PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum

Since 1980 the Richmond Football Club has had the inept ability to take one step forward and three steps backwards every 5 or so years. Sure, other clubs bottom out and then re-build and end up being competitive and playing finals again. Some hover in the twighlight zone for longer than others. However, we seem to never quite get out of the twighlight zone before we to have to re-build again and the long-suffering supporters have to "wait" even longer for success which never seems to come. I am usually overly optimistic about the Tigers and everyone around me calls me a "Richmond Tragic" - a tag I am in some ways very proud of - but it is starting to wear thin. This season is already over at Rnd 7 - Usually we have to wait for about 15. I can't recall a year when it was this bad. Sure we have injuries to our ruck division but after last season I thought the player performance graph would go up - not backwards. So whilst there are some players on the list who won't be there in 2008 (due to turning over the list) you have to wonder about the so-called "bright lights" on the list who are performing just as bad, if not worse, than the so-called "duds". Yet when I look at our list it is not that bad - as a wise coach once said players don't lose skill they lose confidence. Our confidence and capacity to show an up-beat attitude since the loss to Geelong in the pre-season comp has not looked good. Is there something happening behind the scenes at Punt Road that is causing player unrest, and therefore affecting the performances? Or is it just another one of those years that Tiger supporters have to endure in order achieve success that never seems to come?