After another long off-season for AFL fans the time has finally come to see their favourite team in action once again, even if the games do take on a lesser meaning than during the season.
As a Richmond fan, it also means the beginning of what will hopefully turn out to be the most successful season the club has had in the past ten years.
There is a real sense of hope and expectation among many Tiger followers that season 2012 will finally be the year that the club takes that giant step forward and shows the competition that it means business.
Whether that means a finals berth is yet to be seen, but I’m of the opinion that this club doesn’t necessarily have to play in September action this year to show we are headed in the right direction.
At large season 2012 will be another development year for our beloved Tigers, however I have no doubt that the list is a lot further advanced than this time last season.
With the likes of Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin, Tyrone Vickery, Reece Conca and a whole host of others still very early in their careers there will still be the odd poor patch of play I’m sure.
On the flipside though these players should all improve, which will give us a tantalising look at what the future may hold in a few years’ time.
At this time of the year it is also wise not to read too much into a team’s pre-season form. The NAB Cup is usually used as an opportunity for clubs to experiment with their list, structures and playing style, as well as give their new kids a taste of what football is like at the elite level.
Over the years Richmond has performed fairly poorly in these types of matches and I’ve lost count at how many times I’ve seen players or even the whole team written off after a couple of poor pre-season hit-outs.
While it’s always good to win no matter what the circumstance, sometimes as fans its better just to take a step back and take the results in these games for what they are worth.
The thing I’m most looking forward to seeing tonight is how all the fresh faces perform. With eight new recruits being selected in the opening squad it will be a great chance to see some players who we ordinarily would only be able to watch through the VFL.
Amongst those recruits are ex-Crow Ivan Maric and first round draft pick Brandon Ellis, both of which are expected to figure prominently for the club this season.
There will be a huge focus on Maric in particular, given the ruck department has arguably been our weakest area on the list for some time. If the newly recruited Maric can make us competitive in this area it will go a long way to the club potentially playing in its first finals series since 2001.
All in all though it’s just great to have the game we love back tonight, which will hopefully result in a couple of Tiger victories