Round 12
Sydney Swans v Richmond
1:15pm, Saturday 30th May 2026
Sydney Cricket Ground
By Dan Lonergan
After three flags in four years, which could have been four in a row, if Mason Cox didn’t play the best game he has ever played in the 2018 Preliminary Final, Richmond now finds itself in a fully fledged rebuild and second from the bottom, with just two wins.
These years since 2024, when Adam Yze took over as the rebuild are starting to remind me of the dark days from 1987 to 1993 when wins were also hard to come by. After that, they finished ninth regularly, which would have been handy if the wildcard was in and then there were many tough years at the start of this century between 2002 and 2011.
Those years were not really rebuilds, but in many ways like Essendon and Carlton’s barren past 26 seasons, The Tigers when they made the finals just twice between 1983 and 2013, I reckon were also victims of their success in those great years spanning from 1967 until 1982. I have been a big believer that Essendon and Carlton have sat near the foot of the table for most of this century due to all the success they tasted in the 80s and 90s, which I have already outlined in other articles I have penned this year for the Almanac.
During that successful 17 year period for the Tigers where they won five flags and played in seven grand finals, Powerbroker, Graeme Richmond ruled the Tigers with an iron fist and the club’s attitude driven by him was to win at all costs. If that meant, when the game was different then, to knock out the best players from other clubs they played against like Neil Balme did to genial Geoff Southby in the 1973 Grand Final, when he broke his jaw, that was done. Even Richmond himself was involved in an on field blue despite obviously not being a player, the infamous 1974 Windy Hill Brawl between Richmond and Essendon.
The Tigers were a tough hard side back then under the coaching of the uncompromising Tommy Hafey for 11 years from 1966 to 1976. Tommy trained his players hard, with Graeme Richmond and the President in those days, Ian Wilson – the dad of esteemed footy journalist Caroline Wilson – along with club secretary, Alan Schwab controlling everything off the field in a ruthless manner, which constantly had them at odds with the VFL.
They were also disliked and even hated by the other 11 clubs, but I am sure there was deep down respect for their consistent on field successes, even if their methods off the ground went close to bending the rules.
Hafey once said at half time of the 1975 Preliminary Final, which Richmond lost to eventual premiers North Melbourne, ‘’There is nothing more tigerish than a wounded Tiger”. Also, in reference to Kevin Sheedy, “Stop your finessin. You are a back pocket plumber Kevin. Put your boot into it and kick it long towards the goals. That’s what I want.”
Well! Tommy, Graeme Richmond, Ian ‘’Octa’’ Wilson and Alan Schwab, all sadly no longer with us, I reckon would be turning in their graves after Saturday’s performance by their Tigers when they were pulverized by 114 points by the Sydney Swans at the MCG. That was 8 days after they beat Essendon in the annual Dreamtime at the G clash and you got the impression that they were heading in the right direction and the 100 plus point thrashings the young Tigers had sometimes endured over the previous two years in the early stages of their development were behind them.
However, they obviously still have a long way to go and even before the game, in his pre-match interview, Adam Yze said he hoped the clash against Sydney, one of the premiership favouries, was a chance for his young team to grow up.
Media coverage since that match regarding that interview seemed to give the impression that the message from Yze was to compete as hard as they could against more experienced opponents and learn from this opportunity knowing winning was going to be hard.Graeme Richmond and Co would not have accepted that messaging or even a rebuild. That is why the administrators led by Richmond became brutal when the dormant years success-wise hit the club in 1983.
There was a period there where they would sack coaches more often than changing socks or underwear looking for the quick fix. It never worked and when they opted for some stability appointing club legend, Kevin Bartlett as coach in 1988 and he was given four years, wins were hard to come by and Bartlett was sacked and did not return to Punt Rd in any capacity even as a visitor or to attend reunions or functions. KB did embark on a rebuild of sorts by blooding many young players like Matthew Knights, Chris Naish and Tony Free, who had fine careers and in Knights case he became a star, but arguably Richmond’s greatest ever player had not restored Richmond to being the powerful on field team it expected to be in the late 60s and 70s.
Fast forward 33 years and Richmond decided after Damien Hardwick resigned half way during the 2023 season, the premiership era was over and the career of another Tiger great, Dustin Martin came to end and likewise other premiership heroes in Trent Cotchin and Jack Reiwoldt, to strip the list back and start again.
That meant loading up on draft capital and early draft picks in the 2024 National Draft, which netted seven picks inside the first 30. To do that, other premiership players at the end of their current contracts were traded at their request and the Tigers were willing for them to join other clubs if the price pick-wise was attractive.
Excellent players in Liam Baker and Jack Graham ended up at West Coast and Shai Bolton also wound up in WA at the Fremantle Dockers. His recruitment it seems is the icing on the cake regarding that excellent playing list they now have and why they currently sit on top of the table and are enjoying an 11 game winning streak. Another star, Dan Rioli wanted to rejoin his premiership coach Damien Hardwick at the Gold Coast and got his wish.
Out of those moves, Richmond received pick 3 from the Eagles for Liam Baker, they got three top 20 selections for giving up Bolton in 10, 11 and 18, and Rioli’s exit resulted in selections 6 and 23 heading to the Tigers. That haul gave Richmond excellent access to some of the best young talent in the country including the number one pick, Sam Lalor, who has shown why with some eye catching performances, but there have unfortunately been lots of injuries sidelining him.
Josh Smilie, who I first saw dominating under 15 games in the biggest junior football competition in Melbourne, the Yarra Juniors, was nabbed as Richmond’s second pick at seven, but has not played any
senior footy due to constant injuries. Taj Hotton came in at 12 and when he has played, which unfortunately hasn’t been often, has shown plenty of talent.
They then targeted tall forward, Jonty Faull with pick 14, key defender, Luke Trainor at 21, another tall forward, Harry Armstrong at 23 and then selection 28, they secured another key position player in Tom
Simms, who has just suffered a season ending knee injury in the VFL.Only Trainor played in the Sydney disaster, but the two Sams from last year’s draft also high picks in Cumming and Grilj did play and have been impressive.
They have the worst injury list in the comp and at times have almost not had 25 senior listed players to choose from and considering how young they are, sprinkled with some premiership players that have
remained such as Nathan Broad, Dion Prestia, Jayden Short and Nick Vlaustin along with ex GWS pair, Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper, who joined the Tigers unfortunately for them after the great years, lean
times were inevitable.
However, to be blown away by over 100 points now has to be a one off for the Tigers to give the loyal Tiger army hope they can again celebrate more premierships sooner rather than later. Despite the plethora of injuries, which also includes captain and number one ruck Toby Nankervis missing against the Swans, who had suffered just two losses, Richmond needed to play better, even if victory was unlikely.
Yze, in my opinion, needed to be slightly more positive in that interview despite the massive task facing them. Having said that, the Swans toyed with Richmond and beat them everywhere, with their 4 pronged tall forward attack led by Charlie Curnow brutalizing the Tigers’ defence. Curnow kicked 8, his biggest haul of the year so far, but with all due respects to Richmond outside Vlastuin and Broad that backline is still very young and developing and Curnow’s big bags, even when he won the Coleman Medal twice with Carlton, have been against weaker backlines and teams. He has been dubbed the flat track bully and stats don’t lie.
Isaac Heeney dominated having 32 touches and 5 goals, but he is consistently playing at that level no matter the opposition. Angus Sheldrick an example of someone, who has thrived since a coaching change was productive as an inside mid with 30 disposals, the Lizard, Nick Blakey kept shaking his head as he took off on those blitzing runs had it 28 times. Hayden McLean, the 4th of the tall forwards, who hasn’t been able to get a regular senior game, booted four. McLean can play and there are heaps of clubs crying out for experienced tall forwards including Collingwood, Port Adelaide, St Kilda and West Coast just to name a few, so if the lack of opportunities continue. I am sure McLean will be in demand.
Chad Warner also had a big afternoon gathering 32 possessions as well as booting three goals, while Errol Gulden, one of their best, is till to return. That though will be at the end of the season. Sydney has bigger fish to fry and maybe claim that sixth premiership.
For Richmond this is a deep learning curve, which club legends of the last century in Hafey, Richmond and Wilson did not believe in as their attitude was if you are picked to play for Richmond young or experienced, anything else but winning isn’t acceptable.
For these Tigers an honest and competitive display, where they push their more fancied opponents is acceptable, but 100 plus point drubbings are not. Adam Yze’s men need to put Saturday’s match and
result in the rear view vision mirror.
SYDNEY 7.3 15.7 22.14 25.20 (170)
RICHMOND 4.1 7.4 7.7 8.8 (56)
GOALS
Sydney: Curnow 8, Heeney 5, McLean 4, Warner 3, McDonald 2, Jordon, Ladhams, Amartey
Richmond: Alger 3, Roberts-Thomson, Sonsie, Cumming, Lefau, Hayes-Brown
BEST
Sydney: Heeney, Curnow, Warner, McCartin, Ladhams
Richmond: Ross, Alger, Hopper, Short
INJURIES
Sydney: McInerney (ankle), Melican (hamstring)
Richmond: Nil
Crowd: 38,013
Malarkey Votes
3 – I. Heeney (S)
2 – C. Warner (S)
1 – C. Curnow (S)
Read other Round 12 match reports HERE
Read more from Dan Lonergan HERE
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