Grand Final 2020 Thread Richmond Vs Geelong / Game Day Thread | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Grand Final 2020 Thread Richmond Vs Geelong / Game Day Thread

There is a video "The 10 Best moments of the 2020 Finals" on the site that cannot be named.
Have a look at number 8 and compare Bruce's call of that to his call of Martin's last goal.
It wasn't even much of a goal. Gather, run, three bounces, open goal.
 
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Was just watching it. You can almost hear him splashing his passion on the microphone as it happens.
 
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Gazza's obviously retired but there's a massive number of players on their list that are, or will be in the 30 and over bracket next year and for the moment there's been no indication of further likely retirements. None of those players will get any better over future months n more than likely will be staring down the precipice of age n niggles. Normally would be a superb situation to be able to have three first round picks to bolster the list this draft but most of the kids have missed a crucial development year n they'll all more than likely take three pre seasons to properly develop. Even if they get Cameron for SFA I can't really see him suddenly improving their " team " situation, ( last years Granny not one of his team mates went to him when he kicked the first goal ).

Doubt that the Moggies have a very strong core of next gen coming through at the moment n I don't think they've bothered to put enough proper game time into many of their kids last two years.
Whilst they play and recruit all these geriatrics they actually have some good young players who they don’t play, some are looking to leave. Clark, Constable, Narkle, Atkins are examples.
I don’t see why they would be looking to recruit a 33 year old Sean Higgins. Doesn’t make sense to me.
 
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When looking back on the game we had Vlossy off, Bachar hobbled and Broadie knocked senseless and our back 6 decimated. That had a lot to do with the 2nd quarter I reckon.
The backline was awesome during that period because it could have been a lot worse.
 
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There is a video "The 10 Best moments of the 2020 Finals" on the site that cannot be named.
Have a look at number 8 and compare Bruce's call of that to his call of Martin's last goal.
It wasn't even much of a goal. Gather, run, three bounces, open goal.
This is the last thing I will say about Bruce here, apart from the fact he should've been moved on when Cometti quit.
In the direct aftermath of the 4th goal, which he underwhelmed and bungled, as Brian Taylor is attempting to talk up the goal and the player,what does Bruce say? He says this.
"Well, we've had Paddy Dangerfield down one end...."
He sort of trails off and the comments go nowhere. He truly has an obsession with Dangerfield, and I'm pretty sure he hates Martin.
He also asks the question after the 4th goal, I'm paraphrasing, "So does he win the NSM'.... again totally bungling or misreading the moment. Hodge sets him straight in no uncertain terms.
Whateley cops a fair bit of *smile* on here, but he went ballistic on the SEN call, virtually putting a crown on Dustbag's head. Kudos.
 
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When looking back on the game we had Vlossy off, Bachar hobbled and Broadie knocked senseless and our back 6 decimated. That had a lot to do with the 2nd quarter I reckon.
The backline was awesome during that period because it could have for a lot worse.
Not much is being said about Broady.
I too reckon he was possibly ‘concussed’ somewhat? That was my observations.
We held on that 2 quarter for 10 mins with the onslaught and we reset after HT.
HT came at the right time.
So did Dusty’s goal prior.
 
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Whilst they play and recruit all these geriatrics they actually have some good young players who they don’t play, some are looking to leave. Clark, Constable, Narkle, Atkins are examples.
I don’t see why they would be looking to recruit a 33 year old Sean Higgins. Doesn’t make sense to me.
Narkle looks a superb young player. As you infer, just needs a regular string of senior matches in the right environment to to get his confidence up and look out.

A bit like Butler at St.Kilda. Always had the talent at Richmond and did contribute strongly when playing in the 1s. But confidence was down a bit, being in and out of the senior side. Look at him now. All-Australian form (unlucky to miss out in All-Australian selection). Ratten and co put his trust in him, gave him the run he deserved and had been working so hard for. And he killed it.

Narkle and a few others there that you mention could well do the same. Some of those clubs on the periphery of contention, (Saints, Lions, Eagles etc) will pick them up and they’ll explode. Will come back to haunt the Pussies.
 
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Pains me to say the following, but....

What a phenomenal effort to win arguably the most difficult flag there has been in VFL/AFL history - not just on Saturday night, but the season throughout.

If they keep this group together, then there's no reason why they can't go on to win more. Usually when teams win a second or even third flag, the core group is aged and it's the last hurrah, but that doesn't look the case here.

One thing about this Richmond team though is they are just that - a team. They work seamlessly well together and no other side in the comp comes close to this. From line to line they just function as a collective. They play to a system that works and works well - and every player is well-drilled to play to it which is why injuries affect this club less because it looks like regardless of whoever comes into the side, they know what they need to do.

Top-end talent helps, especially if you've got Dusty, the game's best player and certainly one of the best to have ever played, but that talent at the top will only take teams so far - Geelong of the past few seasons are an example of that, and Carlton during the Judd/Fev era which had a bunch of mid-table finishes. It simply needs to be a buy-in right throughout, which it is at Richmond.

It's amazing to think that four years ago they'd missed the finals after a string of first-week exits and looked set for more mediocrity, and Hardwick looked like a dead man walking. It wasn't a culture shift overnight from 2016-17 and clearly those inside the club saw the progress he'd made beyond win/loss ratio to keep him on, having built from the time he took over in 2010.

The old Richmond would have moved stealthily to remove him, and that's part of the significant culture shift within the club. From memory there was even a board challenge up and going but the club treated it with the ignore it probably deserved. The old Richmond wouldn't have done that.

Hardwick's now one of the great coaches with three flags to his name. The key thing for me is how he's been able to keep his side backing up year after year. The players love him and they play for him, and coaching now is all about relationships, and it's extremely difficult to get a squad all on the same page.

The supporters who stayed with them through the hard times - and there were plenty - deserve this after turning up each year, each week when they were the laughing stock for so long. But I'd say that 2017-2020 more than makes up for countless weeks across more than three decades of showing up regardless, knowing your side would get flogged but sticking by them. I'm sure like any club who's had success they've had folks jump on the bandwagon recently, but those aside, the special thing by and large about Richmond's legion of supporters is they still turned out in numbers when there was no hope, and what a feeling it must be to experience the current highs.

I'm sure I'm like a lot of supporters of rival clubs, where I'm left to wonder - how did one club get it so right, and another get it so, so wrong? I'll admit the jealousy is high, but why wouldn't it be. For years after Essendon won their 16th flag to equal Carlton, many times in pubs with a pot in hand would be spent heartily bantering and bickering with Bombers mates over who would reach their 17th flag first. Well, none look near it, haven't for years and are still that far off that I haven't bothered debating it for a long time.

The jealousy hurts as a supporter of a once powerful club to see them falter year after year, while a well-run club like Richmond has emerged from the wilderness to record a dynasty of three flags in an era where they've never been harder to win - and it could have easily been the past four premierships. But that jealousy turns into (grudging?) admiration for what they've been able to do, and you've simply got to respect it. There really is no other way than to roll your sleeves up, work hard, stick by each other, buy in and make the right decisions on club personnel.

It doesn't last forever and nothing is ever guaranteed in footy, so if this is the last one they win, it's a pretty special one for a number of reasons. But I fail to find a reason why there's not further success to be had in the Tiger dynasty.
 
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Pains me to say the following, but....

What a phenomenal effort to win arguably the most difficult flag there has been in VFL/AFL history - not just on Saturday night, but the season throughout.

If they keep this group together, then there's no reason why they can't go on to win more. Usually when teams win a second or even third flag, the core group is aged and it's the last hurrah, but that doesn't look the case here.

One thing about this Richmond team though is they are just that - a team. They work seamlessly well together and no other side in the comp comes close to this. From line to line they just function as a collective. They play to a system that works and works well - and every player is well-drilled to play to it which is why injuries affect this club less because it looks like regardless of whoever comes into the side, they know what they need to do.

Top-end talent helps, especially if you've got Dusty, the game's best player and certainly one of the best to have ever played, but that talent at the top will only take teams so far - Geelong of the past few seasons are an example of that, and Carlton during the Judd/Fev era which had a bunch of mid-table finishes. It simply needs to be a buy-in right throughout, which it is at Richmond.

It's amazing to think that four years ago they'd missed the finals after a string of first-week exits and looked set for more mediocrity, and Hardwick looked like a dead man walking. It wasn't a culture shift overnight from 2016-17 and clearly those inside the club saw the progress he'd made beyond win/loss ratio to keep him on, having built from the time he took over in 2010.

The old Richmond would have moved stealthily to remove him, and that's part of the significant culture shift within the club. From memory there was even a board challenge up and going but the club treated it with the ignore it probably deserved. The old Richmond wouldn't have done that.

Hardwick's now one of the great coaches with three flags to his name. The key thing for me is how he's been able to keep his side backing up year after year. The players love him and they play for him, and coaching now is all about relationships, and it's extremely difficult to get a squad all on the same page.

The supporters who stayed with them through the hard times - and there were plenty - deserve this after turning up each year, each week when they were the laughing stock for so long. But I'd say that 2017-2020 more than makes up for countless weeks across more than three decades of showing up regardless, knowing your side would get flogged but sticking by them. I'm sure like any club who's had success they've had folks jump on the bandwagon recently, but those aside, the special thing by and large about Richmond's legion of supporters is they still turned out in numbers when there was no hope, and what a feeling it must be to experience the current highs.

I'm sure I'm like a lot of supporters of rival clubs, where I'm left to wonder - how did one club get it so right, and another get it so, so wrong? I'll admit the jealousy is high, but why wouldn't it be. For years after Essendon won their 16th flag to equal Carlton, many times in pubs with a pot in hand would be spent heartily bantering and bickering with Bombers mates over who would reach their 17th flag first. Well, none look near it, haven't for years and are still that far off that I haven't bothered debating it for a long time.

The jealousy hurts as a supporter of a once powerful club to see them falter year after year, while a well-run club like Richmond has emerged from the wilderness to record a dynasty of three flags in an era where they've never been harder to win - and it could have easily been the past four premierships. But that jealousy turns into (grudging?) admiration for what they've been able to do, and you've simply got to respect it. There really is no other way than to roll your sleeves up, work hard, stick by each other, buy in and make the right decisions on club personnel.

It doesn't last forever and nothing is ever guaranteed in footy, so if this is the last one they win, it's a pretty special one for a number of reasons. But I fail to find a reason why there's not further success to be had in the Tiger dynasty.
Beautifully written.
 
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Just listened to Gerard SEN’s call of Dusty’s goals.
I will download his take later , you just have to listen to it. Just got to listen to it PREnders.
He went ‘nuts’.
 
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There are GF Podcasts of radio shows filling the room while I work this morning.
 
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Don't know if it's been mentioned but me and my three teenage sons loved Luke Hodge's intro to the telecast. I normally hate all the fluff, but I thought that he delivered it perfectly. Predicted Dusty going into "full beast mode" too. Very funny.
 
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