The task has got easier, though, with news that the Tigers – who have just one win on the board to date – will be missing superstar Matthew Richardson after the big forward was booked in for surgery to repair his right hamstring.
But a fighting effort against the Swans last week and the impending return of Ben Cousins means there is now a little more hope around Tigerland.
Forward Scout:
The club: Richmond
2009 to date: It hasn’t quite been a disaster so far in 2009 but not far from it. Richmond has won just one from six and sit above Melbourne only on percentage at the bottom of the table. The past two weeks have been a vast improvement on the first month though. They have beaten North Melbourne and at the weekend were narrow losers to the Swans in Sydney. However after plenty of promise in 2009, the Tiger faithful are looking at nothing short of a finals appearance this season.
The coach: Terry Wallace has been under pressure since the round one hammering at the hands of Carlton. ‘Plough’ is in the final year of a five-year contract and is under increasing pressure for his Tigers to perform. A well respected analyst of the game, he has kept his cool despite unrelenting pressure.
The gun: Joel Bowden. Not always the most favoured Tiger over the years Bowden has really solidified himself across half back over the past 12 months. He runs around picking up countless possessions and has a penetrating left boot that can set up much of Richmond’s drive through the midfield. Now one of the Tigers’ most experienced players, he also has the footy smarts to help them out of tight corners.
The sleeper: Brett Deledio. A number one draft pick and NAB Rising Star winner, Deledio has always had the class to excel at AFL level. He has never quite had the consistency to crack the competition’s elite but there is no doubt on any given day if you take your eye off him, Deledio’s delivery and vision can hurt you through the middle of the ground. When he plays well, so do Richmond.
The bolter: Jack Reiwoldt is in the early days of his career but is starting to develop the consistency coach Wallace would be happy with. Playing in the forward line, the cousin of Saints superstar Nick is deceptively strong overhead and has a penetrating kick. The Lions should have good match-up options for Reiwoldt, but so have other teams in the past and yet he’s still snuck in for his two or three goals. A valuable goal scoring option the Tigers often look to.
Strengths: With some key players on the way back Richmond are starting to develop a midfield to be reckoned with. Cousins is likely to return, Mark Coughlan now has some games under his belt, and throw in Shane Tuck, Deledio and the explosiveness of Richard Tambling and you have the makings of a dangerous centreline. The thought of having close to their best midfield rotation available will have Tigers fans licking their lips and opposition teams a little more wary.
Weaknesses: Richmond’s biggest deficiency is their disposal. To put it bluntly, their hand and foot skills in 2009 have been horrendous. They miss targets, fumble and move the ball slowly which gives their forwards minimal opportunities and constantly puts the defence under pressure. Richmond have shown an inability to handle extreme pressure around the ball and the Lions must have a similar intensity as they did against Sydney and Essendon to take advantage.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club
