Votes and notes this week by The Lapsed Tiger
What a week it had been for Richmond leading into the glare of Friday nights lights. Apparently ‘well connected’ and ‘long-standing Richmond families’ were plotting a clandestine coup to remove selected board members. Sitting in a restaurant, making backroom political moves and treating the club and its 70,000 members as their own fiefdom.
This is not 1984, when the less-professional Tigers were tearing at themselves. That internal struggle saw us off into the wilderness for a decade or more. This is 2016, when the template for football is for it to be run like a business, with targets goals and plans, and embracing change and managing it through.
There needs to be a reduced use of emotion at the management level, and most certainly there needs to be a divorcing of outside influence to the club management. I am fed up with board challenges and coup plotters, and most certainly fed up of people who once had a stake in running that less professional club of my youth now trying to retake control of the tiller.
Also in the maelstrom, was a week where those ordinary 70,000 plus members talked of moving on coaches, players and almost anything not bolted down.
So, how good was it to be playing Collingwood as a way for the players and staff to prove a point.
That they were better than what was delivered the week before (and lets also credit GWS as being a strong finals contender this year too – don’t lose sight of their improvement).
That the systems and talent that got us three seasons of (albeit unsuccessful) finals finishes still had the internal fortitude to play well again.
That they could avenge the 1 point loss at the start of the year, that saw us lose 5 more and basically pulled the season out from under us so early.
UNLUCKY
After a wobbly start, Big Ty then began presenting and stamping authority. Its what we want him to do, and its a welcome return.
It’s getting hard to see Rance doing anything other than trademark Rance-isms. He is no doubt the best defender in the AFL, and was brilliant again this week.
There were two other first year players who also had a great game and Short and Rioli will be a platform for Richmond for 2017 and on.
Big fan of Hampson’s effort too. Maybe Grundy shaded him for most of the game, but Hammer just kept on going.
Would really like to give a vote to Jesse White and Ben Reid too. So good were the pair of them to Richmond in coughing up the ball so often.
ONE VOTE
Down the back half the pairing of Rance and ASTBURY is beginning to bear fruit. Supported by Grimes, its a very solid back end, and Astbury played well filling in holes, linking with Rance, and starting transitions.
TWO VOTES
In the last two quarters when the game was still in the balance, DUSTY began to impose himself on the game and steady the Tiger ship. And I agree with Dugald that maybe the ‘Don’t Argue’ needs to be put back in the bag of tricks for a few weeks. Reduce predictability, and go the handball or kick first.
THREE VOTES
Early on, when we were struggling, it seemed as though MARCON got involved and helped get the engines running. Seemingly in all passages of play in the first two quarters went via the boy from Williamstown. Only his second top tier game, but a top bit of work by the mature age-er.
FOUR VOTES
Another young player that did superbly was the running half back of Comrade OLEG. Good run and drive. Deep kicks that were low, hard and accurate. But most impressively was his ability to pull some of the long steps back a touch, and to dance about and get clear. Under such skill and vision, the people and p̶a̶r̶t̶y̶ team will be united!
FIVE VOTES
By my read the Chimp COTCHIN set the team up in the first half. While the Pies scored early from a few dodgy ones, it was the captain who steadied the ship, set the tone and tempo, and got us righted. Spent a great deal of the game either in and under the clinches spurting out handballs, or just laying off the pack about 5 meters to collect a handball and do the Chimp’s trademark dink of a kick about 20 metres forward to another Tiger.
Led from the front. Who can question his role and captaincy now.
The Benny
43: Martin
32: Cotchin
29: Riewoldt
28: Rance
23: Miles
16: Hampson
13: Griffiths
12: Deledio, Lloyd
11: Houli
7: Edwards, Grimes
9: Castagna
5: Lambert, Grigg, Drummond, Markov
4: Hunt
3: Townsend, Short, C. Ellis, Vlaustin, Astbury, Marcon
2: Rioli, B. Ellis
1: Menadue
Blair Hartley Appreciation Award
23: Miles
16: Hampson
11: Houli
5: Grigg
3: Townsend
Anthony Banik Best First Year Player
9: Castagna
5: Drummond, Markov
3: Short, Marcon
2: Rioli
1: Menadue
Joel Bowden's Golden Left Boot
11: Houli
5: Grigg
Greg Tivendale Rookie List Medal
9: Castagna
3: Short
This week the Tiges host the Cats on Sunday at the G. Liahm O’Brien will be doing the votes for us.
Great piece Lappy.
That tiny bit of momentum and that tiny release of pressure – how good does it feel? Looked like it meant a lot in the rooms after. I relished the appearance of a united group. And to their credit, despite 4-wallsing-it-up as they love to, they have presented a united front all season despite the disappointments.
I am soberly aware that that bellwether of club sentiment Mogs Carr has jumped off Dimma. And I am sure he is aware too, and has dug deep into his reserves of strength to battle on regardless and show her and the rest of us that he’s the man for 2017.
Would love to catch Geelong napping and nail them for the first time in 10 years.
Thanks CR.
Still think we are better than a single down year says. Positive signs, small steps.
Loved those first two paragraphs so much, I read them out loud to the cat.
Exactly.
Thanks Welton. It is the hallmark of the Gale tenure that there has not been a whisper until now. For those of us that went through the troubles of the 80’s its been a welcome approach this stability thing.
And it needs to reign supreme. And most certainly the club should never be beholden to a select few, but instead to the 70k members.
Hello Lapsed,
Well – the strength of the Club is as you put it. There were rumblings, but they lasted little more than a week. Those plotting a coup quickly fell by the wayside.
There is always a role for the critical supporter, methinks, but our criticism needs to be balanced and contextual. Our Club is in a great position – it is only on the field that we’ve been disappointing. Probably the on-field success is the hardest to achieve, so, even if we’ve been disappointing over the last 3 years, I’m still willing to cut the Club some slack.
So, we’re in the professional era and thankfully, too. But, the challenge facing the Club is how to imbue a sense of ownership and belonging with the club, while not letting anyone think they’re going to run the ship based on their 30+ years of ‘loyalty’. For some people, the RFC is their ‘local club’. The Club needs to find the balance between professional management and maintaining a sense of football ‘tradition’. Yikes.
Andy
PS: I went to the game on Friday night against Collingwood and enjoyed myself very much. I met up with a couple of interesting and well-spoken lads and we talked all sorts of educated nonsense about footy and football. Good times.
Hi Andy.
Its a difficult proposition for Gale and co. and I think its been well handled to now – the transition of making a club run as it should when handling the budgets and no of employees its controls, and keeping the inclusivity of a football ‘club’.
The latter part probably needs more work to make people feel more welcome, and the Bulldogs template is a good start. Open ground for the community, cafe and meeting space… much more open to members, mingling of fans and players. Grounding for them, too.
Its an 18 team comp now, no win is easy and finals and GF’s are harder than ever.
I wonder if Benny has been out to the Whitten Oval in recent years. I haven’t but it really sounds like the vibe there feels open and inviting, while often the only way in to PRO is via the Superstore.
What a good read, I thought you left one bloke out of your votes, Griggy played an excellent game I reckon, agree that Cotch was our best, along with Rance, Jack, Dusty and of course Grigg.
Hey Romma – you are dead right and that is an oversight by me. Grigg played very well and should be listed, and maybe even slips into the 1 or 2 votes spot.
“Well-spoken lads” “educated nonsense”? Are you sure you were at a Richmond-Collingwood game?
Was heart-warming to watch, on the television, and I’ve done something I’ve not done all year: watch a replay during the week. It’s a guilty pleasure of the football season that’s been missing this year.
I like the idea of Mogs as the bellwether.
I loved hearing Oleg talk.
I love that we have an Oleg.
I am still in love with Dusty’s hips.
The haka in the sheds: brilliant.
Shorty’s kicking: elite.
Great to see Dave Astbury finally, finally belonging as a footballer (but please still no complacency on his kicking).
I am so thankful the players are still playing for Dimma. This ends a conversation (but opens a new one about Dimma’s public orator – he needs to sell us fans a story we can believe in).
I stand behind Peggy.
Being a good corporate citizen and a good football team are not mutually exclusive.
If we beat the Cats on Sunday afternoon I am getting drunk (& writing a love-letter to Cotch and his missus, and their two cherubs).
Nice work Lapsed Tiger.
Anyone fancy a quick snifter after the game at the London Tavern?
Thanks Dugald.
Its a season we need to reflect on and embrace as the learning experience it is. Regroup, re-load and go again. 18 teams all shooting for the finals makes it harder than ever before to achieve a spot. I wont allow the baby to be tossed with the bathwater just yet, but as before, this is a year of change and it needs to be embraced and managed by the club.
No doubt there needs better messaging from the club about this year and what has happened, and how we face the challenge.
I still have faith in Benny and Peg and Dimma – all who have led us out of a wilderness.