The Burning Questions For 2015
A few burning questions for you to ponder as the season nears
1. Have the Tigers got what it takes to finish in the top four? The Tigers were very quiet during the off-season trade period, despite our stated intention to shop for a ready-made top class player (why didn't we chase a ruckman?), and preferred to go down the draft route, recruiting plenty of their favoured type of player: small-to medium height, light half-forward flankers with average pace. Will a Tigers team very similar in appearance to last year's one have the improvement in it required to make the eight again and win a final in 2015, let alone the top four? 2. Do Richmond still look a level or two below the competition's big boys in the midfield? In recent years much critical focus has been on the Tigers' defence and forward line, but our real area of concern throughout Hardwick's tenure and even prior to that has been our midfield. Richmond have class there in Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio, Dustin Martin, Brandon Ellis and 2014 surprise packet Anthony Miles, but overall our on-ball brigade is still too light and lacks pace. And there are too many other similar-sized and paced players – think Reece Conca, Nick Vlastuin, Ricky Petterd, Matt Thomas. Strange as it may sound, the Tigers miss Shane Tuck, and need at least one, if not two, bigger-bodied types in the stoppages to do the blocking and bullocking to allow Cotchin and co more free possession. Plus we need some more outside, line-breaking pace to help Deledio, who is our main man in this area. Deledio looked so good when he went forward late last year that it will be hard not to give him more time there – along with Martin – to spice up the Tigers' attack and less time running out of the middle or off half back. The Tigers will need to find that run from somewhere else. Meanwhile, ex-Cat Taylor Hunt looks a ready-made run-with player to replace the retired Dan Jackson. 3. Do we rely too much on Ivan Maric?
Forget the Tigers' fairytale late-season nine consecutive wins to scrape into the eight in 2014 - in most respects last season was a step backwards for Richmond, the first in five seasons under coach Damien Hardwick. The Tigers are still far too reliant on ruckman Ivan Maric for overall hardness and psychological strength and we were poor until he returned halfway through the year. That one player should have so great an influence is an indictment on the team. If Maric misses more than six games, then we can forget about September. 4. Can Ty Vickery finally step up?
Ty would want to step up because it's his last, last chance. After five years of showing promise and playing well every third or fourth game between listless, uncompetitive, undisciplined efforts, Vickery has to lift. His 2014 summed up his career: he kicked four goals in a couple of games, played well in about four of his 12 for the year and got suspended for four matches for whacking West Coast's Dean Cox, ultimately losing his spot in the side to an improving Ben Griffiths. For the last part of the year Griffiths did what Vickery seems unable to: he provided a target up forward, crashing some packs to take a bit of heat off Jack Riewoldt, and gave decent contests in the ruck to assist Maric. Vickery's ruckwork, in contrast, after five seasons is still poor – he jumps far too early or too late, appears to shirk body contact and gives away too many dumb free kicks. Having just bagged him, we have to admit that Vickery CAN play. He just doesn't do it often enough. Nearing 25 years old, Vickery should be in his prime and if he can stay on the park and produce consistent effort, this just may be the year he finally plays to his potential. The Tigers will need him to if they are to go anywhere this year. As for our other tall forward options: Shaun Hampson is at best a fill-in tap ruckman, is too slow and drops too many marks, Liam McBean may finally get a senior game but still looks a way off, while Todd Elton still struggles at VFL level. A fit David Astbury might allow Troy Chaplin to slide forward for more than just cameos, as he did in 2014. 5. Can Damien Hardwick coach Richmond to a finals win? And if he doesn't, what's his future?
Hardwick comes into 2015 as the AFL coach most under the pump. He was out-coached by Mick Malthouse in the Tigers' 2013 elimination final loss and seemed bereft of ideas as Port shredded Richmond in their final in 2014. One criticism of the Richmond coach is that he has failed to produce enough players in the black and yellow who can play in multiple positions – a necessity in today's game – thus giving him limited options, or plans B and C on match days, if things turn sour. The Tigers also allow good teams big run-ons and don't seem able to wrest momentum back. This has to at least be partly the fault of Hardwick and his coaching panel. Richmond simply has to learn to steady then shut down surging opponents. Even though Hardwick was given a contract extension until the end of 2016, the equation is simple. The Tigers have to win a final in 2015 or else. A word on our draw The fixture is kind to Hardwick and Richmond. They play fourteen games at the MCG, with only five games against top-four teams, and their first four are against bottom-six sides. We have only one trip to Perth (round 10) with a bye straight after. However, we would want to be sitting close to the top four after round 16, because we have a very tough run home over the final seven rounds with games against Fremantle (MCG), Hawthorn (MCG), Adelaide (AO), Gold Coast (MCG), Collingwood (MCG), Essendon (MCG), and North Melbourne (ES).
