I am getting more use from this than I thought I would.
I feel I should update my post from two weeks ago, as my views have changed since. I am starting to doubt that Dimma and the players are really on the same page. I still don’t know what the plan is, but Dimma said himself on Saturday night that the 22 did not execute any of it, at any stage. It was an absolute stinker and it got worse as the night went on. A small gap never looked like being closed, and in the last quarter we mustered one behind.
The total crowd of 27,700 suggests that at the very most 22,000 Tigers turned up. So that is one part of my narrative I am sticking to; don’t kid yourself that Tigers fans are exceptional in some way. Our team stinks and we have stopped going along; and rightly so. No criticism intended, how else can you send a message that you are disgusted with what we are serving up? People have other things in their lives. Their footy season is dead on the vine before the end of April and I think any mental health advocate would agree its time to get out in the shed and work on rebuilding that Morris Marina, or join a choir, or volunteer to read to kids at the library.
The horror show wasn’t on TV or ABC radio so I have been spared the worst so far (I will watch it soon because I believe in embracing the pain to deepen the enjoyment of the success which is probably a Catholic thing).
I was trying to work during the game but kept checking Twitter where it unfolded like this.
That was the worst half of football by @Richmond_FC in the last decade. Bereft of ideas, lack of pace and no leaders @ali_yesilyurt
Ellis kicks horribly again and Port go all the way for a goal. Brutal. @chiefinkorea
Heaps of Richmond fans leaving already @CherylCritchley
They say not supporting this is not supporting your club. I refuse to support such ineptitude. Always a Tiger, but Hardwick can get stuffed. @GregGibbo28
Pick 1 looking a distinct possibility. We are playing the worst footy in the comp. @Tigers_of_Old
And of course a lot of frustrated singling out of individuals. Judging by the tweets we were lazy, careless and at times gutless. The question has to be asked at Punt Road; why is this group not giving their all for the coach and the club? Has Dimma, after an effective and successful stint, reached the end of his road with these players?
@GregGibbo28 penned a great piece after the game that is well worth a read.
Myself; I do not accept that the quality of our list explains a performance like that, or a 1-5 start. Individuals are not giving us what they capable of, whether that’s down to niggling injuries, tiredness or just loss of faith in Dimma and maybe some of the players around them.
Edwards, Brandon Ellis and Martin are skilled players who are massively underperforming on what we have come to expect. Add that to our injury problems and some inexplicable selections, and I think we end up with 22 blokes looking at each other as they go through the banner thinking “I don’t think this team can win”. Because that is how they are playing – there is a resignation, a sense of giving in to the inevitable.
I do want to thank Robbo and the subs at the Herald Sun for this story and headline, it really gave a lot footy followers a good laugh on Saturday and threw the evening’s events into sharp relief.
As a calming and forward-looking exercise I have picked a team to play Hawthorn. I would love to have Chol and Marcon in there too but they are unpromoted rookies and not eligible for selection – this is another one of the many finer points of modern footy I don’t understand. (I have also never bothered to learn what a powerplay is in one day cricket.) To quote Corbo who had a preview of my team, the “back 6 looks like it would let in 25 Essendon goals”.
B Astbury Elton Batchelor
HB Broad Houli McIntosh
C Rioli Grigg C Ellis
HF Short Griffiths Deledio
F Lloyd Riewoldt Lennon
FOL Maric Martin Edwards
I/C Miles Castagna Vickery Menadue
Ins: McIntosh Elton Lennon Short Griffiths Broad
Outs: Lambert Cotchin B Ellis Hampson Chaplin Morris
Injured/Susp: Vlastuin Cotchin Lambert Grimes Rance Conca Yarran Drummond
Great post, and thanks for the link directing me to Greg’s piece. More truer words about Richmond are unlikely to be written this week. I posted a comment below Greg’s piece (with an addendum beneath!) that applies equally to your thoughts. I went to the game on Saturday, sat by myself, changed my position in the stadium at every quarter hoping that might help (including sitting behind Dimma when he sat on the bench in the third quarter, hoping for a miracle), and wrote notes on notepad. Observations, thoughts. Hoping to tap it up into a story later this week, when the hurt and disappointment subsides. On Sunday morning I met with an 84yo Richmond supporter, Brenda, and she offered much solace. But I reckon she was hurting, too.
I’m liking the idea of man therapy in the shed. I’m still glad I’ve booked a ferry to watch us play in HObart, but mostly for the excitement it’ll give my North-crazy older sister, and the thrill our Mr 6yo will have going to his first night game, and cradling Mr 2yo on my lap in blanket when he undoubtedly falls asleep, and catching up with you in the days before or after the game.
Go tigers, forever, despite everything
Another night in the cheer squad looking at a lot of sad faces before the game was even finished, the tiger Army banner worked as well as the players, and was not seen at 3/4 time. there seems to be some fundamental problem with the team, and I wish I could put my finger on it and let the people at the club know what it is, as even the officials and staff are at a loss. 27,000 was disappointing, but considering there were only 11 to make the banner probably not surprising. Lots of holes in a cheer squad where there were arguments over seats a couple of weeks ago because people wanted more seats than were available. Oh how quickly things change, and I am sure that a few wins, and things will reverse again, as the fickle return to hope for glory and finals seats. Two of us will not be following the trend, and will be there at every game to the last siren, and yes it hurts, but at least we can claim we were still there when times were bad, as we have been for so long, lets hope it is not so long this time.
Vince, I was thinking of you and Kerrie as I looked at the falling attendance. And I thought that even if it kept falling below 1000 I know two people who would be there no matter what. I am going along to the Hobart game v North Melbourne; I don’t know if you are coming over for it but I really hope we have sorted out a few things by then. At the very least I want to see 100% endeavour.
I like the look of that side,happy with Broad coming in also Elton if we are not going to play these guys why bring them in,B Ellis glad to see him out his skills are woeful not up to AFL standard he’s not on his own a stint in the VFL will hopefully smarten him up.
I’ve been following the mighty Tigers for 49 years and quite frankly I’m at a loss as to where we go from here, only way is up they say but I can’t see that happening with the present coaching staff I’m afraid, it’s not all Dimma’s fault, but I feel he has lost the players, surely we can’t be this bad. Maybe it’s time for Chocko to take over the reigns and see if we can salvage something out of the remaining season.
Not a flash looking team there, Chris. I shudder about Friday night, it’s going to be a mighty pantsing.
Thanks for the reference in your piece, much appreciated.
Cheers,
Greg.
I was kind of perplexed when I suggest the ’25 essendon goals’ line Reesy. Some things are hard to work out. Like, why is a Lexus a luxury car? Or, what does the phrase ‘believe you me’ really mean? Your hypothetical team wrong-footed my cognition too.
As the dust settles from Saturday nights’ murky game plan implosion, im starting to work things out. Your back 6 would probably only let 15 goals through, cause it would only get down there 16 or 17 times.
Hypothetically, which is all we tigers really have left, we could do the old long odds surprise against the hawks. But the prerequisite to those inevitable Tiger-shocks, is some latent skill, speed and composure. and without Rancelot, Cotchin or a fit Jack, we are pretty devoid of those. Sure, Dusty and Drioli and Sheds will provide us some reason not to go to the mother-in-laws for dinner.
But, for the first time in my tiger-memory, which I concede has adapted to be mercifully short, I give us no chance. But Im grasping onto this total absence of expectation. Like a fisherman grasps at the muscular retreating head of a sandworm.
Hey Corbo,
i’d like to add: ‘nothing doing’ – a phrase i like. Wikipedia cites Dickens’ Dombey and Son of 1846 as being an early reference of the phrase.
i remember first hearing it from Anthony Hudson when Channel 10 was broadcasting the footy.
if we are to believe this week, we have to forget the last six weeks.
i am trying to ‘enjoy’ the game regardless of winning, but this is difficult as it is the essence of sport. i want to see the players satisfied in their own work.
Andy
Once again Chris, hitting nails on heads. Good work. And thanks for the link to the GregGibbo28 piece – sums up my thoughts quite succinctly. Also love his (2013) commentary on bloody noise pollution at games. The last game I went to at York Park the ‘STADIUM ANNOUNCER!!!!!!’ told us what the score was at every break at 200,000,000 decibels as we clearly couldn’t work this out ourselves. This was followed by deafening entreaties to sign up for gambling sites or buy $50,000 cars or go to an Oasis to lose money on fruit machines. When the f*ck did STADIUM ANNOUNCERS!!!!!!! become an integral part of going to the footy? You know what I want to do when the footy has a break? Talk to the person next to me. Call me old-fashioned and not up with the times but that’s what I want to do. So my view on STADIUM ANNOUNCERS!!!!!!!? – as the Coodabeens used to say ‘Get rid of ’em’.