Welcome to the Tigers Jacob Hopper | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Welcome to the Tigers Jacob Hopper

Ricemagic

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Feb 8, 2021
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Of the two who do you think has the better disposal?
Neither have looked great to me especially in regard to the use of both feet.
I suppose few do!
I think Taranto maybe but it's really close but they are no different than 95% of midfielders, they are all on the inside playing contested footy.

If you want to win the ball the contested beasts have to get the ball in a pack with hands, arms and legs trying to block a kick or a handball down the field. That's why someone like a Cotchin has such a low kicking efficiency rating, but he's there to keep the ball moving and someone further up the field has room to make a play with some room. Or it gets locked in further down the field and Cotchin will repeat the play again and again.

They are the creative guys who win you games by taking chances. I'm pretty sure they all get given the licence to try and make a play.

This year these guys Kicking Efficiency - T Adams 41%, Hopper 49%, Cotchin 50%, Fyfe 51%, Oliver 52%, Crisp 53%, Danger 53%, Prestia 55%, Rowell 55, N Anderson 56%, Petracca 56%, Taranto 61%. That's a pretty good list but it's near the bottom of Kicking Efficiency figures.

RCD was at 43% this year, about 10 other chumps below him (Paddy Dow one of them 41% )?

Do you believe we should have kept persisting with him to come good or go with Hopper/Taranto combo? :unsure:
 
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Redford

Tiger Legend
Dec 18, 2002
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At about the 20.30 minute mark Blair mentions the difference between the 2 that I was talking about earlier.

Blair talks about them playing in the centre a bit more with us as well.

Exciting.

 
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Ricemagic

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Feb 8, 2021
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We just went into another premiership window for the next 5 years and hardly got out of the last one. Look at everyone else winning flags, it takes a lot longer to get back to that well once you've been there.

Cats from 2011 took until 2022, Hawks last one 2015 and who knows when it comes around for them again, the Eagles look the same since there's in 2018, they've had a pretty big slide.

We have managed to recruit two All-Australian squad members into a still pretty strong midfield and given Cotchin and Jack the opportunity to walk away at the end of 2023 as four-time premiership players. That would be fantastic for them both and the legacy they would have in the game. Trent would be at four with Hodge and Selwood, sick!!

Honestly if we'd kept the guys we delisted and kept the draft picks for some more kids in this year's draft when or will they come good? I don't think that Dusty, Cotchin, Jack, Grimes and a couple of others would have another shot at a premiership without the Taranto and Hopper trades.
 
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momentai

Tiger Legend
Jul 24, 2004
6,218
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Melb
I think Taranto maybe but it's really close but they are no different than 95% of midfielders, they are all on the inside playing contested footy.

If you want to win the ball the contested beasts have to get the ball in a pack with hands, arms and legs trying to block a kick or a handball down the field. That's why someone like a Cotchin has such a low kicking efficiency rating, but he's there to keep the ball moving and someone further up the field has room to make a play with some room. Or it gets locked in further down the field and Cotchin will repeat the play again and again.

They are the creative guys who win you games by taking chances. I'm pretty sure they all get given the licence to try and make a play.

This year these guys Kicking Efficiency - T Adams 41%, Hopper 49%, Cotchin 50%, Fyfe 51%, Oliver 52%, Crisp 53%, Danger 53%, Prestia 55%, Rowell 55, N Anderson 56%, Petracca 56%, Taranto 61%. That's a pretty good list but it's near the bottom of Kicking Efficiency figures.

RCD was at 43% this year, about 10 other chumps below him (Paddy Dow one of them 41% )?

Do you believe we should have kept persisting with him to come good or go with Hopper/Taranto combo? :unsure:
Thanks for your mid fielder comments.
As for RCD that wasn’t the choice we had. There was plenty of room for all three.
 
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Bourke'sFifthSymphony

Tiger Matchwinner
Dec 15, 2021
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RFC - Back to Back Dynasties
Remember Jack Riewoldt took a pay cut to accommodate T-Launch.
Trent is on far lower pay than he warrants too.
Our champions sacrifice their salaries to accommodate the two star midfielders.
I admire the attitude of our club administration too, humble and low-key, not gloating about the latest trading coups.
We will be in range of a couple of flags over the next five years.
Would be amazing to see Nick Vee win five.
He is only 28, should play at least another five years.
 
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The Big Richo

Tiger Champion
Aug 19, 2010
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We just went into another premiership window for the next 5 years and hardly got out of the last one. Look at everyone else winning flags, it takes a lot longer to get back to that well once you've been there.

Cats from 2011 took until 2022, Hawks last one 2015 and who knows when it comes around for them again, the Eagles look the same since there's in 2018, they've had a pretty big slide.

We have managed to recruit two All-Australian squad members into a still pretty strong midfield and given Cotchin and Jack the opportunity to walk away at the end of 2023 as four-time premiership players. That would be fantastic for them both and the legacy they would have in the game. Trent would be at four with Hodge and Selwood, sick!!

Honestly if we'd kept the guys we delisted and kept the draft picks for some more kids in this year's draft when or will they come good? I don't think that Dusty, Cotchin, Jack, Grimes and a couple of others would have another shot at a premiership without the Taranto and Hopper trades.

Time will tell RM, Hawthorn would have been posting the same when they added Mitchell, O'Meara and Vickery, Geelong with Dangerfield and Ablett and West Coast with Tim Kelly.

Reality is you have to maintain quality all over the ground. We've had generational talent at both ends of the ground as well as through the middle in our premierships.

Now our list has two AFL quality key forwards, one is about to turn 34 and the other is an old 30. Our proven elite KPD stocks are Tarrant at 34 and Grimes at 31 coming off a serious hamstring injury.

We've bolstered our midfield but we are going to have to hope the young talent on our list is good enough to become top line at each end or we aren't going to challenge past a year or two, and that's going to need a kiss from the injury gods.
 
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tigerdell

Hope springs infernal
Mar 29, 2014
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Time will tell RM, Hawthorn would have been posting the same when they added Mitchell, O'Meara and Vickery, Geelong with Dangerfield and Ablett and West Coast with Tim Kelly.

Reality is you have to maintain quality all over the ground. We've had generational talent at both ends of the ground as well as through the middle in our premierships.

Now our list has two AFL quality key forwards, one is about to turn 34 and the other is an old 30. Our proven elite KPD stocks are Tarrant at 34 and Grimes at 31 coming off a serious hamstring injury.

We've bolstered our midfield but we are going to have to hope the young talent on our list is good enough to become top line at each end or we aren't going to challenge past a year or two, and that's going to need a kiss from the injury gods.
I'd add Balta as a proven elite KPD stock (assuming he is played there)
Rioli as proven elite HBF stock (as important as talls)

There is a lot of hope here, especially with TT and JH allowing Dusty and Shai to be dangerous forwards.
But where there is hope there are richmond supporters!
 
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Coburgtiger

Tiger Champion
May 7, 2012
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I'd add Balta as a proven elite KPD stock (assuming he is played there)
Rioli as proven elite HBF stock (as important as talls)

There is a lot of hope here, especially with TT and JH allowing Dusty and Shai to be dangerous forwards.
But where there is hope there are richmond supporters!
Balta has not quite proven himself yet.

He was particularly poor at the end of this year after having been thrown around all season.

He was losing his opponent constantly. He needs to switch on and maintain focus of he wants to be considered elite.
 
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The Big Richo

Tiger Champion
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I'd add Balta as a proven elite KPD stock (assuming he is played there)

I've only got Balta in the potential basket so far, great year in 2020 but didn't make the top 20 of the best and fairest this year or last.

I know there's some injury and flipping him forward impacting that but I think he is still to show he can be a dominant key defender on an AFL scale.
 
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Jonesracing82

Tiger Champion
Sep 30, 2011
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Time will tell RM, Hawthorn would have been posting the same when they added Mitchell, O'Meara and Vickery, Geelong with Dangerfield and Ablett and West Coast with Tim Kelly.

Reality is you have to maintain quality all over the ground. We've had generational talent at both ends of the ground as well as through the middle in our premierships.

Now our list has two AFL quality key forwards, one is about to turn 34 and the other is an old 30. Our proven elite KPD stocks are Tarrant at 34 and Grimes at 31 coming off a serious hamstring injury.

We've bolstered our midfield but we are going to have to hope the young talent on our list is good enough to become top line at each end or we aren't going to challenge past a year or two, and that's going to need a kiss from the injury gods.
There is a huge difference between us & the 3 sides u mention. While at the top we always heavily invested in the Draft whereas they always traded out of it (until this yr). It's now up to those kids to take the steps req'd as IMO they will decide how successful we are over the coming yrs. Even from next yr, we discovered 6 players this yr, next yr we need another 2-3 to step up, hopefully talls at both ends are part of that.
 
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Tenacious

Tiger Legend
May 19, 2008
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Balta has not quite proven himself yet.

He was particularly poor at the end of this year after having been thrown around all season.

He was losing his opponent constantly. He needs to switch on and maintain focus of he wants to be considered elite.

Not sure what he wants but he needs to play the full season in the backline
 
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MB78

I can have my cake and eat it too
Sep 8, 2009
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I've only got Balta in the potential basket so far, great year in 2020 but didn't make the top 20 of the best and fairest this year or last.

I know there's some injury and flipping him forward impacting that but I think he is still to show he can be a dominant key defender on an AFL scale.
I think he is too big and needs to drop a few kg’s. The games I watched live he trailed his opponent badly on a lead.

If I was an opponent of his I would be doing leads all day long to kick my goals on him.
 
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Ricemagic

Tiger Superstar
Feb 8, 2021
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Time will tell RM, Hawthorn would have been posting the same when they added Mitchell, O'Meara and Vickery, Geelong with Dangerfield and Ablett and West Coast with Tim Kelly.

Reality is you have to maintain quality all over the ground. We've had generational talent at both ends of the ground as well as through the middle in our premierships.

Now our list has two AFL quality key forwards, one is about to turn 34 and the other is an old 30. Our proven elite KPD stocks are Tarrant at 34 and Grimes at 31 coming off a serious hamstring injury.

We've bolstered our midfield but we are going to have to hope the young talent on our list is good enough to become top line at each end or we aren't going to challenge past a year or two, and that's going to need a kiss from the injury gods.
The Hawthorn thing that no one mentions are the outgoings affected them way more than the incomings did. Immediately after the 2015 flag they lost -

2015
Matt Suckling - traded to Dogs - 102 games, 512 goals, 2 premierships.
Brian Lake - retired - 251 games, 3 premierships, 1 Norm Smith, 2 All-Australians and 1 B&F.
David Hale - retired - 237 games, 217 goals, 3 premierships and 1 club leading goalkicker.
2016
Bradley Hill - traded - 95 games, 58 goals, 3 premierships.
Sam Mitchell - traded - 307 games, 67 goals, 4 premierships, a premiership captain, 1 Brownlow, 3 All-Australians, 5 B&F's, AFL Rising Star winner
Jordan Lewis - traded - 264 games, 145 goals, 4 premierships, 1 All-Australian, 1 B&F
2017
Luke Hodge - traded - 305 games, 193 goals, 4 premierships, 3 time premiership captain, 2 Norm Smith's, 3 All-Australians, 2 B&F's
Josh Gibson - retired - 225 games, 3 All-Australians, 2 B&F's.

Since we won our last flag we have lost -
2022
Bacher Houli - retired - 232 games, 3 premierships, 1 All-Australian.
David Astbury - retired - 155 games, 3 premierships.
2023
Shane Edwards - retired - 303 games, 189 goals, 3 premierships, 1 All-Australian.
Josh Caddy - retired - 174 games, 164 goals, 2 premierships.
Kane Lambert - retired - 135 games, 78 goals, 3 premierships.

They immediately lost Norm Smith winners, B&F winners, All-Australians, and then as we can see the past 12 months as evidence, they lost their soul when they traded out Club Greats straight after winning flags, we didn't. They were no way winning or having a chance to win flags minus Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Lake and Gibson in particular.

All our 300 gamers Cotch, Riewoldt and Edwards (Martin, Grimes one day soon) all get to retire as one club greats which Hodge, Lewis (sorry just 264 ) and Mitchell should have been given as well.

How were Hawks kids going to learn from Wingard, Impey, O'Meara and Tom Mitchell all two club players and no Hawks soul?

Our kids drafted the last 3-4 years and notably the five boys we drafted last year get to learn from and train with Cotch, Jack, Edwards, Martin and Grimes. I'd take that any day of the week man :eyes
 
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momentai

Tiger Legend
Jul 24, 2004
6,218
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Melb
There is a huge difference between us & the 3 sides u mention. While at the top we always heavily invested in the Draft whereas they always traded out of it (until this yr). It's now up to those kids to take the steps req'd as IMO they will decide how successful we are over the coming yrs. Even from next yr, we discovered 6 players this yr, next yr we need another 2-3 to step up, hopefully talls at both ends are part of that.

This season we discovered Cumberland, Sonsie, MRJ, and rediscovered Rioli D.
There was also major progress
from Miller, Ralphsmith and Ross and some early indications from an undersized Clarke, Gibcus and Ryan, in the latter’s case at VFL level only.
Bauer, Banks and Brown also showed a bit in the VFL.

The effort made by players at the higher level got us very close this year and the greater pressure for places next, will again get us back to a top 4 finish.
From there entirely confident that we will go on and win it.

Hopper and Taranto may add a bit as well.
 
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tigersnake

Tear 'em apart
Sep 10, 2003
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11,630
The Hawthorn thing that no one mentions are the outgoings affected them way more than the incomings did. Immediately after the 2015 flag they lost -

2015
Matt Suckling - traded to Dogs - 102 games, 512 goals, 2 premierships.
Brian Lake - retired - 251 games, 3 premierships, 1 Norm Smith, 2 All-Australians and 1 B&F.
David Hale - retired - 237 games, 217 goals, 3 premierships and 1 club leading goalkicker.
2016
Bradley Hill - traded - 95 games, 58 goals, 3 premierships.
Sam Mitchell - traded - 307 games, 67 goals, 4 premierships, a premiership captain, 1 Brownlow, 3 All-Australians, 5 B&F's, AFL Rising Star winner
Jordan Lewis - traded - 264 games, 145 goals, 4 premierships, 1 All-Australian, 1 B&F
2017
Luke Hodge - traded - 305 games, 193 goals, 4 premierships, 3 time premiership captain, 2 Norm Smith's, 3 All-Australians, 2 B&F's
Josh Gibson - retired - 225 games, 3 All-Australians, 2 B&F's.

Since we won our last flag we have lost -
2022
Bacher Houli - retired - 232 games, 3 premierships, 1 All-Australian.
David Astbury - retired - 155 games, 3 premierships.
2023
Shane Edwards - retired - 303 games, 189 goals, 3 premierships, 1 All-Australian.
Josh Caddy - retired - 174 games, 164 goals, 2 premierships.
Kane Lambert - retired - 135 games, 78 goals, 3 premierships.

They immediately lost Norm Smith winners, B&F winners, All-Australians, and then as we can see the past 12 months as evidence, they lost their soul when they traded out Club Greats straight after winning flags, we didn't. They were no way winning or having a chance to win flags minus Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Lake and Gibson in particular.

All our 300 gamers Cotch, Riewoldt and Edwards (Martin, Grimes one day soon) all get to retire as one club greats which Hodge, Lewis (sorry just 264 ) and Mitchell should have been given as well.

How were Hawks kids going to learn from Wingard, Impey, O'Meara and Tom Mitchell all two club players and no Hawks soul?

Our kids drafted the last 3-4 years and notably the five boys we drafted last year get to learn from and train with Cotch, Jack, Edwards, Martin and Grimes. I'd take that any day of the week man :eyes
I really like your post ricey, but I don't think Matt Suckling kicked 512 goals. :))
 
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Ricemagic

Tiger Superstar
Feb 8, 2021
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I really like your post ricey, but I don't think Matt Suckling kicked 512 goals. :))
His junior career as well, goals in the backyard, beach footy!! Dur man :sneaky:

2015
Matt Suckling - traded to Dogs - 102 games, 51 goals, 2 premierships. Thanks tigersnake :D
 
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