you’d hope so. watch and wait. hopefully it’s a profound difference from the very first practice match…
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It would no doubt be part of the long term plan to introduce the defensive aspects this year.
We have more young leaders on our list than we have had for a very long time so I have a lot of faith in them.
Tigers were below average in clearances last year (we were last), and won the granny.
They were also last for hitouts to our 15th.
In fact, most of the Tiger’s stats last year were decidedly average. Which may confirm once again, that it takes a multitude of things done right, by a cohesive team, that brings success.
Where they excelled was inside 50’s, Free’s Against (which may indicate aggression) and Clangers (risk taking).
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You think it was part of the plan to get monstered in the midfield and belted by 11 goals in a final then chop the midfield coach* after only 2 years in the gig?
*yeah I know he jumped but I reckon he saw the writing on the wall…
Being rolled by what is one of the best teams in the last ten years on their own patch is not something that was terribly pleasing but hardly a fair representation of where we are at.
We were cooked come finals time and other than the one quarter we competed quite well.
Sides like Sydney, Geelong and WC know how to setup and play on their home decks and spend a high proportion of time playing there.
It doesn’t come as a shock to me that they didn’t perform nearly as well when playing good sides at the G.
The fact that Gy got ‘chopped’ makes no difference to what Wooshas longterm view of our overall performance is. Guy wasn’t up to it but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be turned around quickly.
Without having seen this new group perform yet I cant see how it won’t be better than last years group.
Jobe was tired as we all know and the other returning players should get better.
Its the natural progression of our other young stars and the new recruits is where we will see the most improvement though. And I have a great deal of confidence it Skipworth as well so I’m anticipating totally different methodology in the way we go about things next season.
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We have been cooked come finals since 2007
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This alone is going to improve us naturally.
I’m confident we will have a good enough midfield to compete.
The Sydney final is also overblown. We were more competitive around the football in that match than the one we should have beat them in earlier in the year. In the final, our work under the high ball was a disaster and a far bigger issue.
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The past is not a true indicator of the future.
Exactly what I think
As you say we were competitive for all but the second quarter in Sydney.
In todays football with all the structures and rotations it’s very easy to get lost for a period of time once things go wrong and hard to reset again. Missing a couple of rotations was what some players say was a large caused of the Brisbane loss.
On the other side of the equation look at what we did to Port, WC and St.Kilda (the week after they in turn thumped Richmond). I don’t believe we were that much better a team than any of them.
People are putting special significance onto the Sydney loss because it was a final, but the same thing can happen in any game
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It is how much they have taken from that final is whats important now.
I just love that we have so much talent over every line now and also leadership.
I would love for Hurls or somebody else to run through Tex Walker at the opening bounce in round 1 just to show our intent for the season.
Finals footy is different to home and away - so they say - as the intensity increases and it’s a lot more do or die. Have a bad day or two and you are out. Richmond had three straight elimination final defeats from 2013-2015. They hadn’t won a final since 2001. Then bang. It all goes right for them.
Agree we have to improve our September football. But a lot of that will come from the home and away season as they work to improve how they approach and win games so they have that confidence in themselves to match it with any side. It will also be about being in top shape and primed for September, and not limp in on our last legs.
and go Devon
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Yeah, when has Goddard ever shown anything in the midfield… 
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You’ve got me?
When?
Second in the Crichton.
Zero Brownlow votes.
I’m with the rest of the world, sorry.
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He’s come 1st, 3rd, 5th, 4th and 2nd in the Crichton in his time here, while largely rotating between inside mid, wing and half back.
The only thing counting against him as a midfielder is that he’s also very good at other roles as well.
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Yes he has.
And he’s got zero votes in the midfielders award for the last two years.
But sure, talk him up as a midfielder.
Seriously, though.
Someone asked the question.
I want the answer.
Tell me the game.
I’ll watch it.
Tell me the game in the last two years where I’m gonna say, ‘well, ■■■■ me. Goddard was outstanding in the midfield.’
I’m with you on this wim…assuming we’re talking inside mid.
Goddard played some good footy in the first five rounds or so of 2017 as an inside mid, but apart from that, he simply hasn’t played that role much for us. In 2016 he played a bit more of it, but I don’t think he was very good.
His best footy is on the outside.
Even though he’s on the decline we can probably still get good value out of him in a role that suits, which won’t be in the midfield.
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I think he still has a lot to offer.
But not as the strong-bodied midfield extractor the OP was talking about.
He was the easiest to discount of the options provided.
Easier than Langford.
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Of course his best is floating in defence and using foot skills on the outside, but he was one of our best in the middle for the first third of 2017 before he shifted to his usual role and Zaharakis was given inside mid time
11 Brownlow votes.