and shepperding. We need a us against them mentality. Develop a withdrawal from leather poisoning. Do whatever it takes to get the ball back, even if your on your hands and knees and just got crunched. They have a bigger ruck or CHF? Learn from nature, take him down in a pack / gang tackle. Make the opposition know your men, not boys awed to be running around on the grandest stage of all showing your latest hair product.
TALK TO EACH OTHER! Hell develop codes for doing such, but we need more communication at there. Stay out of forwards corridors and talk to each other about how hot they are, determining quickly who will contest for the mark etc . If i see one more collision between Richmond players going for a mark i'll spew up!!
3. Return to a Tigers of Old mentality / culture at the club...
We are not Port Adelaide and Fremantle in their early days. We don't play basketball or netball. We are not the sydney swans nor do we have the skill to play like wallace wants us to play (I'm not sure any team does).
Return to the tapes of yesterday. You have to stay cutting edge for game plays and tactics and sport science. But for culture / psychology...go back to the Tigers of Old. Cultivate a us against them mentality. Show the players the era when we were the most feared side in the league. Show them the pride they could walk with if they could emulate the feats of Jack, Royce, Bartlett, Rioli, Sheedy, Roach etc. Ask them how they want to be remembered, how they want to look back on their reputations and careers.
Have the players run out with pride. Have a coaching structure that supports the culture in not only inserting skillful kids in the side, but kids who will grow to intimidate and stamp their physical presence on the game. Have a coaching structure that will put players on the field who will protect the kids and fly the banner when we play the monsters and intimidators. Gradually cultivating a side that will have a blend of physical presence AND skill / flair like all the great grand final sides have or fail abysmally on that final day in September.
We are a working class club with a history of some of the toughest men in the game...CONTINUE THE LEGACY! Don't turn it into the Dragonball Z football club full of kids who look better suited in front of their game boxes.
Obviously it's a gradual longterm transition, but if we could pull these three off I am sure we could shoot into the bottom eight with a bullet quickly.
