Stuart Wilson is the first of four bloggers from our new 'Yellow and Blog' brigade. This is his debut blog for richmondfc.com.au and we encourage you to leave your thoughts in the comments section

It has been 207 days since I have seen our beloved Tigers in premiership season action -  not that I have been counting or anything.

For many footy fans, the AFL off-season is a chance to forget about football for a few months and, instead, get out and pursue other interests.  Some get outside and enjoy the summer weather, some take up other sports such as cricket, and I’ve heard some even choose to spend time with their families . .
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But for myself, and many Tiger fanatics alike, there isn’t really an ‘off-season’ when following a club as passionately supported as Richmond. If you’re like me, countless hours are spent trawling through newspaper articles, the Club’s website, listening to sports radio and reading fan forums such as Punt Road End, to find out the latest from Tigerland.

Of course, the passion shown for the Richmond Football Club by its supporters has been a major reason as to why the Club still draws large membership numbers and crowds to its games despite being largely unsuccessful over the past 30 years.

This off-season, however, the Richmond faithful have shown their passion in a different way - financially. The Fighting Tiger Fund, spearheaded by CEO Brendon Gale, is a fantastic initiative to help Richmond rid itself of debt and catch up to some of the more well-off clubs, who are able to spend a lot more in their football departments. A total of $2.3 million has been raised, since the initiative was launched six weeks ago, which is well on the way to the goal of $6 million.

It’s heart-warming to see everyone get behind this bold strategy, including the playing group, who donated a collective $125,000 to the fund. Speaking on behalf of the playing group at the Fighting Tiger Fund function, Jack Riewoldt showed just how passionate he is for this club, and how much he wants Richmond to be successful.

He spoke about how the Richmond Football Club hasn’t had the success it deserved over the past 30 years, but he also mentioned it’s time for the likes of Brett Deledio, Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin and the rest of the current playing group to take the baton from Club legends such as Kevin Bartlett, Michael Roach and Bruce Monteath, who all played a major part in Richmond’s last premiership, in 1980.

But now to the present . . . 2011 shapes as a very important year for the Club. The membership tally has just ticked over the 40,000 mark and a successful season would pave the way for that number to grow again in 2012.

The Club faces a tough first month of football, up against Carlton, St. Kilda, Hawthorn and Collingwood, which will prove to be a challenging time, but I don’t think there’s any doubt that this young Tiger group will get better and better as the season progresses.

You can already see the makings of our next finals line-up. In defence, we have the likes of David Astbury, Alex Rance and Jake Batchelor developing, while the reliable older defenders, such as Chris Newman, Brett Deledio and Kelvin Moore, will provide strong guidance to these younger players.

The midfield looks to be the biggest reason for excitement among Tiger fans, highlighted by a super-fit Trent Cotchin, who looks primed to have the breakout season we have all hoped for since he was taken at pick two in the 2007 National Draft.

Also returning to the midfield is Nathan Foley, whose horrid run with injuries over the past two seasons has prevented us seeing the excellent football he was producing in 2007 and 2008. Of course, there’s no forgetting Dustin Martin, who burst onto the scene last season, showing incredible physical maturity for a teenager.

His continued improvement with the rest of our midfield is going to be a sight to behold in 2011. Then comes the more experienced players like Mitch Morton, Daniel Jackson, Shane Tuck, along with ex-Blue Shaun Grigg and former Bomber Bachar Houli, who were both terrific acquisitions for the Club during the off-season.

Up forward, there is the reigning Coleman Medallist, Jack Riewoldt, whose rise and rise last season was very reminiscent of another star Tiger full-forward, who also hailed from Tasmania. Much has been made of Richmond relying on Jack to stand up every week and kick a big score off his own boot, but this year looks to be different with a few more options becoming available in attack. Tyrone Vickery has had his most impressive pre-season to date, highlighted by his five-goal haul against Port Adelaide a month ago, while exciting talent Troy Taylor has added bulk to his frame and looks to be ready to make a bigger impact in 2011.

Despite all this promise, however, Tiger fans must remain patient for another season at least, as overall the playing list is still very young and inexperienced. Just three players on the senior list have played 100 games or more, while for comparison’s sake, last year’s premier, Collingwood, has 15. Just because of this it is likely that the team’s form will occasionally fluctuate, although the coaching staff will be doing their utmost to minimise this.

With the first game of the year now upon us, the excitement has hit fever pitch  . . . I believe it is a double-edged sword by playing in the opening game of the season each year. There is so much media scrutiny and focus put on opening night that if Richmond loses, it tends to be a very long couple of days afterwards, with so much doom and gloom being spread about the Club throughout the media.

On the other hand, though, if Richmond beat Carlton, it makes for a very pleasurable weekend (not to mention being on top of the ladder for at least one night!).

Whatever happens, I’m just excited by the fact that footy is back, and I no longer have to count down the days until I get to see my beloved Tigers play again. Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing my thoughts on everything Richmond across the season. Go Tiges!