Richmond fans can probably feel a little hard done by this week after their side finished the home-and-away season in ninth spot on the ladder.
This can always be a sour point with fans whose team has just missed the top eight. But it’s particularly cruel when it’s a “strong ninth”, as coach Terry Wallace pointed out after his team’s big win over bottom side Melbourne on Sunday.
Plough didn’t go to point out which teams had finished with rubbish ninths in previous seasons but he does feel as though the Tigers, while still having “a long way to go” are laying a solid platform for future success.
“I genuinely think we are on the improve and what we’ve got to do is take that momentum into summer and ride into the start of next season.”
Meanwhile, Dean Bailey said the Demons’ 16th-place was “superb” and West Coast’s John Worsfold said his team was “extremely stiff” to miss the eight.
2. Buddy’s big night out
The AFL was worried some fool might run on and whack young Hawthorn champ Lance Franklin – or some other player – across the scone should he reach his 100th goal against Carlton on Saturday night.
Well, while it appeared everything went to plan on Saturday night, perhaps Buddy did cop one after booting goal No.100 late in the first term.
“To be honest, it was a little bit of a blur, I can't really remember.
"Once I kicked the goal, everyone ran on.
“I remember coming back in [the rooms], sitting with the trainers, just talking with them, which was good.”
That’s all Buddy can remember from the night? Hmmm, something doesn’t smell right here.
3. Yze brothers – list managers
Adem Yze might think he has “stuff all” chance of continuing his AFL career but the now former Melbourne veteran’s brothers think their bro has plenty of opportunities.
It seems Yze’s brothers have been sifting through various club lists and working out a best-fit for the ex-Demon.
AFL club Carlton might be an option although a few other teams have emerged as frontrunners.
The 271-game AFL star would be a warm favourite to captain-coach the Albanian Albatrosses, given his descent, while a few of the visiting International Cup teams could also be trying to organise the relevant paperwork to get one of the game’s greats on board.
4.Oh geez, we’re fourth?
It seems St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was one of the few involved with the Saints who went along to Sunday’s match not really thinking about what his side needed to do in order to achieve a coveted top-four position.
“We knew it was a mathematical possibility but … it certainly wasn't a focus at all pre-game, at quarter-time or half-time.”
One can imagine the pleasant look of surprise on Rossy’s face when assistant coach Stephen Silvagni told Lyon the good news after the main man was heard to ask loudly half-way through the last quarter,
“Why is the crowd getting so excited? It’s not like the game is close or anything … ohhhhh!”
WHAT'S COMING UP
What to look for on afl.com.au this Monday
Brisvegas News
We'll be keeping an ear on developments at Brisvegas where the players are meeting this morning to discuss something 'big', maybe a change of coach.
Time to bounce
North Melbourne was uncharacteristically un shinboner-like in round 22 and will come out firing this weekend; nothing surer. This morning we hear from captain Adam Simpson and coach Dean Laidley about how they are going to beat the Swans in Sydney.
The Hard way
Our resident Irish, Sydney and Hawthorn reporter Catherine Murphy gets the latest from Damien Hardwick about how the Hawks are going to take the 2008 finals series by storm
Finals launch
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou will let us know all the key events for September and who will be presenting the big awards on grand final day.
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More Four Points
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The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or the clubs.
