Oh we’re from Neverland…

I postulated on these pages not that long ago it was ‘now or never’ for this Richmond list. That analysis was based on the key cohort going into the peaks of their careers together. A vast majority of players were going to have played 100 plus games, many having played under Hardwick’s coaching for enough time to grasp the gameplan.

 

Clearly, after the insipid performances in the NAB Cup and now Rounds 1 & 2, the answer is ‘never’. ‘Now’ is dead, as of 1 April 2016. It’s time to bury that dream, we have done OK with the rebuild, but not well enough. And the coach can’t wring enough out of what he has (I suspect others could get more, but it probably still wouldn’t be enough.)

 

Too many B-graders in the recycled players. Not enough development in the first round picks. Not enough anything. Weak leadership. No miracles from the coaches box, just acceptance of mediocrity. It smacks of a lack of ambition, a failure to sense just how close we were- at stages, at least – last year.

 

It’s scary to look sideways. Pause for a minute and you are over-run. I have seen what Gold Coast are capable of. They can win a flag if they play as they did yesterday. Ditto the Crows. Dogs. Even the Bombers look to have more, as do the Blues.

 

We are with Freo and Port, the teams that aren’t going to make it. We can bumble along being happy going for bronze, or we can admit where we are at, and give some of these players and a new coach a chance at reboot and come again in 2-3 years.

 

It starts at the top – trade Cotchin and Deledio. See if anyone will give us something for Griffiths and Ellis, McIntosh and Conca. Delist Grigg, Hunt, Houli, Chaplin, Morris, Batchelor – some of these seasons overdue. Say goodbye to Hampson and Maric.

 

Keep Riewoldt, make him captain. Keep Dusty, pay him what it takes. Keep Rance. Sell them a vision of elite coaching and recruiting – whatever happened, Treloar looked a gun the other night and his judgment hangs like a stale fart over Tigerland. The whiff of silent but deadly truth.

 

Players worth keeping and investing in:

Astbury, Grimes, Lambert, Lennon, Lloyd, Vlastuin, C Ellis, Short. Miles can do a job. Menadue. McBean.

 

Spend the year putting items for the sale in the shop window, and getting games and system into the players who are staying. Give some of the kids in the twos a run – they can’t do any worse than Hunt, Griffiths or Grigg. See which way Yarran wants to go, maybe onsell while he has currency?

 

We need tough bodies, good decision makers, talls who are mobile, people who can kick. Ten of them. The best ruck anyone has even seen.

 

We should get 3 or 4 first rounders. And have cap space for a decent free agent.

As for the coach, throw the bank at Clarko. What better than winning a fifth flag as the drought-breaking coach at Richmond? They have to be hard, systematic, and want to win.

 

We don’t need a nice media guy, we have 76 million member all crying in their cornflakes.

 

Tigers, it’s then, or never!

About Peter Warrington

Richmond fan; Kim Hughes tragic; geographer; kids' book author; Evertonian; Manikato; Harold Park trots 1980; father of two; cat lover, dancer with dogs; wannabe PJ HArvey backing vocalist; delusional...

Comments

  1. Forgot Titch Edwards. He can stay. Maybe as skipper.

  2. Robyn Meggs says

    Harsh! Amongst the clear pain of the debacle which was Friday nights game, I see small nuggets of truth…. I think we, as a supporter group, are conditioned to accept mediocrity as it’s an improvement on the dross we’ve been served up for the past thirty years. Perhaps that attitude has permeated through the inner sanctum too… The only solace I can take is that it is only round two and I pray coaches and players are looking at the end game, not the immediate future. I know we’ll be better with our experienced players back, especially the scintillating Shane Edwards, and I see wonderful signs from the likes of Lambert, Menadue, C.Ellis and the terrific debut of Jayden Short. I agree with you in your assertions that we need a shake up now, but I’m not sure of the radical nature of your propositions! I hope that they employ an elite sports psychologist soon, as a lot of our problems reside between the ears…… As a supporter of fifty odd years, I’m not keen on the coaching roundabout and would like to see Dimma remain. Perhaps the players neither fear nor hate him enough – I bet Clarko has a long list of enemies….. As for Captain Cotch, I much preferred him as the wonderful midfielder he is, roaming the ground with the freedom to play his natural game, without the restraints of the captaincy. I have no doubt he’s a wonderful young man and well liked and respected,,but perhaps he’s just not feared enough by either his teammates, nor his opposition…. Let’s hope that whichever team the selection guys assemble for Saturday’s match (probably by sticking pins on a board whilst blindfolded), show some heart and sense of shame at the woeful game they produced against Collingwood.

  3. Robyn

    I’m the same. I really want it to work. But after 6 years of rebuilding, I can’t see us taking the next step. We should have won the flag last year, and I thought we could next year. I won’t sign up to some mythical 10-year build.

    I bear no enmity to Dimma and especially Cotch, I agree with your take on him. But his nervous poke at goal early was the scene setter, the antithesis of leadership.

    I’ll be cooking until the changes occur, but I said I wouldn’t watch in 14, and even 15 after the Dees loss. We’ll see, but I aim to be true to my word and miss a thumping by the Crows as we head for the north coast and childhood memories, of when we were kings.

    Thanks for your response!

    Pete

  4. Hey Cranky. Don’t be so hard on your boys. At least you know how to beat the Hawks on the MCG. The Tigers were looking an attractive option to me about 6 o’clock on Sunday.

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