How will RICHMOND fare in 2006?

[CyberKev]

Some big decisions to be made by the Tigers.

Hard ones, to some extent, but they have to make them NOW.

The nonsense talk about Richo playing on until he is 40 has got to stop. He is on the slope, alas, and will not get past next season. The same can be said for Gaspar.

Not a huge amount can be done about the latter problem, other than hoping that Thursfield can come on peripherally and develop enough physically to take over.

Up forward, however, its definitely time to consign Stafford to Coburg (he should have been walked last year). I realise Stafford didn't play last night, but the result would have been the same if he had, he's gone!While Hughes was a good get for the Tigers, I'm all the more certain they should have ran with Mitchell Clark at 8. Had Hughes still have been there at 24 (which is highly probable) they could have snared both boys.

Young or not, I defy anybody to tell me it wouldn't be better running with Mitchell Clark up forward than Stafford.

At any rate, they don't have him, so its pointless to run further with such discussion.

What I would do, is move Richo permanently to FF and swing Schulz up to CHF for a prolonged run. Schulz has struggled up forward in the past, but it is possible that much of that has had to do with the Tiger's overt Richo fixation.

I'd also put Hughes in on a HFF to get him used to top flight football and swing Pattison in at CHB for a trial. His huge turning circle rules him out as a genuine CHF prospect, but this isn't as big an issue down back.

The soft option is no longer an option.

 

[wittyfan]

Richmond were dreadful last night. It's going to be a loooong winter for them.

 

[lockyno1]

Richmond were awful but teh dogs are a top 4-6 side if injuries don't occur! Tiger fans have to remember that Brown is just back from a severe injury. That said barringa miracle it will be 0-4 for the tigers!

 

[Cupid Stunt]

Top 4-6? God I hope your a Western tragic because I'll back them every week on heart alone but bugger me, even I dont believe that one! :lol:

And I think that should read any more injuries.

 

[lockyno1]

Top 4-6? God I hope your a Western tragic because I'll back them every week on heart alone but bugger me, even I dont believe that one! :lol:

And I think that should read any more injuries.

I'd suggest you have a look at last year at the Dogs! They nearly made the 8 with a young list. Those players will only improve. Friday shows they are capable of anything! Top 6 for mine.

 

[camsmith]

Very interesting result.

Kev, Richo still have a few years in him, if you were at the game you would have seen the workrate of his and the effort he put into the game. I only wish i midfield ran as hard as Richo and things could have been different.

Lazy slow and un-interested effort from the team and i hope Terry has made them sit through the replay by now. They need to be shown the crap that 40,000 people had to sit through.

Good thing about footy is, theres always next week. Come on tiges FIRE UP!

 

[meltiger]

Kev, Richo still have a few years in him, if you were at the game you would have seen the workrate of his and the effort he put into the game. I only wish i midfield ran as hard as Richo and things could have been different.

Doesn't it make you laugh the amount of bile that is shot at Richo even by people who should know better.


Richo worked his absoloute guts out on Friday night, you couldn't have asked any more from him than what he did.

Wallace moving him to the backline was the only thing that stopped Footscray scoring more than 30 goals.

 

[meltiger]

Up forward, however, its definitely time to consign Stafford to Coburg (he should have been walked last year). I realise Stafford didn't play last night, but the result would have been the same if he had, he's gone!While Hughes was a good get for the Tigers, I'm all the more certain they should have ran with Mitchell Clark at 8. Had Hughes still have been there at 24 (which is highly probable) they could have snared both boys.

Sledging Stafford now even whilst conceding he didn't play? I mean FFS


Miitchell Clarke may be a good player .... BUT if you get killed in the midfield, having quality talls isn't going to help you.


Wallace built the team that slaughtered us on Friday night, I have full faith in him and GM to rebuild the Richmond team.

 

[chileman]

Gunna be a long season if they have depend on Richo so much amigo!

 

[meltiger]

Agree 100% but to say Richo is past it, because the Richmond team got killed in the centre is unbelievable.

 

[meltiger]

We'll win next week.

 

[chileman]

Fire up young man

 

[CyberKev]

Wallace built the team that slaughtered us on Friday night, I have full faith in him and GM to rebuild the Richmond team.

LOL.

The quality veterans at the Bulldogs were there prior to Wallace, and young guns like Cooney, Griffin, Minson & Ray all came after his time there.

Maintain faith in your club by all means, but stop clutching blindly at straws by reiterating more dubious myth about Wallace. When he walked out on the Hounds and left them in the lurch he made it clear that he thought the club was a dud side going nowhere and holding him back.

As for Richo, who I've been a long term admirer of. His workrate isn't the issue, although it does show that he's now having to push harder to make up for diminishin speed and marking capacity. He is definitely on the slope, and smarter Richmond fans realise this. Silly talk about him playing on until his 40 serves no other purpose other than holding back development of the side. They need to revise their forward structure and show a greater willingness to target players other than Richo.

As for Stafford. My point was that he would have played if fit, but he's well and truly shot. He was struggling last season, but by keeping him around, and playing him when fit, the Tiger s are merely impeding development of their forward structure, which needs much work in the here and now to be right fopr the medium to longterm future.

Improving the midfield is one thing (and Richmond have already put numerous picks into doing so over the past two years), but it won't matter in tough moments and against strong sides, if you don't have a forward structure capable of exploiting it.

Mitchell Clarke was the best option available to Richmond at 8.

 

[meltiger]

He is definitely on the slope, and smarter Richmond fans realise this.

You mean rodents like Claw? Should be banned from being Richmond members.

Silly talk about him playing on until his 40

I've never said any such thing. lol

Mitchell Clarke was the best option available to Richmond at 8.

Clearly the club thought otherwise and I tend to agree. Lethal may get the best out of him but Richmond wouldn't have. There were qustions on his attitude.

It was made clear post draft that if 2 of the talls that went before #8 were available we would have drafted them (Dowler and Kennedy) - Clarke wasn't passed over purely for the fact he wasn't a midfielder.


I still think you are a bit harsh on Staff though. Although I have my suspicions as to why a Hawthorn person would be quick to lay the boot into him...

 

[CyberKev]

You mean rodents like Claw? Should be banned from being Richmond members.

It beats being a "yes" man, even if he can be a bit full-on with it.

At any rate, there are more centered Tiger tragics than Claw harshly assessing things.

Clearly the club thought otherwise and I tend to agree. Lethal may get the best out of him but Richmond wouldn't have. There were questions on his attitude.

It was made clear post draft that if 2 of the talls that went before #8 were available we would have drafted them (Dowler and Kennedy) - Clarke wasn't passed over purely for the fact he wasn't a midfielder.

There's the problem. How you could rate Kennedy & Dowler as being implicitly better prospects than Clarke. I'm surprised, given how Miller was waxing lyrical about Clarke earlier in the year.

As for the attitude issue... Its like Franklin all over again. Nobody has been able to clarify what Franklin's "attitude problems" were after the event, and he has drawn regular praise for his approach to training. These things tend to get a Chinese whispers type life of their own. Similarly, noone can clarify what Clarke's supposed "attitude problems" are, but all agree that he is a super prospect.

I still think you are a bit harsh on Staff though. Although I have my suspicions as to why a Hawthorn person would be quick to lay the boot into him...

I've been a fan of Stafford in the past, but he is old and slow and turns like a road train.

 

[meltiger]

It beats being a "yes" man, even if he can be a bit full-on with it.

At any rate, there are more centered Tiger tragics than Claw harshly assessing things.

It's actually not the fact that he (& a few others) is harsh as such. It's that I genuinely beleive he takes gleeful pleasure in watching the team lose & would rather be proven right about players being 'squibs' than having the players turn around, prove him wrong and be an asset to the club.

Claw epitomises everything that is the 'Eat our own' mentality within the club and everything that is wrong with it. I mean some are actually calling for Wallace to be sacked ffs

I've been a fan of Stafford in the past, but he is old and slow and turns like a road train.

Can still out mark almost anyone 1 on 1 and is the best kick in the club.


On Clarke, Miller travelled to WA to scout him, clearly he saw something he didn't like.


Sorry if I seem a bit forthright about the Tiges today mate, I've spent the weekend reading through squillions of posts of absoloute bile and dribble by Richmond fans since the debacle on Friday night.

 

[camsmith]

It beats being a "yes" man, even if he can be a bit full-on with it.

If being a yes man means giving Richo the credit he deserves and looking at the players who should really be copping the flack then so be it.

He is definitely on the slope, and smarter Richmond fans realise this

Thought you were better than that.

 

[meltiger]

LOL.

The quality veterans at the Bulldogs were there prior to Wallace, and young guns like Cooney, Griffin, Minson & Ray all came after his time there.

Maintain faith in your club by all means, but stop clutching blindly at straws by reiterating more dubious myth about Wallace. When he walked out on the Hounds and left them in the lurch he made it clear that he thought the club was a dud side going nowhere and holding him back.

I've been waiting to rip this one apart, your post was in response to me saying Wallace built the Dogs team...

Footscray 22

Daniel Giansiracusa - Drafted 99
Brad Johnson - Debuted 94
Nathan Eagleton - Traded to Dogs in 99 Draft
Jordan McMahon - Drafted 2000
Rohan Smith - Debuted 92
Daniel Cross - Drafted 2000
Scott West - Debuted 93
Adam Cooney - Drafted 2003
Ryan Hargrave - Drafted 99
Lindsay Gilbee - Drafted 99
Mitchell Hahn - Drafted 99
Ryan Griffen - Drafted 04
Robert Murphy - Drafted 99
Chris Grant - Debuted back in the stone age
Matthew Boyd - Drafted 2003
Matthew Robbins - Traded to Dogs in 97 Draft
Wayde Skipper - Drafted 2000
Will Minson - Drafted 2002
Brian Harris - Drafted 2001
Sam Power - Drafted 2001
Dale Morris - Drafted 2004
Adam Morgan - Post Wallace
---------------------------------

12 of the 22 players who destroyed us on Friday night were TW era recruits. Now are you still going to tell me that the Wallace era at the Dogs did not have a significant effect on where the Bulldogs currently stand?



It is also drawing an exceptionally long bow to suggest Wallace wouldn't have drafted players such as Cooney & Griffen had he still been there given his love affair with midfielders.

Hawthorn people can say what they like. Wallace DID build this Footscray team.

Once again, shoulda done your homework my friend before attacking my statements...

 

[2 True Blues]

If today is any indication, they will fare very poorly !!!

 

[camsmith]

Today is no indication.

Just shows we are an 8th-12th team with a lot of young players, not much depth and who play crap at Telstra Dump (who should be playing home games at the MCG)

How about next time we play Sydney we play them in Penrith.