Lessons from the 2018 finals

On lessons from the finals:

  • Different styles can win the premiership, including the traditional forward structure.
  • The ability to chop off attacking thrusts with intercept marking is an under-rated part of Richmond’s game plan and was vital for WCE.
  • Clarkson is obviously a very special coach. Last 6 premiers either his team or coached by an apprentice. Please tell me Rutten worked for him, as otherwise it seems ridiculous we have no one who worked for him. Should have chased Ratten hard to replace Neald.
  • manic pressure is important but not the be all.
  • Turnovers are killers and to be avoided.
  • The first quarter and attitude is critical. It almost sunk a better WCE, it did sink multiple other teams.
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Tag Sidebottom, very important one for me

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It’s necessary to make finals if you want to be able to win the Premiership.

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Yep, that tagging still has a role to play is another.

Good points.

Add to that the importance of tall marking forwards in a congested defensive 50. Kennedy and Darling were of high importance in the second half and supports Richmond move to get Lynch.

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So you’re saying Rance is underrated !:open_mouth:

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You can still win a flag with your 2 best players on the sidelines.

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Dual key forwards as a target are still important. Darling and Kennedy took 20 marks albeit a few up the ground.

Tigers worked last year but not this with just Jack.

With one, such as JD for us, you are too predictable unless you vary who you kick to.

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No magic sauce.
Play well enough to qualify.
Play really well in the finals.
Anything else is noise.

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Nothing wrong with to many big blokes

Controversial

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Experience is underrated

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Get Gaff

Its the 2 rucks that kill me. Are west coast midfield that good that they can handle a one less runner. Our club ceased that experiment a long time ago and quite rightly so.

Scoring more than your opponent seems to be fairly important as well

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Looks like Vardy and Lycett only played 61% game time each as well whereas Cox played 92% and Grundy 89%.
Like Hawks, West Coast have gone for the two ruckman set up pretty consistently over the past 4-5 years where they can. Hawks seemed to have more players running through the middle whereas WC seem to have more set positions ie Rioli and Ryan seemed to be parked pretty much permanently in the forward half.

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Main thing I took from the GF is that we can beat both those teams.
Bring on 2019.

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It’s the first time in a while that I’ve watched a GF and not thought that we had a long way to go.

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The only lesson for me was again how much I enjoy Collifilth losing a Grand Final

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We lack ability in the air through the midfield and half forward… too many smalls… Remember the days when Hird, Heffernan,Rioli, Mercuri, Blumfield, Ramanauskas rolled through the middle? All good overhead…
Collingwood have 10 guys that can run through the middle - we need to increase our depth
Who plays on De Goey next year? And Yeo when he drifts forward? Gleeson and Ridley too skinny, McKenna not good enough in the air, and Francis is best zoning off as a third man up.
we need a grunt midfielder with explosiveness from the stoppages…
We are super quick…

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