The nature of the week-to-week AFL competition and proliferation of talking heads means reactionary takes are commonplace.
Richmond are an obvious target after going about two hours without a goal – while conceding 10 – in Saturday’s 44-point loss to a previously out-of-form Sydney at the MCG, after slotting three of the game’s first four.
A dejected group of Tigers trudge off the MCG after Saturday’s disappointing performance against Sydney.Credit: Getty Images
A “really, really” disappointed Adem Yze, in his second year as Tigers coach, said that period was not “up to AFL standard” and his team’s second-quarter performance was likely its worst for the season.
But let’s go against the grain, and place more stock in Richmond’s larger sample size this year, which suggests they are in a much better spot than most expected.
Experts almost universally predicted doom and gloom for them, and potentially even a winless campaign in 2025, fresh from a wooden-spoon finish and losing the likes of Dustin Martin, Dan Rioli, Shai Bolton, Dylan Grimes and Jack Graham.
Instead, these youth-laden Tigers – who sent out six players with 20 or fewer games’ experience against the Swans – have beaten Carlton, finals-bound Gold Coast and bottom side West Coast, while two of their losses were by four and three points.
Richmond have done so despite naming seven debutants (behind only Essendon’s eight), including unveiling a bunch of tall prospects: Harry Armstrong, Luke Trainor, Jonty Faull, Liam Fawcett, Campbell Gray and Tom Sims.
It is a contrasting route to North Melbourne’s lengthy and ongoing reset, which focused on building from the midfield out. The Tigers’ other debutant was midfielder-forward Sam Lalor, who has demonstrated the toughness, skill, composure and X-factor that saw him be the dux of last year’s draft.
And don’t forget 196-centimetre interceptor Josh Gibcus, who has endured a horror injury run since an eye-catching debut season in 2022 – after being the No.9 pick – and is yet to appear this season.
As a result of the departures, Richmond made seven top-30 selections in 2024, but also snared a probable top-four choice from the Kangaroos in this year’s edition, for the No.27 pick last year and their 2025 second-rounder.
Richmond need to improve their midfield brigade around Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper.Credit: Getty Images
Something the Tigers need are more blue-chip midfielders to complement and eventually take over from Tim Taranto, 27, and Jacob Hopper, 28.
They are set to pick two of the best few teenage talents in November, even with top-liners Zeke Uwland (Gold Coast) and Daniel Annable (Brisbane Lions) tied to northern academies.
Richmond recruiters will be ogling potential top-five selections Dyson Sharp, Willem Duursma – brother of Xavier, Zane and Yasmin – Sam Grlj and Oliver Greeves, while ruck-forward Cooper Duff-Tytler, a No.1 pick candidate, is another option.
They have onballers Josh Smillie and Taj Hotton, both selected in the top 12 last year, waiting in the wings, too, so Blair Hartley and co. have identified their list building blocks.
It makes you think of ex-Tigers coach Damien Hardwick’s bold statement on joining Gold Coast, where he said he believed he already had 80 per cent of the Suns’ inaugural premiership side.
There is less evidence at Punt Road for Yze to make such a call about Richmond, but they should be pleased with the early signs.
The Tigers know key-position players take longer to develop and come with a higher bust risk than their midfield peers, but also how crucial they are, which was why they drafted so many, so early in this process.
They are hopeful the next Alex Rance and Jack Riewoldt are lurking within this crop, while Richmond are planning for life after Toby Nankervis, with Samson Ryan, Mate Colina and Oliver Hayes-Brown jostling to be his ruck successor.
Tiger Tom Brown has been one of the bright spots for Adem Yze’s team.Credit: Getty Images
Beyond the wins, competitive defeats and first-year draftees, another positive is that some other emerging Tigers have put their hand up to suggest they could be meaningful parts of a successful future, too.
Tom Brown, Seth Campbell, Sam Banks, Steely Green, James Trezise and Kane McAuliffe are chief among those – and that is as important as any other development.
Noah Balta, Jack Ross, Ben Miller, Rhyan Mansell and Thomson Dow headline a modest mid-20s group that needs to get stronger but offers a decent-enough plank for now between the kids and veterans.
Speaking on Fox Footy, Riewoldt, like Yze, was concerned with Saturday’s effort, saying too many of these types of losses can be “soul-destroying”. The coach himself mentioned there would be pain along the journey, yet the underlying evidence is that Richmond are ahead of schedule.
Frittering away chance
Melbourne were looking more like the side many expected before their latest Alice Springs horror show against St Kilda, so it was not particularly surprising that they ran Collingwood close.
The problem for Simon Goodwin’s Demons is they started the season 0-5 and have a sub-90 percentage, so finals remain a longshot for a club that gave away its first-round pick this year to Essendon (a strategy that has consistently worked for them).
Bayley Fritsch has kicked 207 goals in 100 games since the start of 2021, but he’s had a challenging season and even at his best was criticised – including by Matthew Lloyd – for being selfish at times.
The aftermath of Bayley Fritsch’s ill-advised decision to play on near goal.Credit: AFL Photos
Fritsch is back in form after being dropped ahead of round six, and kicked two of his three goals in the final quarter to give Melbourne a shot at upsetting the ladder-leading Pies.
However, there was a brain-fade moment, with scores tied in the last term, when Fritsch marked 25 metres out, and instantly played on while not realising Isaac Quaynor was in front of him. That was bad enough without factoring in that teammate Tom Sparrow was on his own running towards the goal square.
Goodwin probably takes the good with the bad from Fritsch, but it was certainly costly.
What the 2021 premiership coach would be thrilled with was the Demons’ disciplined team job on Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos, from Ed Langdon to Clayton Oliver and Judd McVee. Langdon did the lion’s share of the lifting in a sacrificial role, but the overall willingness to stick at it was one of the most positive takeaways.
Daicos finished with a modest 19 disposals, one goal and only four score involvements. Mission accomplished.
All-Australian ruck race
We are amid one of the most competitive races to be the starting ruckman in the All-Australian side.
Selectors might need to consider picking two of seven-time All-Australian Max Gawn, Tristan Xerri and Tom De Koning, given how good they have been. Neither Xerri nor De Koning has ever made the final cut, although the Kangaroo made the extended squad last year.
The last time two ruckmen made the team was in 2021, when Gawn (starting) and Nic Naitanui (bench) were selected. Xerri, De Koning and Gawn were excellent again in round 13, and offer different qualities.
Tristan Xerri and Tom De Koning, pictured during their Good Friday battle, have built All-Australian ruck cases.Credit: Getty Images
Xerri leads all ruckmen in clearances and hitouts-to-advantage; Gawn averages more marks, disposals and contested possessions than all his ruck peers; and the uber-athletic De Koning performs strongly in almost every relevant category.
None of their teams are in the top eight, which continues an unhealthy narrative about ruckmen’s worth, but that should not take away from how great each of them has been.
Of note is that Xerri towelled Gawn in round two, while De Koning received coaches’ votes against Xerri in round six (Xerri won the hitouts and was a tackling machine but De Koning kicked a goal and had more clearances in a big Carlton win). Gawn and De Koning are due to do battle in round 19.
Jack Silvagni shut down in-form Bomber Nate Caddy to be one of Carlton’s best players.Credit: AFL Photos
Where do Blues fit?
Carlton’s unconvincing victory over Essendon on Sunday night provided little evidence that they have turned the corner and are set to challenge for a finals berth.
Coach Michael Voss performed his best spin-doctor impression after their 38-point first-half lead disintegrated to only six with almost four-and-a-half minutes left, against a Bombers side missing Mason Redman, Sam Draper, Nick Bryan, Kyle Langford, Ben McKay, Zach Reid and Jordan Ridley.
Voss said they addressed their constant second-half fadeouts during the bye a week earlier and that the worrying trend would not be instantly solved.
“It’s a good problem to have, if you’re in front by that much, and you’re getting that many opportunities,” he said. “The harder one to solve is you’re behind all the time, you get no opportunities, and you’re trying to win your game from a completely negative base.”
The Blues could take heart from Jack Silvagni’s job on Nate Caddy in his first game back, Zac Williams’ reintegration as a forward, and tagger Alex Cincotta’s effort on Zach Merrett.
First-gamer Hudson O’Keeffe also showed promise. Voss revealed afterwards that the 202-centimetre ruckman made significant strides as a forward in the past month to earn his shot.
