What a challenge on two fronts……
Firstly how do the Tigers go back to back which is a massive challenge in itself?
Secondly how do the other seven combatants overcome the seemingly unachievable challenge of defeating a team that is three games clear on top and looking every bit the premiership team for 2018?
Both the Tigers and their coach Damian Hardwick have earned huge respect from the football community for their performance this year after a somewhat surprising premiership in 2017.
Its one thing to have a flash-in-the-pan few weeks – like the Western Bulldogs in 2016 – its another to back it up with an even stronger season the following year. Whilst the Doggies have slipped away under the cloak of “rebuild” (where did that come from???), the Tigers have taken on all comers and dispensed with them accordingly.
If the Tigers stay “connected” – which in my view is their greatest asset – they will be very difficult to beat, however it is an enormous challenge to stay on top whilst maintaining the same level of intensity, effort and connectedness for extended periods of time.
There are a few components to success in AFL. There is attitude & effort, spirit & morale and strategy & tactics.
They are all inextricably mixed in some way, shape or form. Spirit and morale is the foundation which dictates attitude & effort whilst strategy & tactics are the cream on the cake.
I have always believed that you can win a game of footy by getting the attitude & effort spot on and perhaps missing on strategy & tactics however you cannot win by getting the strategy & tactics right and missing out on the attitude & effort.
The singular dictator of attitude & effort is spirit & morale and the Tigers have plentiful of that. They have dealt with the culture of the place and it is a major component of their unconditional effort. They do not have to think about it, their attitude is on auto-pilot. Their trust and and respect for each other is undeniable. They collectively love playing with each other and I’m sure they turn up every day with a smile on their dial, enjoying every second they spend together. That is rare air space for sporting teams but when it occurs it is so powerful it turns boredom into excitement and possible into probable.
I love the simplicity of their game style. Keep the ball alive, knock it on, kick it off the ground, forward momentum at all costs. It puts opponents under extreme pressure especially when the basis of their strategy is risk averse ball movement with a mindset to create a ball up and start again.
Fortunately for the Tigers, opponents – for reasons I’m unaware of – play on the back of their shoulder which leaves Richmond players in front and first to move. I reckon 4 times out of 5 they mark or win possession from the many quick kicks, knock on’s etc from congested, contested situations.
People mention Richmond’s F50 pressure – I cannot distinguish between their F50, D50, midfield pressure which is a real compliment to their consistency across every contest, irrespective of zone.
If I was coaching against Richmond I would demand that ALL players (forward and behind contest), play in front of their Richmond opponents. This would force the Tiger players to get in front again and again, which would drag them unfamiliarly close to the contest and left with a decision to make.
Another non-negotiable is the necessity to take the game on and continue to take the dangerous kick in the corridor. Richmond will pick it off sometimes but don’t go into your shell and stop doing it. Its a war of attrition and the team that panics first will lose.
This years finals series looks exhilarating on paper. The many combinations and possibilities are what we want as fans. Anything can and will happen……..The only certainty is that’s the team that is most “connected” with team spirit, takes the most risks, is most unconditional with their attitude and effort will win. From a personnel perspective there are cases for nearly all teams in the 8.
Let’s see what the deciding factor is this year.
Thomo 