That was as bad a game of footy as I ever want to see. We kicked at goal and around the ground atrociously, copped injuries all over the place, our skills were 2008-standard, the game plan was mystifying and the individual efforts you could respect were few and far between. And Collingwood were worse.
On top of that we lost by the worst margin of all, from a ropey free kick with 4 seconds to go. Oh, and the morons [and I mean that in the strict 1950s medical sense] of the United Patriots Front chose this game to bring an anti-mosques banner to the MCG and also favour Collingwood with their support.
Despite all this, today I still love footy. And I don’t know quite what I can put that down to except that its only April and there is time to improve. Here are my positives.
- Jayden Short played out of his skin on his debut – which is not a guarantee of longevity (Dean Polo, Dan Connors) but it really counted for something in such a damp team effort.
- I was impressed with our approach when in possession right from the start – everyone seemed to have taken some Dustin Martin pills. Instead of the handball putting a mate under pressure or the underground kick, Tigers were taking and breaking tackles. Even young players were backing themselves in and despite this tactic we didn’t give up a holding the ball free kick in the first half at all.
- Jack willed himself into the game
- Shaun Hampson had a hell of a game. He’s not a popular Tiger and if Maric was available 100% of fans would prefer Maric. And watching him kick for goal could be an alternative non-custodial sentence. But he never gave up, a lot of his tap work was excellent, he laid a superb shirtfront and all carrying a calf injury he picked up in the opening minutes.
- The youth policy is a good one and we have to keep at it. Menadue, Short, Townsend and Lambert (twice) have been in the best players in these two poor team efforts.
- Regardless of what is going on in his head, Ty is our most reliable kick for goal.
Of course there were negatives everywhere you look.
- Again many high profile players had no impact, and it was left to too few. Rance was so good last week but really out of sorts all through last night.
- Turnovers all night destroyed any flow we looked like developing. Some of the culprits had better dig out the Melways because they’ll be playing at Morris Street, Williamstown next weekend.
- Kicking for goal was very poor. As John Carr observes in his Midnight Pod of Misery, in one case a left footer lined up for goal like he wasn’t sure what foot he was going to use and kicked it exactly where it was always going to go. Dusty could employ the orthodox drop punt more often.
- Related; our system needs serious work if it results in suspect kicks like Cotch or Hampson taking set shots. They are always going to miss and that’s a promising inside 50 wasted. As Hampson lined up for goal Bruce McAvaney said “Can kick a goal” – my 14yo said “well yes, technically correct”.
- Some 2nd year players who played a lot of games last year with the fearlessness of youth, looked last night like they knew enough to have doubts.
- Decision making is affected by tiredness, and ours was dreadful in the last quarter.
- I have serious concerns for Ty’s wellbeing. Within 10 minutes he handpassed to a team-mates back, and dobbed a shortpass inside 50 to someone who wasn’t there. He also came out of a pack where Jack had been awarded a mark in front of goal, waving his arms as though appealing for a free. Is he really over his concussion?
- Injuries are mounting. Shaun Grigg’s calf, Shaun Hampson’s calf, Short’s shoulder, Astbury’s whack in the face all caused concern, and Grimes didn’t return after halftime after a low hammy strain. Unavailable for this game were Edwards, Yarran, Deledio, Maric and Conca. I think we are going to see more youngsters than we expected to over the next month
So more negatives than positives of course. To come are Adelaide at Docklands, West Coast over yonder and Melbourne at the MCG. If you know anything at all about Richmond, you’ll know the one I am dreading is the Dees.
My gripe from the game is seeing too many bananas/checksides. One of our better players had time to straighten up on a couple of occasions and kick with his left foot.
I think of Sam Mitchell who almost always has time to get away a kick or handball: but he makes this easier for himself as he can do it from both sides. I have only vague memories of Leon Cameron, but I recall him also being a very well-balanced player.
I’m not sure if Vlastuin’s handball was deliberate or not, but the last syllable of his name is not pronounced ‘stone’. ‘Ui’ is difficult to pronounce, for sure, but here is a guide: http://blogs.transparent.com/dutch/the-ui-conundrum/
I remember when he debuted there was talk about how to say his name and the advice was Floss-tone. Based on your link Floss-town would be close [still wrong but closer]. But its not really a question of how a Dutch person would say it, its how does he say it.
I’m imagining Nick No.1 getting to Amsterdam for the end of season trip after taking a Leo Barry-esque premiership saving mark and checking into this hotel saying, ‘it’s not ‘town’ its ‘tone’!
It seems like the commentators, whose profession it is to talk and pronounce names one after another have put it in the too-hard basket. (Just like professional footballers who have put learning to kick on their non-preferred foot is also in the too-hard basket.)
But otherwise – let the good times roll.
Two close games against our main local rivals in front of big crowds. We’re not calling for the coach to be sacked or the teem re-built from the grownd up; we’re just kwibbling over a phew mynor detayls.
XXXooo
Chris,
What follows is a rant/ramble through my thoughts on my experience as a Richmond supporter. It is being written ‘off the cuff’ so don’t expect a masterpiece…
Paul Roos (2 years ago): “That was the worst 47 seconds played in the history of Australian Rules football.’
SEN commentator (calling Friday’s last minute): ‘What the hell is going on?’
Gerard Whately (AFL 360 Monday night): ‘How do they do it? How do Richmond fans keep fronting up?’
Damian Hardwick (post-game): ‘That was unintelligent football’
William Crawford (age 8 – in his ninth year as a Richmond member) ‘Dad, I don’t want to follow Richmond any more. They are hopeless. Can I follow someone else?’
Me (watching Friday’s all-too-familiar Richmond self-implosion): ‘That’s f*&^%d. What bunch of useless c*%#s.’
My wife, Jill (having sternly admonished me for my comment): ‘Well, if they make you that angry, why bother?’
I genuinely don’t think I can go on. DECADES of incompetence, DECADES of ridicule, DECADES of new starts, DECADES of misery, DECADES of dud drafts, DECADES of irrelevance, DECADES of unwatchable football…
On Friday I used language that I most certainly wouldn’t normally use, especially with Jill in the room – don’t panic, William was rugged up in bed asleep so didn’t hear his dad use such foul language. I was so exasperated, so frustrated, so aggrieved that it it came out before I had a chance to self-edit. I realised at that moment that Richmond isn’t healthy for me. I was genuinely angry.
While I was preparing dinner later that weekend, I heard Jill cheering on the Bulldogs from the other end of the house – we have a small house – and amid all the whoops and claps and laughter I thought ‘I can’t remember the last time I did that watching Richmond’. Yes, there was the odd game where it looked like we were going okay but there was always, justifiably, the nagging doubt that any good performance would soon be nullified by a shambolic one, or seven. I came to the realisation that following Richmond is NO FUN.
So here’s what I’m doing for the rest of 2016:
1. I am not going to watch any Richmond games.
2. I am not going to listen to any Richmond games.
3. I am going to watch the Bulldogs with my wife Jill and enjoy the ride watching an exciting team in which I have no emotional investment.
4. I will continue to monitor Richmond but with only a fraction of the interest I have invested since the 1970s.
I could go on and on, as most Richmond people could/do, but really, one doesn’t have to say anything when a club dishes up the tripe Richmond has.
Nnnnhhhh….
Joe.
I hear you fella. As you know I kicked the Tiges (and football) to the curb for 12 months once and it did me a world of good. For the sake of the rest of us I hope you will hear us from the other end of the Tiges Supporters House (where we all live together, Monkees-style) whooping and clapping and laughing. With joy, not bitter derision. Enjoy your monk-like serenity punctuated with incredible Stringer goals, Feats of Bont and who knows? Maybe a flag. I have not given up and I won’t again, but I completely dig where you’re coming from. Man.