The Season Ahead - Tigers in ‘07
March 30th, 2007
With the dawn of a new AFL Season approaching, I thought it appropriate (given that the old man and I have got a membership this year) to take some time out to pass on some valuable predictions on what the season 2007 might look like for the Mighty yeller and black.
Richo (Matthew Richardson) to spend half the season on the sidelines. The big, dumb and ugly one is just losing the fight against retirement. I love him, and hope he’s got a couple more seasons in that tired old body. But I can’t see him gracing the field for more than 10 or 11 games this year.
Shane Tuck to win Richmond’s Best and Fairest. He’s quickly becoming the sole representative of consistency in a violently inconsistent midfield. As long as Patrick Bowden stops feeding brother Joel exhorbitant amounts of leather, Tucky should take it this year.
Terry Wallace to write off a thrashing as a “learning experience” and “good for the team”. Don’t get me wrong. I love Wally. But sometimes the crap that spouts from the senior coach’s mouth just makes you want to collapse in incredulity. For the past 3 years we’ve been allowing the Tiges to get off with pathetic efforts because we’re “such a young list”. And given that it seems to be working well for Tiger Terry, I can’t see the line changing just yet.
A big win against a team much better than us. It seems that every year the Tiges manage to get up over some pretty tough opposition including last year’s shock win over (then premiership favourites) the Crows.
A big loss over a team we are much better than. The inevitable baggage that goes with being giant killers is that you then end up getting beaten by a team who shouldn’t be able to make your reserves. So Round 1 against the navy blues is probably a danger game for us.
All in all, the prediction you’re really waiting for……. the Tiges will probably finish
9th.
March 30th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Look forward to your comments Geoff. Must admit that Richmond dosn’t spark me much this year. I dont think I even have one richmond player in my dream team!
April 2nd, 2007 at 5:10 pm
7. Richmond fans to jump on the bandwagon in record numbers, and then membership to plunge to all time lows when prediction 6 comes true
April 2nd, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Come now Mark, it seems a little untimely for a Fremantle supporter to be talking about bandwagons at the moment, when your own previously-well-populated bandwagon has seen so many jump ship after being beaten by nothing team like the Power? The “premiership favourite” talk seems to have quietened somewhat huh? At least the yellow and black followers are realistic about our chances for the year.
April 4th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
I have dismissed the abheration of round one from my mind, reminding myself that last year we suffered at the hands of Geelong in the middle of the year, and then won 9 in a row, storming into the finals.
42, 000 plus members, for a team that has only won one final in its history, not bad.
Seriously, Richmond fans are well known as the most fickle of the all….
April 7th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Mark, if Richmond fans really were the most fickle of them all, then you would surely think that having spent the last 24 years with only 2 finals appearances that rather than having a relatively strong membership base (at least middling in terms of Melbourne teams), they’d have gone under a long, long time ago. We’ve actually surely got to have one of the more resilient supporter groups going around, when you understand in those terms.
But you probably didn’t want a logical answer to your sledging to start with, did you?
April 10th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
no, its lots more fun if we are irrational, go Polak, go Simmonds!!