Richo urges struggling Tigers to make hard calls
Tiger legend Matthew Richardson says Richmond should consider giving up on certain players and instead give opportunities to the inexperienced, even if they are not fully prepared for senior football, as current captain Trent Cotchin predicted a savage internal critique of its loss to Melbourne on Saturday.
Cotchin conceded that only two wins in its first eight matches was disappointing for a team aspiring to play finals. He expected the Tigers inability to compete with the Demons in one on one contest would be a key theme of their weekly review.
Former greats Ghd Hair Straighteners Perth Matthew Lloyd and Wayne Carey both wrote off Richmond's finals chances following it loss to the Buy Cheap Ghd Australia Demons. Lloyd argued only one player, defender David Astbury, had improved since last season, and he may not play again this season due to injury.
Richardson reckoned the Tigers' loss to the Demons was a watershed match for many supporters who had retained faith in their club.
"They [players] have to have a real soul searching week and turn it around pretty quickly, because the fans came into this year with hope and a lot of people were positive right up until this week, but I had a lot of messages from Richmond fans last night and they've just about had enough at the moment," he told 3AW.
Richardson said the Tigers had been flattered by winning 15 matches last season, and reckoned the poor Ghd Outlet Store Uk start to 2014 could herald a significant change in the selection strategy led by coach Damien Hardwick.
"I think under Hardwick there's been an incremental improvement in his first four years. I think he probably got the best out of a number of players that played right up to their potential, but this year I think some of those players have dropped off and they're not going to get any more improvement out of them," he said.
"They've got to now make a decision which way they go in the second half of this year, whether they play a few new players and go past a couple, because they're just not looking like it at the moment."
Cotchin's belief that the Tigers were beaten in one on one contests by the Demons was echoed by pundits such as Wayne Schwass and Tony Chi Straightener Shaw, albeit with most differing from Cotchin by declaring it was a systemic weakness among the players rather Nike Free 5.0 Womens than just being limited to Saturday's match.
Richardson said he thought that trait was exposed in the Tigers' shock loss to Carlton in week one of last year's finals, when in the first half they thrived when they had ample time and space to distribute "but after half time when it was a one on one game they capitulated".
"I don't think players are shirking the issue they're not not putting their heads over the ball but they don't cope with one on one pressure. When it's a one on one game you have to work harder and push harder and get out in the open," Richardson said.
"Last year they got the game on their terms, they had a number of people behind the footy and they were able to hold onto it and work their way down the ground, but as soon as it's a one on one effort, across the whole ground . . . they're not coping with it. I simply don't think they're working hard enough."
Lloyd criticised Richmond's recruiting strategy for being too focused on "plugging holes", rather than a longer term goal of compiling an elite team.
"They're slow through the midfield and also they've got a poor skill level, so they're in a real hole at the moment," Lloyd told The Sunday Footy Show.
Carey reckoned the players were more to blame for Richmond's slide this season than Hardwick.
"They're a classic case of getting ahead of themselves. After last year, [there was a belief] they were just going to roll up this year and it would happen," he told Triple M.
Carey reckoned spearhead Jack Riewoldt appeared "lost", and had to make a significant change to his approach if he was to regain his Coleman Medal winning form.
"He hasn't got the tank to move around the ground like other key forwards . . . and he hasn't got the turn of speed now to lose his opponent. He really does have to find a way to evolve with this game, because right now he does look lost," Carey said. "He's either got to do some real power off the mark type stuff so he can get a break between him and Buy Ghd Online his opponent, or put on a little bit of size and get that strength back."
What a disappointing game! Not just the loss to a very average team but the nature of the loss. There was not one inspiring passage of play all day. Richmond's goals were by good Nike Stockists Sydney luck rather than planning. It was a horribly unsatisfying spectacle. The error rate was back to the high level that so many Tiger tragics have become used to dropped marks, shocking kicking, fumbles, trying to do too much. And when Richmond had the ball who to give it to no options! No strategy whatsoever going forward we have a Coleman medallist not being given a chance to do what he can do. The game should have ended the careers of a couple of players, Houli and Vickery, they were woeful. And I can't remember a backman smashed as badly as Chaplin, who worryingly finished third in last years B F it was stuff up after Nike Free 3.0 V5 Review stuff up. Probably better Richmond didn't fall over the line by a couple of points though as there may not have been the soul searching so desperately needed, Hard to believe Derrickx and Matty White may play against each other in a grand final this year along with Jay Schultz. Mitch Morton got a flag too. Meanwhile the Tiges are bottom 4 again. How does this happen over and over for 30 years??!!South Yarra
And as for the style of game generally, they may be great athletes today but the game style is not great to watch. All players in one half of the ground, positions don't exist, 20 players on the ball, stacks on the mill and loads of stoppages, few contested marks, chipping it around. It's a tough watch. For all the beatup in the media as to what a great game we have, I'm not convinced, I'm not a believer any more.
