Richmond end of season review: What Tigers need to do to go back-to-back
IT was the perfect year for the Tigers as they claimed the 2017 AFL Premiership. Now the big question is can they go back-to-back next year? HERE’S WHAT THEY NEED TO DO
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WHAT a season it was for Richmond Football Club.
Everything Damien Hardwick, Dustin Martin and company touched turned to gold, culminating with a stunning premiership victory over the Adelaide Crows.
But the focus is already on 2018 and CHRIS CAVANAGH looks at what the Tigers need to do to turn the dream into a dynasty.
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THE SEASON ROUND UP
Who would have picked that 2017 would be the year of the Tiger?
Richmond won two of its final nine games of 2016 to finish 13th on the ladder but completed a monumental rise as it lifted the premiership cup for the first time since 1980.
An easy draw given the Tigers’ lowly finish last year may have helped, but Damien Hardwick’s side still finished third and won its three finals by six goals or more including the grand final over Adelaide by 48 points.
The club’s year did not end there, with midfielder Dustin Martin winning the Brownlow Medal and Norm Smith Medal, defender Alex Rance named All-Australian captain and the Tigers’ VFL side making the grand final.
THE PROBLEM
When you win the premiership, not many things are going wrong.
The Tigers thought they had a problem after Round 2 when another concussion put second tall forward Ben Griffiths on the injury list indefinitely.
Todd Elton was tried in the role until Round 10 without much success, forcing Richmond to go with a small forward line in the second half of the year which ultimately proved one of its biggest assets in the premiership charge.
Richmond’s biggest problem now might be avoiding the dreaded premiership hangover.
THE SOLUTION
The lack of tall forwards does not appear an immediate problem but could be in the near future.
Jack Riewoldt turns 30 next year and there does not appear to be an obvious up-and-coming replacement so finding one will be a key focus.
Some dismiss the ‘premiership hangover’ term as another meaningless football cliche, but history shows sustained success — which all clubs strive for — is tough to achieve.
Hawthorn slipped to ninth in 2009 after winning the flag the year before and Western Bulldogs finished 10th this year after claiming the 2016 silverware.
The Tigers will no doubt be mindful that they will need to implement some change to their game and bring hunger to avoid such a fall next year.
THE TARGET
The Tigers were fairly active last off-season, off-loading Brett Deledio to Greater Western Sydney and bringing in Dion Prestia (Gold Coast), Josh Caddy (Geelong) and Toby Nankervis (Sydney) who all became premiership players in their first 12 months at Punt Rd.
Expect a much quieter trade period from Richmond this time around.
Brisbane key forward Josh Schache had been linked to the Tigers during the year but the No. 2 pick in the 2015 National Draft signed a new two-year deal with the Lions in June.
So it might just be off to the draft for Richmond, which has two first-round picks after receiving Geelong’s first selection as part of the Deledio trade last year.
One of those looks set to be used for father-son Patrick Naish, a classy midfielder who averaged 21 disposals for Vic Metro in the under-18 championships this year.
THE DREAM
A 37-year premiership drought was broken this year.
Now Richmond’s army of fans will be hoping the club can go back-to-back for the first time since 1973-74.
No easy feat, Hawthorn is the only team of the past 14 years to achieve back-to-back premierships, having claimed a three-peat from 2013-15.
But the Tigers ($5) are equal with Adelaide and behind only Sydney ($4) in the early 2018 premiership market with TAB.
THE COACH
Remember the board challenge from the Focus on Footy group 12 months ago who said they would pay out Damien Hardwick’s contract if they decided he was not the right man for the job?
Well, Hardwick is now a premiership coach.
It took eight years, but the fruits of Hardwick’s plan have been delivered and you would expect he will be at Punt Rd for some time to come now.
GARY BUCKENARA SAYS
Matthew Lobbe isn’t getting a game for Port Adelaide because Paddy Ryder is in such good form, so the Tigers should be asking whether he’d be interested in a move to Punt Rd.
BUCKY’S LIST ANALYSIS: WHAT THE TIGERS NEED
2018 PREDICTION
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