In the countdown to bouncedown season 2012, Tony Greenberg examines the final burning question on the lips of the Tiger faithful . . .
Is Richmond ready to play finals in 2012?
It’s the million dollar question, and you can phone a Tiger friend if you’re unsure . . .
Richmond, like virtually every other club in the competition, has its sights set on a finals berth this year after a couple of seasons learning senior coach Damien Hardwick’s game plan.
The Tigers started from a pretty long way back, but there’s no doubting the progress they’ve made, having put games into a large group of young players, and unearthed some authentic gems in the process.
Success-starved Tiger fans tend to be a little gun shy when Richmond and finals are linked in the same sentence. They have been there, been disappointed, several times over the past three decades, as the sparkle of pre-season promise has quickly dissolved into dust.
But that was then - this is now. The Tigers have stockpiled as much young talent as I have seen at Punt Road, at the one time, since Weightman, Lee, Roach and co. came through together in the late 1970s.
Richmond has players of genuine star quality in Cotchin, Deledio, Martin and Riewoldt, with some others appearing capable of stepping up into the elite category, plus the rock-solid reliability of skipper Chris Newman.
There’s no doubt the Tigers now have more depth in most areas of the ground. Admittedly, though, some of it is, as yet, young and unproven.
Momentum is a significant factor in AFL football, as in all sports, and if Richmond can jag a couple of early wins, or get on a roll at any stage, watch the Yellow and Black self-belief levels soar.
That said, Richmond’s 2012 season should not be judged solely on whether it finishes with a finals appearance. This is still one of the least experienced playing groups in the competition and inconsistency of performance tends to go hand in glove with that.
If, however, the Tigers can win the games they’re expected to, and be much more competitive against the top teams, then that would signal further steady improvement at Punt Road.
