The changing face of Tigerland
What a difference four years makes…
The Richmond side that thumped Melbourne by 80 points in the final home-and-away round of the 2008 season at the MCG last Sunday contained only five players who were members of the Tiger team which contested Danny Frawley’s last game as coach, in Round 22, 2004.
Joel Bowden, Daniel Jackson, Matthew Richardson, Jay Schulz and Greg Tivendale were the “survivors” from that Frawley farewell match of ‘04, which took place against the Sydney Swans.
Of the other 17 players in the Richmond line-up that day, just four have remained on the Club’s list in 2008 – Nathan Brown, Mark Coughlan, Chris Hyde and Andrew Raines.
The other 13 – Justin Blumfield, Wayne Campbell, Mark Chaffey, Tim Fleming, Darren Gaspar, Ray Hall, Brent Hartigan, Andrew Kellaway, Andrew Krakouer, Ben Marsh, Billy Nicholls, David Rodan and Luke Weller – have all departed Punt Road since Terry Wallace took over the coaching reins.
Only four other players from the 2004 senior list are still at Tigerland today – Kane Johnson, Chris Newman, Kayne Pettifer and Shane Tuck.
With Tivendale having played his last game for Richmond, in last Sunday’s Round 22 clash with Melbourne, the extent of the Club’s list-management changes over the past four years really hits home . . .