Stuart Wilson is the first of five bloggers from our new 'Yellow and Blog' brigade. This is his second blog for richmondfc.com.au and we encourage you to leave your thoughts in the comments section
As Eddie McGuire used to say so eloquently, ‘What a big week it has been in football!’
We were given everything in Round 1, thrilling contests, some thrashings were handed out, controversy, serious injuries and also the first draw of the season.
The most contentious point of discussion over the week however, has certainly been in regards to the new substitution rule, how it is enforced and how it has been affecting the games played thus far.
The new rule has divided the football community, with some believing that it is putting far too much physical pressure on the players’ bodies, while on the other hand some are applauding it as it may put an end to all the zones and flooding tactics that have been brought into the game over the past couple of seasons.
From a Richmond viewpoint, we were forced to use our sub after Nathan Foley could no longer keep playing due to struggling with gastro for the entire day. He was subbed off for Daniel Connors early in the third term. On the positive side, Richmond still had three interchange players remaining so it meant the game was still a 21 v 21 contest.
However, the negative side of this was the substitute couldn’t be used in a more strategic fashion, or even on the player who was the most fatigued.
Personally I think we should all give the rule some time to settle in now the AFL has enforced it, rather than jumping at shadows like many seem to be doing throughout the media and the AFL. I think it’s been shown previously that even though new rules tend to grind the gears of most people in football initially, the fact is that everyone becomes accustomed to them down the track.
A few years ago when the ‘chopping of the arms’ rule was brought in, people were calling it the death of the defender and that the best forwards in the game were going to become unstoppable. However, it’s pretty clear now that it certainly isn’t the case, as players and coaches can adjust to any change in game style pretty quickly.
Onto Richmond matters, the club suffered a disappointing loss to rivals Carlton last Thursday night, after leading by 14 points at three-quarter time. While Carlton continuously shot themselves in the foot with atrocious kicking for goal in the first half, Richmond dominated the third term to push ahead of the Blues, culminating in Jack Riewoldt’s sixth goal on the three-quarter time siren.
The final quarter was a forgettable one for the Tigers, held goalless as a rampant Chris Judd led his team to victory while crushing the spirits of all Richmond supporters.
Despite the hollow feeling after that loss, I still gained some satisfaction in what I saw last Thursday night. Jack Riewoldt was doing his best MC Hammer impersonation out on the ground, nobody could touch him. He finished with six goals all kicked before three-quarter time, an astonishing achievement when you consider he had only played in just one practice match due to a knee niggle during the pre-season.
After a slow start, Trent Cotchin fought his way into the game and showed all the signs that the Tiger faithful were hoping to see this season. Some of his baulks and disposals were just all class and it bodes well for a break-out season by the 20-year old. Young tall Tyrone Vickery also showed some good signs, taking a few big contested marks and also looking dangerous as a forward when he was played there. His work up and down the ground in this area was great to watch as he has a lot more speed and agility than most players his height.
I also thought the five newcomers in Shaun Grigg, Bachar Houli, Reece Conca, Jake Batchelor and Brad Helbig all shown glimpses that they will be very handy pick-ups for the club. Grigg won more disposals than any other Tiger and his hardness will be a major asset for the club going forward, while Bachar Houli was also lively after half-time.
Reece Conca, Jake Batchelor and Brad Helbig were very promising. Conca looked poised and confident down back, while Batchelor looks to be a Joel Bowden clone with the way he reads the play and delivers the ball from defensive 50. Helbig didn’t get the same amount of game time the other two had, but when he was on he made his presence felt, throwing his body into contests with reckless abandon which is a rarity for an 18-year old.
Overall I think the game showed that we are certainly on the rise and hopefully those large blowouts are a thing of the past. Next up is St.Kilda at the MCG on Friday Night which should be another instance where I can yell out, “We’ve got the better Riewoldt!”
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you all next week. Go Tiges!
