Mick McGuane’s mid-season report card: What Richmond can salvage from injury ‘horror show’
Richmond’s season has been nothing short of a ‘horror show’ on the injury front. MICK McGUANE assesses what the Tigers will be able to take out of a tough front half of 2024.
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Adem Yze could hardly have been dealt a harsher hand in his first season in charge at Punt Road.
Yze walked into a club already rebuilding after the departure of premiership coach Damien Hardwick and has had to deal with huge personnel changes and a raft of injury to key players. Yet in all the doom, there has emerged some reason for optimism.
Mick McGuane explains why in his mid-season report card on the Tigers.
MICK MCGUANE’S MID-SEASON RATING: D
No team has been hit harder by injury this year than the Tigers.
It’s been a baptism of fire for first-year coach Adem Yze, whose best-laid plans over pre-season quickly unravelled as the injury crisis struck.
Richmond has been forced to use 40 players already this season, with only three — Daniel Rioli, Nick Vlastuin and Thomson Dow — featuring in all 14 matches.
The Tigers’ starting midfield last year was often Tim Taranto, Dion Prestia and Jacob Hopper.
Reigning best-and-fairest winner Taranto has played only seven games, Prestia has played six including two which he hasn’t finished and Hopper has managed just three matches.
Down back, experienced leader Dylan Grimes has played just five matches and impressive young key defender Josh Gibcus suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the second game of the season.
Up forward, focal point Tom Lynch returned for just his fourth game of the season last weekend.
It has been a horror show.
Given the cattle that have been missing, it’s easy to understand where the Tigers sit where they do at the bye.
The one positive has been that the injury issues have created significant opportunities for some of the younger players, who have taken their chances with both hands.
Rebounding defender Tom Brown has played 12 games and looks a player of the future with his elite kicking and great composure and decision making.
I also like the look of forward Seth Campbell, who reminds me a little of Jason Castagna.
Campbell possesses good footy IQ, consistently finds space in the forward half, applies pressure and has been impacting the scoreboard.
The Tigers found a forward in Mykelti Lefau before his season-ending knee injury in round 12.
Lefau brings a strong competitive edge in attack, can take a strong mark inside-50 and kicked 14 goals from his first 10 AFL games.
Tyler Sonsie, Rhyan Mansell and Kane McAuliffe are other players who have received more exposure as a result of the injuries and have also displayed positive signs.
With so many young players in the side most weeks, the pressure game which Richmond became known for during its golden era has largely dropped away.
The Tigers have the worst pressure rating in the competition.
They have shown an ability to bring the heat at times, but sustaining that is another matter.
We saw sky-high pressure for two-and-a-half quarters against Geelong in round 13, before it dropped off and the Cats powered to a 30-point win after trailing by 16 points at halftime.
The only thing Richmond can do is to build more miles in the legs of the younger players so they can sustain that pressure for longer.
BEING BEAT IN THE AIR
The biggest issue for Richmond — injuries aside — is its inability to control the air.
Contested marks and intercept marks are too often few and far between and it means that opposition sides are consequently punishing the Tigers’ turnovers and are moving the ball with ease out of the back half.
Richmond ranks 17th for stopping opposition ball movement from defensive 50 to inside-50, as well as 17th for scores against from turnovers.
Good teams have intercept stars like Greater Western Sydney’s Sam Taylor, Brisbane’s Harris Andrews and Western Bulldogs’ defender Liam Jones.
At their best, Richmond defenders Nick Vlastuin and Noah Balta (admittedly he started as a forward) can take strong intercept and contested marks.
However, neither have been as good in those departments this year as they have been previously.
Captain Toby Nankervis is another one who needs to provide more in the air, having taken just 13 contested marks from his 13 games.
I’d also love to see key defender Ben Miller back himself in to take more marks.
Miller has been impressive one-on-one and is averaging an elite number of spoils this season at 7.7 a game.
However, he needs to try and convert at least some of those spoils into intercept marks, even if that creates a small element of risk in the process.
RUN HOME
A round 21 clash against North Melbourne could determine this year’s wooden spoon.
Lose that, and Richmond might have the No. 1 draft pick coming its way in November.
The Tigers have a tough run home and it is hard to see any more wins coming before the clash with the Kangaroos, even if they do get a few players back in coming weeks.
A huge challenge awaits after the bye against arch rival Carlton.
I doubt the Tigers will be able to beat the Blues, but they are capable of giving them a run for their money.
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Originally published as Mick McGuane’s mid-season report card: What Richmond can salvage from injury ‘horror show’
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