Match report - Wizz Cup - R1 - vs Melb.

[mightytiges]

Match Review:

Wizard Cup - Round 1
Richmond vs Melbourne
Friday 21st February, 2003

Just under 17000 fans (of which about 14000 were of the tiger variety) made their way via 15 minute queues into a roof-shut Docklands stadium (Telstra Dome) on a humid night to see the season kick-off of the Wizz-fizz Cup between one side who failed to get anywhere near expectations last year in Richmond and the other,Melbourne, who bar the most optimistic demon supporter exceeded theirs in finishing 5th.The new look preseason competition was introducing new (IMO mostly silly) changes with 9 pt "super" goals and orange-clad umpires.

The tiges were without their captain in Campbell as well as Holland, Duncan Kellaway, Dragga, Hall, Zantuck and new recruit Blumfield whereas the dees were missing the likes of Yze, Vardy, Brown and defenders Nicholson and Ellis. Both sides were showing off new look midfields with the addition of Kane Johnson in the tigers' line-up and former Essendon players Heffernan and Moorcroft in the red and blue.

1st quarter
The first "throw-up" (no bouncedowns in this comp.) began with Stafford, Johnson and surprisingly Krakouer and Pettifer ??? in the centre. The tiges were one short on the bench as Andrew Kellaway was returning late from a funeral.
The game got away with Richmond getting the first clearance and first few forays into their forward line. However, the disposal was poor with the ball bombed high and long and/or frequently travelling over the heads of the forwards, no crumbers to be seen and relatively simple marks were being spilled in general play (sadly a pattern that would last throughout the night and a sight all too familar last year).
The game settled into a battle between the HB lines until a free kick to Otto got the tiges first onto the board. From the pursuing centre throw-up, Melbourne started to win more of the ball especially from ball-ups and boundary throw-ins, resulting in their first goal by Moorcroft and the first 9pt "super goal" to Wheatley. Fortunately for the tiges Mills was able to get on the end of one of Richmond's scrappy forward thrusts and score. Melbourne was getting its running game going and instantly replied with two simple goals themselves.
Cameron decided to avoid the pass and scored a long 9 pointer which lifted the tigers. Richmond's intensity lifted as the quarter drew to a close and we were able to level the scores through a goal to Houlihan and a point to Krakouer.

Richmond....1.3.2-29
Melbourne...1.3.2-29

2nd quarter

Stafford, Johnson, Rodan and Bowden began in the centre however a silly free by Chaffey resulted in a goal to Melbourne. Richmond's intensity dropped off and we didn't look like scoring (which turned out to be the result). Any sense of a system in the tigers' game vanished along with many of players' skills. We continually kicked to outnumbered contests, fumbled, slipped/fell over going for the ball, were flat footed, were slow in moving the ball on, stayed 5m off opponents instead of going for tackles and pressuring them and were caught behind in virtually every "contest". Our delivery into the forward was one-dimensional and we continually and unsuccessfully bombed in hope to where our forwards were instead of passing in front of our forwards so they could lead and run towards the incoming ball. This 1-dimensional play suited Melbourne as they kept players defensive side of the ball, especially at stoppages, leaving open space to hit/kick the ball into and rebounded at will. This resulted in them slamming on 5 goals and basically ending the game as a contest.

Richmond....1.3.2-29
Melbourne...1.8.5-62

 

[mightytiges]

3rd quarter

The centre four were Stafford, Krakouer, King and Cameron?. A glimmer of hope came when Otto marked on the lead (first time in the game one of our forwards was given a decent pass out in space). However from the resulting point Melbourne quickly snuffed out any hope when another Richmond turnover - this time a pass in the backline which picked out a demon guernsey - resulted in a goal to the dees.The game was heading into junk time already and the two sides traded two goals, one another 9 pointer to Wheatley. Richmond's second goal for the quarter coming from direct, corridor play beginning from the backline. Ironical cheers travelled around the stadium.

Richmond....1.5.3-43
Melbourne...2.10.10-88

Final quarter

The game continued in the same way as the last two quarters although Melbourne started to slack off now with the game safely in their keeping. Goals to Bowden (who sadly had a shocker), Houlihan and Richo were answered all too easily by two from Melbourne.

Richmond....1.8.5-62
Melbourne...2.12.15-105

Goals: Cameron 9 ptr, Houlihan 2, Richo 2, Bowden, Mills, A.Kellaway, Ottens.

Best: Chaffey, Stafford, Johnson (more so the first half), Gas' job on Neitz.

Injuries: Rodan (ankle), Krakouer (knee).

Summary

ok..these Wizz fizz games are just glorified practice games in the grand scheme of things, so losing is no big deal as each team is at a different stage in their preparation. Last year Collingwood and Melbourne were thumped in their first preseason games and were poor in their other two yet easily made the finals in the season proper. What was concerning was that what went on tonight (or should I say didn't) was an exact replica of most games last season - no system, no positional play, reactive, stilted, skill-less, passionless, no brainer footy. Whether you call tonight a reality check, rust or whatever, the fact remains we have now 6 weeks to find some semblance of form, system, teamwork and importantly confidence.          

 

[TigersGoddess]

the dees were missing the likes of Yze, Vardy and defenders Nicholson and Whelan?.

Whelan was playing he's the guy Chaffey went through when he got reported for charging.

 

[gustiger12]

Melbourne ran in numbers and had numbers to the ball all night.

They also applied physical pressure around the packs which we did not.

I think we they made us look even worse as their disposal was much sharper than ours, which I hope was just an indication of the differing levels of preparations we are at at this time

 

[TigerFurious]

I don't really care that we lost but what does worry me is that we played exactly like last year. Kick long to Richo/Ottens vs 3 defenders and watch the ball rebound for a goal.

But even more disturbing is the lack of quality kids coming through. It appears that every other club seems to have some boom recruit that pops up immediately and has an impact where as Richmond seem to keep producing (with the exception of Coughlan, Rodan and Zantuck) mediocre player after mediocre player.

Frawley's first draft in 99' has produced Fiora who at this stage can only be described as disappointing. Then there was Poyas and Homewood who are already gone and Mills who should have gone and Zantuck who at pick 70+ is more luck than astute recruiting.

The 00' draft saw us recruit Petiffer, Coughlan, Hyde, Krakouer and Newman. Only Coughlan commands a spot in the starting 18 and the rest can only be described as fringe players at best.

Considering we have only made the finals twice in the last 10 years you would think the club would look to build a new core group of players to take them that next step, instead we see one disappointing recruit after another. I know its early and we are all a little upset over fridays performance but the club has some serious problems with recruiting and this season doesn't look any better.

 

[gustiger12]

TF have to agree with a lot of what you say although I believe the AFL's incompetence in handling the Carlton affair pre draft conspired against us this year.

Having said that this is an area where I hope that Greg MILLER will be able to provide some much needed guidance, unfortunately because of the prior off field management issues he will be somewhat hamstrung until we start to prepare for 2004.

I think Fridays performance will have already had some impact on the future of a few who are in the last years of their contract.

 

[Neil Brazier]

one third of our list is made up of players from other AFL clubs - 13 players out of our list of 39. This figure is too many - we have to start developing our own players especially some yound tall defenders and ruckman. We have no young ruck who we can play in the Practice games coming up - so we have to risk injury to Stafford and Ottens in these games. Bad Planning or should I say Short Term Planning.

I am worried about this year.

 

[MC24]

Considering we have only made the finals twice in the last 10 years you would think the club would look to build a new core group of players to take them that next step, instead we see one disappointing recruit after another.  I know its early and we are all a little upset over fridays performance but the club has some serious problems with recruiting and this season doesn't look any better.

Why does it always seem that every other Club drafts better than us? Over time, I've come to realise that it's not actually our ability to draft players that is the real problem, but our ability to teach players. They all have some amount of talent and ability when they arrive, but, for some inexplicable reason, they fail to improve at our Club as the years go by.

I could rattle off a few names, but I'm sure I don't need to. All I'll say is that there are players at this Club who are still living off the "potential" tag they had at the start of their careers. My biggest concern is some of the younger players at the Club now. Are we going to be "getting stuck into them" over the next few years because they haven't improved? Or maybe we've already started.

Why keep having a go at the players. To me it's our footy Club that's the problem, not necessarily the players. It's a little too early to jump off the deep end, however, I thought that we were supposed to be re-inventing ourselves over Summer. You know, the three RRR's.

Didn't see too much different on Friday night from what I saw last year. If we think that we just need to recruit people to make a difference then we are seriously deluding ourselves.

OK, the huge change isn't going to happen in one game, over night, or anything like that, but you would like to think that you could hope to see at least something different, to suggest that some sort of positive change is taking place.

Many point the finger at the players, but that's not where the problems start. The players and the way they play is merely a product, or end result, of the environment that has been our beloved footy Club all these miserable years. Unless the Club realises this then I don't know how we can hope to have any of our players become the players we dream of, or see any semblance of what a real footy team looks like.

The successful Clubs have the ability to develop players, just like we used to, once upon a time. We've forgotten that art and unless someone like Greg Miller can help us find it again, then we should all develop patience, or become impervious to pain.