Sydney Cricket Ground, Paddington, Sydney Australia
After attending a superb American College Football event out at Homebush Stadium, we arrived at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the Swans v Tigers game only to be confronted by what could only be described as a football team looking like a train wreck. The only thankful part on our behalf was that there was only a quarter and a half of football to go and we wouldn’t be subjected to the poor football that the Richmond football club has displayed in season 2016.
A rare time the Richmond players were first to the ball. Photo: Jodie Newell
113 point margins can place the focus on the team at the end of the pummeling. Taking nothing away from the Sydney Swans they were a superb, tightly drilled unit that completely crushed a dispirited, tired, insipid, woeful Richmond side. Lance Franklin with 7 goals, Ben McGlynn with 5 and Gary Rohan with 4 goals were totally dominant in the Sydney forward zone. The Swans miserly defense had only given away 2 goals in 3 quarters of football, illustrating just how effective Sydney were.
Lance Franklin all smiles. He booted 7 goals in a superb performance. Photo: Jodie Newell
No, Richmond had to be the story in this football tale because they have a massive supporter base in the scheme of things AFL and expectations are enormous. They were reasonably predicted to make the finals this year and failed miserably with an 8-14 win loss record compared to last year’s 15-7. It’s the manner in which they have fell away which has sowed the seeds of discontent and dysfunction at Punt Road. Ructions are already occurring with the Focus on Football group led by Dr Martin Hiscock assisted by former Tiger premiership players in Bruce Monteath and Bryan Wood are making their play for a place at the Richmond board level. The criticisms coming from the so-called football pundits such as Mark Robinson are astounding. It’s like “How dare they”.
The Focus on Football group gets it, the current Richmond board does not. One key point they and the pundits and to a certain extent the current coach in Damien Hardwick haven’t mentioned, is the fans. The Tiger fan-base is absolutely ropeabale in social media spheres and on talk-back radio programs. Why shouldn’t they be angry? they pay good money to attend their team’s games and to be served up with what we witnessed at the SCG was inexcusable. The very first question we asked Damien Hardwick after the Sydney thrashing was basically what do you tell the Richmond faithful back in Melbourne. Hardwick did not speak directly to the fans but spoke about the use of younger players and the chance to gain gametime experience as his key point to the supporters. That is all fine and well, but in times of crisis, the fans needed to be spoken to and they have been ignored through this whole process.
Defiant. Richmond coach Damien Hardwick will face intense scrutiny in the coming months. Photo: Jodie Newell
Coach Hardwick is a good footballing person, there is no doubt about it, but he needs to see Richmond as a whole and not just a football team. Carlton coach Brendan Boulton has been superb in delivering that type of culture to the Blues in 2016. Boulton talks about not just the players but everyone at Princess Park. Punt Road needs that type of philosophy if it ever intends to experience September action in the future.
We couldn’t help feel when watching the game, of the similarities we witnessed a few weeks earlier when the Greater Western Sydney Giants also crushed Richmond by 88 points in Canberra. The same insipid performance was served up. The same drawn, glum faces after the game were on show. You could see the discontent clearly from the Manuka Oval boundary line. Players were arguing with line coaches, the Tiger “attacking” strategy was similar to a crabs in that it was going sideways and nowhere fast. The usual staunch defense Richmond was nowhere to be seen. It used to be impenetrable with Alex Rance and Troy Chaplin (now retired) at the helm and was a significant contributor to some amazing wins away and in Sydney in the past couple of seasons.
Tigers of Old. The Richmond defense of 2014. One of the reasons why they were winners. Photo & graphics : Jodie Newell
In terms of stats nothing much had changed from the GWS Giants game to the Swans game. 339 disposals in Canberra, up a few more to 356 against Sydney. Tackling was down big league from 69 to a lowly 46. All achieved with only 5 different players from those 2 fixtures. The goals scored by Richmond at the end of the SCG game could best be described as “junk goals”. Ty Vickery whilst not playing, has to be one of the more disappointing players in recent memory at Richmond. He had the potential to become a solid forward. He had the “Richmond” attitude, the height, the ability to mark and kick goals. Yet for reasons unbeknown to us in terms of form drop, he’s almost certainly going to be traded to another club. Obviously the fans don’t like him and who wouldn’t if you aren’t delivering, yet we feel if given better forward coaching, he could be part of a Richmond renaissance. Line coaches in Greg Mellor, Ross Smith and Mark ‘Choco” Williams will not be part of Richmond’s future plans. One would think Vickery with new coaching has the potential to improve.
The last walk. Mark Williams (right) walks into the Richmond rooms for the last time during game-time. Photo: Jodie Newell
The only real positive in season 2016 for the Tigers is that it is now over. The blood-letting at board level, player and coaching turnovers will have an obvious effect next year. The question is can the Tigers turn it around and become a footballing power that it’s long suffering fans crave for? Richmond need only look at the Sydney Swans and observe how they have re-built their side and kept a professional team dynamic and culture in place. That’s why they will be playing in September and Richmond will not.
SYDNEY SWANS 5.6 14.9 22.11 25.14 (164)
RICHMOND 0.5 1.6 2.8 7.9 (51)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Franklin 7, McGlynn 5, Rohan 4, Hewett 2, Kennedy 2, Mitchell, Parker, Heeney, Jack, Richards
Richmond: Cotchin 3, Hampson, Riewoldt, Lloyd, Edwards
BEST
Sydney Swans: Josh Kennedy, Lance Franklin, Heath Grundy
Richmond: Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt.
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: –
Richmond: –
Reports: Sam Naismith (Sydney Swans) reported for rough conduct on Bachar Houli (Richmond) (Naismith later accepted a $1000 sanction)
Umpires: Chris Kamolins, David Harris, Shane McInerney
Official crowd: 36,570 at the Sydney Cricket Ground
