I think it’s fair to say that despite playing well against the top teams, we are probably tracking on par at the moment at 1-4 given our difficult start.
The pressure has been off us for all four of these losses as we weren’t expected to win, but that pressure will be piled back on top of us this week when we take on an improving Port Adelaide outfit.
Like Damien Hardwick said during the week, our season really starts now. From here on in we should be winning a lot more matches and it all starts this Sunday against the Power.
Despite going in favourites this game will not be a walk in the park by any stretch, especially when you consider it’s being played at AAMI Stadium where we have a mixed history of results.
Port Adelaide has had a similar start to us, competing well against good sides like Collingwood, Sydney and Essendon but for little reward. They will be every bit as desperate as Richmond come Sunday as both sides look to claim their second victory of the year.
Last week’s game ebbed and flowed and although we didn’t get the four points, it was pleasing to see that the guys didn’t drop their heads when the Eagles kicked two or three quick goals to jump out to a larger margin.
Trent Cotchin was once again in fine form as he continues to give the club consistently good performances week in, week out. There is absolutely no doubt that one day he will don the famous No.17 guernsey, he just encapsulates everything that is the Richmond Football Club.
Ruckman Ivan Maric also continues to impress. His cult following no doubt began when he showed off his new ‘do in the NAB Cup, but he is now maintaining that cult status through his play on the field. Maric had the gruelling task of taking on Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui on the weekend but he still competed brilliantly. He’s a player who will never die wondering and who gives his all every time he runs out onto the field, a quality that Damien Hardwick would love to have in all of his players.
You can see the team growing in confidence with every game that passes, which could possibly be attributed to the low number of team changes that have occurred over the first five rounds.
With the coaching staff no longer just gifting games to youngsters for experience and instead picking the side on merit, we have in turn become a much more solid and consistent unit.
And we will need to continue playing that way if we are to defeat teams like Port Adelaide who are in the same state of development as us. As I mentioned earlier, the pressure is right back on us this week for a game that almost all Tiger fans believe should be a win, but should we drop this game all the hard work completed in the first five rounds maybe all for nothing.
Ex-Richmond forward Jay Schulz will be missing for the Power, along with Robbie Gray who will be sorely missed from their forward line, which will make things a lot easier for our young defence. Our midfielders continue to win their fair share of the footy as well, so even though the Power have the mature bodies of Kane Cornes and Domenic Cassisi in there I still expect us to get on top of them at the clearances.
It’s becoming a common trend in my blogs, but I can’t help but harp on about it, we need a big lift from our forwards this week.
To be fair both Riewoldt and Vickery did make inroads last week with a reasonable performance, but neither of them have looked like tearing a game apart this year as of yet.
At the moment we are relying heavily on our midfielders to push forward and score goals. That should be a luxury, not something to rely upon each week. The Power have a young, promising defence just like we do, so if we can get the ball in long and deep enough we should be able to crack them eventually, and when this happens I just hope Jack and Tyrone can make the most of their opportunities.
Go Tiges!
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