It only seems like yesterday that we were facing off against Carlton in Round One, my how the season travels quickly!
I’ve been very happy with the efforts of our team thus far.
Richmond had a horror draw to compete with in the first four weeks, coming up against four clubs who at the time were all challenging for a top four finish. I wasn’t expecting anything from those games so to come away with a draw against St. Kilda was certainly a bonus.
Even more pleasing is the fact that we have beaten sides that we have been expected to beat. While we haven’t been playing at our peak in those games it’s been a nice change to notch up consecutive wins against North Melbourne and Brisbane.
Another sure sign that we are progressing well as a club is the fact that the media is directing their attention elsewhere. So often in the past Richmond has graced the back page of the sport section in newspapers, often portrayed in a negative light.
It’s so refreshing to see some other clubs cop a pasting for once.
We might only be six weeks into our 2011 campaign, but we have already been able to show that there is certainly a bright future down at Tigerland.
Dustin Martin is case and point. His last two weeks have been nothing short of phenomenal, racking up 30+ possessions with ease and the vast majority of those touches are very damaging.
His impact on the scoreboard has also been a highlight. While he sits third in the league in score involvements, he has also been able to kick ten goals when resting up forward or playing through the midfield, making him a dangerous proposition for the opposition.
We also have Jack Riewoldt who has bounced back from a couple of ‘out of character’ weeks in Rounds Two and Three. Riewoldt’s ability to not only kick a bag of goals but help his teammates get into the game and kick goals themselves is just as an impressive trait as his high marking.
While those two have been the standout performers, the team has certainly lifted as a whole which is a big reason for the upward trend at the club.
Down back we’ve seen Dylan Grimes come in and play admirably against some of the best opposition in the league, staking his claim as a key defender for the future.
In the midfield we’ve seen Trent Cotchin quietly go about his business, however I think we are only weeks away from seeing a breakout game from the former number two draft selection. Nathan Foley has also been a shining light, his games over the past three weeks have been terrific and he looks to be working his way back to his 2007 form.
New recruits Bachar Houli, Shaun Grigg and Reece Conca have all slotted in with ease. It’s easy to forget that Houli and Grigg are still young and have plenty of development in them themselves, even though they are seen as leaders around the club. Grigg’s contested ball wining ability and Houli’s pinpoint kicking have been welcome additions to the team. New draftee Conca is also getting better every week, possessing the poise when in possession of the football that Joel Bowden used to have.
Up forward Jake King and Robin Nahas have both gained cult hero status. The pocket dynamos have turned their careers around and our now genuine threats when around the football. Both are playing their roles extremely well and are proving a lot of critics wrong with each week that passes.
With another winnable game coming up this week against Fremantle, it will be interesting to see if our young, inexperienced team can remain consistent and come away with the four points.
Despite not being a great team when travelling to Victoria, Fremantle are a much better side than North Melbourne or Brisbane, so our young cubs will certainly have their work cut out for them. As always, Aaron Sandilands will be the major threat for the Tigers. Much more physically developed than any of our ruckmen, Richmond will need to curtail his influence to have any hope in walking away from the MCG with a win.
This week will be a true indication of how far we have come and it should be a great contest. A win against a finals-bound team like Fremantle would give our players a lot of momentum heading into some tougher clashes in the coming weeks, not to mention pushing us into the eight.
Go Tiges!
