AFL Grand Final 2020: Richmond prepares for rain as it makes final preparations
Richmond’s season looked like it could come off the rails after a series of off-field controversies, but coach Damien Hardwick says they have made the club stronger. Get the latest from the Richmond camp.
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Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers have emerged “stronger” from their controversies this season.
Hardwick and captain Trent Cotchin said they never lost faith in the club’s culture despite a handful of incidents that plagued their push for a third flag in four seasons.
The Tigers have defied a series of distractions to make the Grand Final, with Hardwick on Friday saying he was proud of how the club accepted responsibility and responded.
In one of the season’s biggest stories, Callum Coleman-Jones and Sydney Stack were sent home in shame after being embroiled in an early-morning altercation in Surfers Paradise last month, in a clear breach of the AFL’s COVID rules.
The Tigers also confronted allegations of player groping during the team song in August.
“The one thing we pride ourselves on is our culture and how we cope as an organisation,” Hardwick said.
“But the reality is, up here, there was always going to be bumps along the way.
“I think the one thing you can always say is your organisation is always defined by those bumps.
“It’s easy when the road is smooth and you can sit there above the water, but I think you find a lot about yourself and a lot about your people when times are tough.
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“We went to work. We were disappointed. We accepted responsibility and we learnt from it along the way.
“What we always take out of it is what we can learn from the experience.
“I think that’s what good organisations do. Sometimes we’re disappointed, but I think it makes us stronger as the end result.”
On field, the Tigers were also making headlines beyond those of their wins.
Key forward Tom Lynch kept courting debate as he walked the match review tightrope with a series of lineball incidents – the most recent in the semi-final when he dipped a knee into Dougal Howard.
Cotchin said his faith in the group never wavered despite the off-field headaches this year.
“To be completely honest and transparent, I don’t think we ever doubted our culture, it was always outside of our four walls,” he said.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve created and what we continue to create, and try to grow week in, week out, year on year.
“We have an amazing group of people.
“We’re just looking forward to an opportunity tomorrow night against a quality outfit and we’re excited about it.”
WHY TIGERS ARE PRAYING FOR RAIN
Richmond is confident the prospect of rain will play into its hands as Saturday’s Grand Final against Geelong at the Gabba looms as a soaked affair.
The heavens opened up in southern Queensland on Thursday, and rain and potential thunderstorms are predicted to hit Brisbane across Saturday afternoon and into the evening.
Not only will wet weather suit the Tigers’ trademark chaos brand, but Richmond also had an entree into the slippery conditions in last week’s gripping preliminary final win over Port Adelaide.
“We feel in any weather we can play well,” assistant coach Justin Leppitsch said at Thursday’s main training session as the storm clouds hovered.
“That’s the beauty of our game, it holds up in many styles, but I think the rain will help us, no doubt.
“It keeps the ball on the ground and I think Geelong are a possession-based team.
“I think the whole footy world knows that, but I don’t think that’s going to do the job, it won’t be enough.”
The Tigers have spent the week devising a plan to combat Geelong’s revamped forward line that looks “vastly different” from when the teams last met in Round 17 at Metricon Stadium.
Patrick Dangerfield effectively split his time between midfield (52 per cent) and forward (48 per cent) that night, according to Champion Data, but his recent push forward has forced the Tigers to rethink their plans.
Geelong structured up taller, with key tall Esava Ratugolea – now out of the side – kicking two goals in support of Tom Hawkins as Geelong was kept to just 4.7 (31), its lowest score since 2001.
Small forwards Brad Close, Tom Atkins and Lachie Fogarty have also been squeezed out of the side in recent weeks, while Ben Jarvis played his only game for the Cats that night.
Gary Ablett was on the Gold Coast that evening, but was instead a few kilometres down the road in the AFL quarantine hub with Richmond’s Shane Edwards.
Forward-half players Gary Rohan and Sam Simpson also didn’t play, neither did captain and midfield star Joel Selwood.
“(Dangerfield) does (change your thinking), no doubt,” Leppitsch said.
“Their forward line is probably the part of the ground that is vastly different to the last time we played them.
“The types of players there are probably far more dynamic and dangerous, no disrespect to the others … so they’ve definitely got more potency in that part of the ground.
“We’d like to think our defence is a system as much as individual-type match-ups. It’s a challenge for us, but I think one we’re ready for.”
The Tigers will travel to Brisbane on Friday and stay overnight to avoid any potential traffic snarls on the drive from the Gold Coast on Grand Final day.
Leppitsch said the Tigers were likely to keep a settled side for the match.
There were no notable absentees at Thursday’s main training session, with Kamdyn McIntosh, Marlion Pickett and Kane Lambert all on track after being eased into the week.
While Richmond has the upper hand of recent Grand Final appearances, Leppitsch said it was somewhat nullified by the overall experience of Geelong’s list.
“You’d like to think experience means something, but they’re probably more experienced than us,” he said.
“Maybe not on this stage, but their group as a whole is far more experienced than ours, so I don’t think that’s going to be an advantage for us this week.”
HOW TIGERS OVERCAME HORROR 2020 RAP SHEET
Dual premiership player David King says Geelong coach Chris Scott’s dig at Richmond’s dynasty credentials this year will add an “extra layer” to Saturday night’s Grand Final.
In comments that could come back to haunt the Cats’ coach ahead of the 2020 premiership decider, Scott said in March the Tigers were no match for the Hawthorn premiership juggernaut of 2013-15 or any better than the Collingwood, St Kilda and Cats’ teams of 2009-10.
It’s not the first time Scott has questioned Richmond’s place in history against the great premiership teams.
King doubted the players would use Scott’s comments as motivation, but suggested Scott had opened himself up to that prospect with his public questioning of the standing.
“When you’re going to criticise the opposition, you’ve got to be right,” King said.
“If Richmond wins the flag on Saturday, how would you not say that they’re up there with the Brisbane, Geelong, Hawthorn dynasties? How could you deny them anything but that?
“There is clearly something there, I’m not sure how it started or sometimes these things just evolve because you are two really strong teams charging at premiership glory and the other guy is standing in your way.
“There would be some jealousy between the two of them over different things through the course of a 10-year coaching contest between the two of them. I think that’s natural.
“You don’t normally hear coaches verbalise those issues.
“But I don’t mind it. I think it adds an extra layer.”
The Tigers are aiming for their third premiership in four years when they take on the Cats at the Gabba on Saturday night.
Richmond’s vice-captain Jack Riewoldt said the players had not taken any notice of Scott’s comments, arguing the team wanted to carve its own place in history.
“I would say that we don’t want to be any of those sides that have had success over the years because we want to be Richmond and that comes to the crux of it,” Riewoldt said on AFL 360.
“There are a lot of comments that come up over the year and ultimately I think the best two sides have ended up there at the end.
“I don’t think we are going to look back at comments that were made about us at the start of the season.”
Herald Sun analyst Mick McGuane agreed the Tigers were unlikely to be “falsely motivated” by Scott’s comments, but supported his argument this Richmond era was not yet ranked up with the Hawthorn – or the Brisbane Lions – famous three-peat teams.
“If someone asked me would you pick the Richmond four-year dynasty above and beyond say Hawthorn’s ’13-14-15, I would be in Hawthorn’s corner,” McGuane said.
“They won three in a row, this club hasn’t.
“And then there’s the argument for Brisbane of the early 2000s with what they achieved, they’ve got to come into the conversation as well.”
If the Tigers do get up for a third flag in four years this weekend, they will have done so against the backdrop of what could have been potentially season-derailing ill-discipline on and off the field.
There was Trent Cotchin’s wife Brooke’s COVID breach after leaving the hub for a day-spa treatment, “inappropriate” changeroom antics in the spotlight and two players ordered to leave the Queensland hub after getting into an early-morning scuffle outside a strip club.
On the field, spearhead Tom Lynch’s discipline has also been in sharp focus, while coach Damien Hardwick got into a public spat defending him.
But Fox Footy analyst King believed the team’s issues this year had only served to galvanise the Tigers.
“It’s like when your brother or your son makes a mistake, you know they have made a mistake, you talk about it, you throw your arms around them, you move on,” King said.
“I doubt Richmond would have talked about any of these things a week after they happened.
“There is a hell of a lot of errors that happen at footy clubs that you never hear about, but because of the magnification of a hub and the other challenges that have come with that, they have had to walk a fine line.”
And King said Richmond’s “unsociable” play on-field was what made the team great.
“I don’t mind it, I think they set the standard with physicality,” King said.
“Again, the best teams in our competition walk that fine line and, more often than not, cross it a couple of times during the home-and-away season.
“No one wants to be getting reported during a finals series, but you test the boundaries and you are looking to influence the game and looking to impact the opposition team.
“I personally have enjoyed the way Richmond plays.”
RICHMOND’S 2020 RAP SHEET
SPA-GATE
The wife of Richmond captain Trent Cotchin, Brooke, landed the Tigers in hot water after posting a visit to her Instagram story of her trip to a Gold Coast day spa. It was quickly picked up by the AFL as a breach of the league’s strict biosecurity protocols and Richmond was hit with a $45,000 fine for Brooke’s visit, with $25,000 suspended, which the Cotchins offered to pay.
CHANGEROOM GROPING
The Tigers came under fire for their post-game behaviour after changeroom vision emerged in August showing Nick Vlastuin and Jayden Short groping teammate Mabior Chol as the team sang the club song. Vlastuin and Short apologised for what was labelled “inappropriate and unacceptable” behaviour by the AFL.
LYNCH MOBBED
Richmond forward Tom Lynch was slammed for his off-the-ball “cheap shot” on Gold Coast Suns defender Sam Collins in August. He escaped with a fine for the incident, which came just weeks after avoiding suspension for pushing Lion Alex Witherden’s head into the turf. Lynch was found not guilty of striking Bomber Michael Hurley at the AFL Tribunal later that month after being referred directly to the judiciary by the MRO under the “three and subsequent offences” clause. Lynch attracted attention again for dropping his knee on St Kilda’s Dougal Howard in their semi-final, but received only a fine for misconduct.
50m PENALTIES
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick lamented the lack of discipline that had crept into the team’s game after a number of costly 50m penalties, including a costly 100m penalty against Port Adelaide. Tigers captain Trent Cotchin took it upon himself to find a solution to the problem, with the punishment for any player giving away a 50m penalty to change the nappy of his young son, Parker, who was staying in the hub.
GRAND FINAL HUB: ANALYSIS AND LATEST NEWS
KEBAB GATE
Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones were sent home from Queensland and handed 10-match bans for breaching AFL COVID-protocols after taking an Uber to a strip club and then getting involved in an altercation outside a kebab shop in Surfers Paradise in the early hours of the morning. The Tigers were also hit with a $100,000 fine for the episode.
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CHRIS SCOTT’S RICHMOND DRIVE-BYS
OCTOBER, 2017
Scott warned of the potential aesthetic issues AFL footy may face in the wake of Richmond’s groundbreaking premiership.
“I think Adelaide — I don’t think they’re a slow team — but Richmond made them look a bit slow,” Scott told Fox Footy.
“I think every side will say ‘If we can’t pressure really well, we’re going to have to be unbelievable at everything else’.
“Which is going to be a bit of a problem for the AFL because more and more, as an industry, we’re trying to open the game up.
“But we keep getting reminded that if you can close the opposition down, you’re halfway there — more than halfway there.”
AUGUST, 2018
“They’ve won 19 games at the MCG in a row – they are good, (but) when you talk about the juggernauts of the competition of years gone by you’re just never in the game against them.
“I don’t see that (with the Tigers).
“They are the best side in it at the moment but they need a lot to go right for them to win it, no question,” Scott said.
SEPTEMBER, 2019
“I am not a big fan of looking too far back but … I think they were a better team last year than they are now.”
MARCH, 2020
“Every team in the competition has deficiencies and I don’t think we’re in (a dynasty) era …
“We’re in an era where Richmond are a really good team and I think West Coast are going to be really strong, Collingwood (also).
“But with the greatest respect to them (Richmond), they’re not Hawthorn in the multiple premiership years in a row, I don’t think.
“I don’t think they’re Geelong, St Kilda or Collingwood through that sort of 2009/10 period either.
“I think it’s a lot more even than that. Everyone has their deficiencies.”
OCTOBER, 2020
“I’ve got to be honest, there was a little bit of a sense during the year that these guys aren’t quite at where they’ve been in previous years.
“That game snuffed that out a little bit. They’ve clearly been the best team in the comp for a period of time.”
CAN ‘YOUNG ALEX RANCE’ CLAIM GRAND FINAL SCALP?
Perfect specimen Noah Balta has been hailed as Richmond’s next big thing as the 20-year-old prepares to lockdown on Coleman Medallist Tom Hawkins in Saturday night’s Grand Final.
The boom fullback is the only Tiger in coach Damien Hardwick’s best 22 still looking for his first premiership medal after a breakout season stopping the AFL’s best power forwards.
Balta celebrates his 21st birthday on Friday but is set to be the youngest player at the Gabba, giving away 247 games and almost 12 years to Hawkins.
Hardwick described Balta as a “young Alex Rance” earlier this year and defender David Astbury has been stunned at the St Albans boy’s rapid improvement this season.
But Astbury warned he wasn’t the reincarnation of five-time All-Australian Rance, with the Tigers tweaking their defensive system since Rance’s 200th and final game.
“I understand why there’s this perception that Noah’s the new Alex Rance, because he’s the bloke who fills the void alongside Grimesy (Dylan Grimes) and myself,” Astbury said.
“But the game just evolves so quickly and we don’t play exactly as we did when we had Rancey.
“You can’t just get a 20-year-old like Noah to come in with the expectation that he does the job of Alex Rance.
“But they’re both physically remarkable and just do things that people like myself just will never be able to do. When they get set in a certain mindset they’re impossible to stop.”
Balta kept Hawkins to one goal without the aid of Astbury in Round 17 and has also beaten Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Cameron in 2020.
Balta has stacked on 5kg since he was drafted at pick 25 in 2017. At 100kg he is now a shredded athlete bursting with power.
“You draft this raw, athletic beast and it takes years and years to refine someone like that to get to where you think they can get to,” Astbury said.
“He’s only just scratching the surface on what his potential is. Physically, we don’t see specimens like that — they don’t come around built like that too often.
“I’m really grateful to have some time up here to connect with him on a more personal level, and it helps create a relationship that’s more conducive to teaching, and he just wants to soak up as much information as he can, and he wants to improve as quickly as he can.
“He asks a lot of questions and, in terms of what he could produce for this football club for a long time, it’s very exciting.
“I think he’s going to be a very, very good player for a long time.”
Astbury explained that he and Grimes had shared Rance’s load over the past 18 months.
“When we played with Rancey it was my responsibility to take the biggest tall,” Astbury said.
“He would play the deepest and Rancey, once in a generation defender, he could play on anybody.
“At the moment we’re keeping Noah’s role as simple as we can so he can learn, and elements of myself and Grimesy are probably doing what Rancey did for a long time.”
Jack Riewoldt attributed Balta’s emergence to his mental maturity and willingness to learn this year, while Astbury said the opportunity to improve around the clock living in the hub would prove to be “enormous”.
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WHICH SORE TIGER WAS ON LIGHT TRAINING DUTIES?
Richmond’s stable coaches’ box will finally crack following Saturday’s Grand Final, with outgoing assistants Justin Leppitsch and Craig McRae set to depart after serving a combined 16 years at Tigerland.
Forwards coach McRae and backline coach Leppitsch have earned rave reviews from their star pupils as coach Damien Hardwick prepares to reshuffle his box for 2021.
McRae played a critical role as development coach, nurturing the young talent at Punt Rd before he was promoted to take charge of the forwards this year.
“’Fly’ (McRae) has been awesome,” spearhead Tom Lynch said.
“Across the industry there’s going to be guys move on, and he’s obviously moving on to a great opportunity at Hawthorn.
“He cares about you individually and just wants to set you up to play the best footy you can.
“He’s been a fantastic coach at Richmond for a long time, well before I got here, and he’ll be missed.”
McRae starts work under Alastair Clarkson next month after spending the past five seasons under Hardwick, which could deliver a third AFL premiership this week.
The member of Brisbane Lions’ 2001-03 three-peat coached Richmond to last year’s VFL flag and clocked another three years at Richmond from 2007-09.
Defensive coach Leppitsch has spent eight of the past 11 years at Richmond, either side of his stint as senior coach of the Lions.
“Leppa’s moving on his own accord, which is different to what the circumstances are for a lot of people,” defender David Astbury said.
“He’s been in the industry for (28) years and he’s been a remarkable mentor, particularly for myself, Grimesy, Nick (Vlastuin), Bachar (Houli) and before that Alex Rance.
“He’s a great footy personality. He’s someone I’ll certainly miss and will certainly stay in touch with.”
Leppitsch and McRae attended one of their final Richmond training sessions at Metricon Stadium on Tuesday.
Sore midfielder Kane Lambert carried a limp on Monday and warmed up away from the main group on Tuesday, on light duties with Marlion Pickett and Kamdyn McIntosh.
But Lambert is certain to play the Grand Final and also looked ginger last week before turning it on with two last-quarter goals in the preliminary final.
The Tigers have undergone their final COVID-19 tests, with each player and staff member subjected to close to 60 swabs this year.
The tests cost $100 each, with the AFL shelling out close to $6 million for testing across the league.
McRae told the Herald Sun earlier this year to keep an eye on developing ruckman Callum Coleman-Jones, who is suspended until Round 5 next year for a serious COVID-19 protocol breach.
“His last six to eight games (in the VFL) last year were really above the level,” McRae said.
“Contested marking is a real feature of his, and his ability in the ruck to get to multiple contests. He’s a high-possession ruckman – he could get 20 possessions playing as a genuine ruck.
“He’s got the ability to get around the ground as an extra midfielder.”
LYNCH: WHAT EVERYONE GOT WRONG ABOUT HOWARD KNEE
Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch says aggression brings out his best and has described a couple of his reports this year as “overblown”.
Lynch, who crushed Grand Final opponent Geelong with five goals in last year’s preliminary final, claimed on Monday that he did not mean to drop his left knee into Dougal Howard’s shoulder in the semi-final.
The $1 million recruit has become public enemy No. 1 this year and was sledged by Port Adelaide youngster Xavier Duursma in Friday night’s preliminary final.
Lynch has been charged by match review officer Michael Christian five times in 2020, but the key forward has paid only $3250 in fines and has not been suspended.
He was cited for striking Michael Hurley, Sam Collins and Jarrod Witts and for misconduct against Alex Witherden and Howard.
“A couple of incidents might’ve been overblown,” Lynch said at Metricon Stadium, his old home ground, on Monday.
“To be honest, I actually didn’t mean to (knee) Dougal Howard. I know it looked bad, it wasn’t a great look for the game, (and) I don’t want to be portrayed as that.
“(But) I didn’t actually realise I did it on the day. People probably won’t believe me, but it doesn’t really matter.
“You’re going hard at the football so sometimes small things may pop up.
“I know I play my best footy when I’m aggressive going for that footy.”
In 10 years the former Gold Coast captain has been suspended for just one match – a rough conduct charge which came in the 2015 pre-season.
Lynch has been heavily booed this finals series and is set to cop it from Cats fans at the Gabba on Saturday night.
“I don’t think you want to be disliked, but to be honest you just value the people you care about the most,” he said.
“It can be false when people love you and they don’t know you or if they hate you and they don’t know you.
“I don’t think you can read too much into it, but the main thing is the people that know you closest you care about what they think and their opinions of you.”
Lynch is shooting for two flags in as many years since leaving the Suns and has the chance to kick the Tigers to back-to-back premierships for the first time in 46 years (1973-74).
The spearhead is expecting to reunite hostilities with Harry Taylor, who he kicked four goals against in the 2019 preliminary final.
Dustin Martin appeared to calm Lynch down with a joke as he lined up for goal during Friday’s triumph at Adelaide Oval.
“He just told me to kick it to my mate in the back,” Lynch said.
“It was a bit of a joke at training, we were saying we’ll get one of our mates behind the goals.
“It was true – aim for something small and kick through it.”
HEARTBREAK LOOMS FOR CAT-TURNED-TIGER
Josh Caddy looms as this year’s Grand Final heartbreak story with the impressive finals performer set to be overlooked against his old side and in the state he called home at the start of his career.
Caddy, 27, suffered a hamstring injury in Round 7 and was then dropped after Round 11, playing just one out of the Tigers’ past nine games.
Caddy hit the scoreboard in only one game this season although he will be thankful the ink dried on a two-year extension just before the AFL implemented the COVID-19 contract freeze in March.
VFL recruit Jake Aarts also shapes as a hard luck story after playing 14 games this year before getting dropped for Tom Lynch in the semi-final.
The Tigers look set to enter Saturday night’s decider unchanged, with David Astbury every chance to join Shaun Grigg as the most unlikely premiership ruckmen.
Astbury has helped give Toby Nankervis a chop-out in the past two finals victories, and Nankervis’s dominant last quarter in the preliminary final has the Tigers confident he can get the job done one-out again.
Nankervis, Nathan Broad and Marlion Pickett are all uncontracted, as well as depth players Aarts and Oleg Markov. Club boss Brendon Gale has guaranteed veteran Bachar Houli will get another one-year deal.
Caddy was drafted by Gold Coast and in 2016 he was traded by the Cats to Richmond, despite having two years to run on a contract and recently purchasing a house in Geelong.
The move proved the ultimate win-win as Caddy helped Richmond secure two premierships in three years and the Cats drafted Brandan Parfitt with the Caddy pick (No. 26).
Caddy played 71 games for Geelong, one more than he has managed in yellow and black.
Parfitt has been Geelong’s best player this finals series and has emerged as a genuine matchwinner this year.
Recruit Jack Steven worked his backside off at a running session last week in a desperate bid to overcome an untimely hamstring tear.
But coach Chris Scott all but ruled a line through St Kilda’s four-time best-and-fairest winner, who was dropped for the qualifying final.
“He’ll be touch and go. He’d have to really improve quickly to be in consideration, unfortunately. It’s tough for him,” Scott said.
The wild inconsistencies of back-up big men Esava Ratugolea, 22, and Mabior Chol, 23, mean they are set to miss out.
Chol does the freakish so regularly at training that the Tigers think he’ll blossom into a star, but he didn’t have a kick in the first half of the qualifying final and desperately needs to bridge the gap between his best and worst.
Socks-up midfielder Sam Simpson, 22, won Geelong’s VFL best-and-fairest last year but couldn’t crack the AFL side.
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But Simpson – who tore his hamstring against Port Adelaide in Round 12 – is on the verge of a fairytale premiership in just his 15th game after winning a recall in the semi-final.
“They’re always overnight successes that have taken three years, because we see it every day and the work he’s done,” Scott said.
“He’s had his fair share of injury problems, so I understand it was a bit of a surprise that we brought him back – but it wasn’t a surprise internally.
“He’s more than fulfilled his part.”
Simpson was taken in the 2017 rookie draft and is the son of 1990s Cat Sean Simpson.