Preview Round 11: Sir Doug Nicholls Round, Dreamtime at the G - Richmond Tigers vs Essendon Bombers, Saturday, 25th May, 7:40pm

[Runk]

Listening to Stringer talk when he was on the couch he was pretty reserved. When they where pressing him about if they had what it takes he was pretty much straight down the line as far as saying the group knew it still had a lot of work to do and every team they face is a challenge as you only have to be a fraction off and you can be beaten. The old one week at a time came out but it seems that is the focus.

I think that the Tigers will start hard. It will not be easy early. They are back at home. My expectation is just grind out another win by working on improving our systems and working towards playing the game how we want to. I am taking any win.

A win is a win no matter how you look at it, but I'll happily admit I'm overeager & really want to see this team take apart what is in a lot of way a bunch of VFL players.

 

[BomberManU]

A win is a win no matter how you look at it, but I'll happily admit I'm overeager & really want to see this team take apart what is in a lot of way a bunch of VFL players.

For me, that's the next step in our development. Really put the foot down, in a professional manner. Percentage is there for the taking and is important.

 

[JayJ20]

Caddy confirmed for a debut!!

 

[Runk]

Caddy confirmed for a debut!!

 

[DallasCrane316]

 

[eth-dog]

Okay, final time I'm doing this this week:

In: Cox, Bryan, Ridley, Caddy
Out: Shiel, Goldstein, Hobbs, Jones

McGrath - McKay - Kelly
Redman - Ridley - Martin
Cox - Caldwell - Heppell
Guelfi - Caddy - Davey
Stringer - Wright - Langford
Bryan - Merrett - Durham
Laverde - Tsatas - Gresham - Perkins
Hind

 

[Cup_o_Jobe]

Okay, final time I'm doing this this week:

In: Cox, Bryan, Ridley, Caddy
Out: Shiel, Goldstein, Hobbs, Jones

McGrath - McKay - Kelly
Redman - Ridley - Martin
Cox - Caldwell - Heppell
Guelfi - Caddy - Davey
Stringer - Wright - Langford
Bryan - Merrett - Durham
Laverde - Tsatas - Gresham - Perkins
Hind

While I don't mind the changes, you can blow me down with a feather if Brad Scott makes three unforced changes to a winning side. I reckon you'd need to re-write his genes first.

 

[faible]

While I don't mind the changes, you can blow me down with a feather if Brad Scott makes three unforced changes to a winning side. I reckon you'd need to re-write his genes first.

Cox was a late out, so Shiel for Cox is just returning to the named team.

 

[DallasCrane316]

While I don't mind the changes, you can blow me down with a feather if Brad Scott makes three unforced changes to a winning side. I reckon you'd need to re-write his genes first.

Scott during his presser said they’re looking at 4-5 possible changes. Pending the way they want to go.

He confirmed that Ridley will play. Caddy is playing. And during his presser on Sunday he said Cox will play this week. That’s 3 changes already.

 

[Raz Man]

Caddy confirmed for a debut!!

YAY!!

 

[jdstorm]

Scott during his presser said they’re looking at 4-5 possible changes. Pending the way they want to go.

He confirmed that Ridley will play. Caddy is playing. And during his presser on Sunday he said Cox will play this week. That’s 3 changes already.

So in

Ridley, Caddy, Cox

Possible

Reid, Bryan.

Out: Jones and ….

Lots of things to consider

 

[Vindicater]

So in

Ridley, Caddy, Cox

Possible

Reid, Bryan.

Out: Jones and ….

Lots of things to consider

In: Ridley, Cox and Caddy

Out: Jones, Shiel and Hobbs

Ridley McKay McGrath
Redman Laverde Martin
Cox Merrett Perkins
Langford Caddy Gresham
Stringer Wright Davey

Goldstein Durham Caldwell

Heppell, Tsatas, Guelfi, Kelly

Sub: Hind

 

[fairbump_playon]

Hardwick put it pretty well- they are currently playing with one hand tied behind their backs.

And their forwards

 

[MattF185]

Assume three of the outs are Jones (suspended), Goldstein (rested) and Shiel (omitted). One of Laverde, Hobbs and Tsatas could be the other player omitted.

This team scenario below is with Laverde omitted, considering Richmond’s short forward line.

McGrath McKay Kelly
Martin Ridley Redman
Tsatas Durham Cox
Gresham Wright Caldwell
Davey Langford Guelfi
Bryan Merrett Stringer
Heppell Hind Perkins Caddy
Hobbs

 

[fairbump_playon]

Listening to Stringer talk when he was on the couch he was pretty reserved. When they where pressing him about if they had what it takes he was pretty much straight down the line as far as saying the group knew it still had a lot of work to do and every team they face is a challenge as you only have to be a fraction off and you can be beaten. The old one week at a time came out but it seems that is the focus.

I think that the Tigers will start hard. It will not be easy early. They are back at home. My expectation is just grind out another win by working on improving our systems and working towards playing the game how we want to. I am taking any win.

100%

It’s too big an occasion for Richmond to not fire a shot. They will be primed for a miracle.

They are extremely limited in talent across the 22 but still have 6 or 8 stars who could decide to turn up for once. Just have to weather the storm.

 

[MattF185]

100%

It’s too big an occasion for Richmond to not fire a shot. They will be primed for a miracle.

They are extremely limited in talent across the 22 but still have 6 or 8 stars who could decide to turn up for once. Just have to weather the storm.

Exactly right. Still have Vlastuin, Bolton, Dusty, Baker, Prestia, Nank, Rioli, Balta…plenty of premiership players who could have one or two great games left in them.

 

[fishardansin]

Xerri basically mugged Goldy all day. He may well need a rest this week. Bryan played what could have been a career best game in the VFL. Only worry is Nank is a physical beast.

Not sure Laverde holds out Reid for another week.

Ridley will be interesting given it appears they gave him limited game time. Maybe he is another week away.

Cox will probably be back.

I don't think they'll bring in both Reid and Ridley at once. Consistency in a backline is obviously important for the whole side. They could easily come up with an argument for both of them that they need time to get body right.

Laverde is not getting dropped after today

He completely destroyed Zurhaar and we sit 2nd

After watching that interview with Stringer about his 200th, I got the feeling that we probably won't see Laverde dropped ever! He's in tight with Merrett and even at this level there is always a core group (click) at the centre of the side.

A lot of changes getting thrown around for a team coming off a 40 point win and sitting second on the ladder…

Lets be clear, we're a young building side and need to make decisions on players like Bryan, and get games into players like Reid, Caddy et al. The fact that we've won a number of games against sides that are not in the top 8 and have somehow found ourselves 2nd on the ladder with a percentage of 103. Squiggle is a system that analyses your results based on the opponents and their typical results. They have us ranked as the 11th best side.

I think we'll be a good side when:
A fit and firing ruck pair of Bryan and Draper push Goldy out of the side.
Setterfield and Parish are in the midfield.
Ridley is back in the side as 3rd tall while there are two genuine tall defenders, Reid and McKay.
Caddy is putting pressure on Jones and Stringer.
Martin is out of the backline and Redman is playing that attacking role while being more defensively capable.
We have two genuinely dangerous small forwards.
Tsatas and Hobbs need games.

So, that is my long way of saying that we should still be building for the future at this stage. Our encouraging start is not a reason to go away from that. It is more of a reason to do it because there is hope. However, we'll be a middling side at best if we don't have these upgrades coming through.

Goldy, Heppell, Stringer and Hind are all giving us plenty this year, but they won't be part of our next premiership side. I hope that Laverde is depth by then as well.

We also need to play Bryan because we're either getting games into him or at worst, adding value to his trade.

So, while I'm responding to an old comment and we now know that Caddy will debut, I would have picked Bryan as Jones's replacement, rather than rest Goldy, so they can rotate forward and Wright can play as stay at home forward.

Our success so far this year puts us at a cross road. If we get carried away and start drinking the bathwater we won't be getting games into those who do and losing young players looking for opportunities elsewhere only to rise to a potentially solid 5-8 side next year, or we can go more long term and build an excellent side that will be challenging from 2026.

 

[ghostdog]

First choice: I'd play both Bryan and Goldy in the absence of Jones. Bryan and Wright will give Goldy enough support.

Second choice: Put our trust in Bryan and tell him to do what he did on the weekend and debut Caddy.

We're probably lucky this week that Nank hasn't got the mid brigade to serve that Xerri did, because Goldstein looked cooked on the weekend. He needs either support or a break.

That's half of my second choice confirmed.

Now, Bryan or Goldy. Surely not both.

 

[ghostdog]

Exactly right. Still have Vlastuin, Bolton, Dusty, Baker, Prestia, Nank, Rioli, Balta…plenty of premiership players who could have one or two great games left in them.

Is Baker confirmed in?

 

[Hird05]

Okay, final time I'm doing this this week:

In: Cox, Bryan, Ridley, Caddy
Out: Shiel, Goldstein, Hobbs, Jones

McGrath - McKay - Kelly
Redman - Ridley - Martin
Cox - Caldwell - Heppell
Guelfi - Caddy - Davey
Stringer - Wright - Langford
Bryan - Merrett - Durham
Laverde - Tsatas - Gresham - Perkins
Hind

Yeah these changes. Only difference is I think Hibd ranks just above Tsatas so would have him start.

 

[MattF185]

Yeah these changes. Only difference is I think Hibd ranks just above Tsatas so would have him start.

Yeah, can see that happening. Would prefer Tsatas getting the full match and to experience playing in front of 75000+.

 

[MattF185]

Is Baker confirmed in?

Yep, confirmed.

 

[Keystone agony]

I don't think they'll bring in both Reid and Ridley at once. Consistency in a backline is obviously important for the whole side. They could easily come up with an argument for both of them that they need time to get body right.


After watching that interview with Stringer about his 200th, I got the feeling that we probably won't see Laverde dropped ever! He's in tight with Merrett and even at this level there is always a core group (click) at the centre of the side.



Lets be clear, we're a young building side and need to make decisions on players like Bryan, and get games into players like Reid, Caddy et al. The fact that we've won a number of games against sides that are not in the top 8 and have somehow found ourselves 2nd on the ladder with a percentage of 103. Squiggle is a system that analyses your results based on the opponents and their typical results. They have us ranked as the 11th best side.

I think we'll be a good side when:
A fit and firing ruck pair of Bryan and Draper push Goldy out of the side.
Setterfield and Parish are in the midfield.
Ridley is back in the side as 3rd tall while there are two genuine tall defenders, Reid and McKay.
Caddy is putting pressure on Jones and Stringer.
Martin is out of the backline and Redman is playing that attacking role while being more defensively capable.
We have two genuinely dangerous small forwards.
Tsatas and Hobbs need games.

So, that is my long way of saying that we should still be building for the future at this stage. Our encouraging start is not a reason to go away from that. It is more of a reason to do it because there is hope. However, we'll be a middling side at best if we don't have these upgrades coming through.

Goldy, Heppell, Stringer and Hind are all giving us plenty this year, but they won't be part of our next premiership side. I hope that Laverde is depth by then as well.

We also need to play Bryan because we're either getting games into him or at worst, adding value to his trade.

So, while I'm responding to an old comment and we now know that Caddy will debut, I would have picked Bryan as Jones's replacement, rather than rest Goldy, so they can rotate forward and Wright can play as stay at home forward.

Our success so far this year puts us at a cross road. If we get carried away and start drinking the bathwater we won't be getting games into those who do and losing young players looking for opportunities elsewhere only to rise to a potentially solid 5-8 side next year, or we can go more long term and build an excellent side that will be challenging from 2026.

Lav wasnt picked round 1

 

[Hird05]

Yeah, can see that happening. Would prefer Tsatas getting the full match and to experience playing in front of 75000+.

Agree but would be pretty stiff on Hind after last few weeks.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

With the Tigers running out of players maybe we should offer them a few of ours like in the U10s. I nominate Dodo, Sheedy and Skeeta.