AFL 2019 Season Preview- Richmond
Yellow and Black All Aboard the Tiger Train to the AFL Grand Final
AFL tips and betting at iTipsports features all 18 teams in our FREE AFL Season Bonus Preview that will outline their fortunes for 2019 from our expert AFL tips analysis and introduces our method of AFL betting analysis the HBM Human Behaviour Model.
Our eighteenth team we analyse for the AFL tips and betting in the AFL 2019 season is Richmond.
A Disappointing End to 2018
A very disappointing way for the Tigers to bow out of their premiership defence after winning 22 games straight at the MCG and finishing two games clear on top of the AFL ladder at the end of the home and away season that had the Tigers a raging AFL tips and betting premiership favourite.
Boasting the second best attack and second best defence in the AFL the Tigers were Un-Richmond like and never got their game going and had their pants pulled down by Collingwood in the Prelim Final. They also looked a shadow of themselves when Dusty (injured knee) couldn’t bring the output needed in that game.
2018 will be the Drive for a Resurgent 2019
The Tigers can overcome this downfall and use it as a driving force in AFL 2019.
If there is something Damian Hardwick is good at its reflection and change. A pivotal moment in his coaching journey is when he took time to seriously reflect on himself and change. Working on his personal growth and revealing his vulnerabilities to his group, he is very authentic with this and we feel there is no better placed coach to respond from last years disappointment.
Lynch a Major Recruiting Coup
One of the worst kept secrets in the footy world came to fruition in the off season with the Tigers securing the services of former Suns Skipper Tom Lynch. Put him side by side with the Coleman Medallist Jack Riewoldt, Daniel Rioli lurking around along with Jack Higgins and Josh Caddy another key target and the Tigers can really be confident going forward.
When you look through the club departures in the off season it relates mainly to some second and third string midfield rotations. Now these will be important because part of Richmonds strength was having up to a dozen who could capably go through the midfield. Along with the “No Dusty No Richmond” claims they need to bring some depth from below somehow.
Off Field Stability and Leadership a Key
The Tigers however are very well placed in one of the most important aspects of success which is off-field leadership. President Peggy O’Neale has been a brilliant leader and her ability to unite a disorganised Board and to garner the support of the membership base along with standing strong behind her Coach when he was under all sorts of pressure in 2016 should not be underestimated particularly at a footy club that have a strong history of eating their own.
When you couple that with the bold vison of CEO Brendan Gale who correctly predicted (5 years ago) no debt (they were 3 million in red at the time) 75,000 members and a premiership (they were 13th at the time) it shows they have all of the off field boxes ticked a big plus for any club.
On field leadership is strong when in the space of 18 months Trent Cotchin went from a relative underachiever (to being a Brownlow Medallist (retrospective) and a Premiership captain, this has freed him to be even more of himself and his team follow. Richmond are well placed for 2019 and we see an immediate bounce into the AFL Grand Final.
The caveat is Rance…Coach Hardwick needs a Solution
Its all very well for coaches to say “one player in one player out” when there is a season ending injury but there are times when you really have to consider the quality of the player going out vs the player going in. Alex Rance is the case in point-the question can the Tigers win the flag without Rance?
The obvious answer is yes of course they can history is littered with sides who have overcome serious injuries to key players to win the flag you only have to look back as far as last year when the Eagles lost Natanui and Gaff in close succession, two of their best players, they went on to win…
Rance is a different kettle of fish-he is such a vocal directional player out on the field and really marshall’s that defensive area and there has probably been no better third man in to control the aerial defensive power than Alex Rance.
Rance is so pivotal to the entire game plan of the Tigers they play in a way that they are happy to concede a “dirty ball” inside their defensive 50 knowing that Rance is there to save the day. It really allows them to be aggressive in the centre square and attack with the chance to get a quick inside 50 knowing that if they don’t Rance is there to repel.
If there is a positive for the Tigers its probably that it occurred in Round 1-they really have to re-establish a suitable way to play that doesn’t include Rance-it may leave them a litte more defensive through the midfiled-but this could be the price they have to pay. In short the Tigers can win the flag without Rance but the job has all of a sudden become a little more difficult
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