Should we move Richo to a wing??

[hungry1]

I think it may well be time to consider moving Richo up the field. With the multiple goal scorers we have had over the last 2 weeks I can see that with the proper delivery and a hard running and attacking midfield we have the players to be able to kick a winning score without having to direct everything through Richo.

Advantages
1. No longer a one dimensional forward line.
2. Richo will be more damaging up the ground and possibly kick more goals. He can lose opponents up the ground and then running forward of the ball getting east touches in the forward 50 rather than being 3 manned at each contest.
3. No more Richo dummy spits as he will be delivering the ball rather than receiving in most instances. Will feel more part of the game rather than standing around waiting for the ball to be delivered into the forward 50.
4. Will be able to play apart in kick ins and with his ability to take conested marks should be a real benefit to the team.
5. Can play a major role when flooding the defensive 50. Opposition will find it hard to hit forward targets with Richo lurking...getting a fist on the ball or taking a strong grab.
6. Very difficult for opposition to match him up. Unlikely to have a tall player able to run with him, and should be able to outmark smaller opponents.

Disadvantages
1. Can he run out games playing up the field?? I have a feeling his endurance is not his strongest asset.
2. He isn't experienced up the field and his disposals may let him down from time to time resulting in turnovers.
3. Lacks experience defensively and his opponent may lose him from time to time as Richo enjoys running forward of the ball.

Anyway those are my thoughts. Would be interested in other Tiger fans thoughts on Richo's best spot. I have always felt that he is better than just a full forward and his best footy has always been when he has been away from the goal square.

 

[Dean3]

Agree with the sentiments Flea & some good thoughts there. I've often thought that Danny should move Richo to the wing for a quarter here and there, especially when he's not getting much of it, or his kicking is off and he starts to drop his head.
I don't think his endurance would be a problem - he's one of the hardest running big men in the game. The only thing that would count against him is his lack of defensive skills, so pushing him up the ground would carry some risk when he's on a mobile backman such as Pavlich or Fletcher. But if he's matched up on a Prestigiacomo or someone of that ilk, yeah give it a go for a quarter.
Wouldn't support a permanent move though - for all his faults he's still our best option up forward by a mile.

 

[Rosy]

Great post flea.
I've posted before that I don't think Richo is the ideal CHF, but not too many agreed, ha.
To me he's not disclipined enough to play there full time, and can be a bit hot and cold.
I think we need to be a bit flexible with Richo. His better games lately have been when he's had licence to run around at will. If he's having a bad day put him somewhere that he can run and jump and get the ball without standing there sulking.
I'd prefer him on a HFF than CHF if he's not having a good day.
I agree with your reasonings. It would be interesting to see how Richo went on a wing, or even on the ball.
One thing's for sure, there are games where Richo in the 50 metre is more of a liability than an asset to the team game.

 

[Rosy]

for all his faults he's still our best option up forward by a mile.

I agree Richo can be our best forward option, but some days that isn't always so.
It's up to Danny and the team to work out when that's the case and change things accordingly.

 

[TigerFurious]

Rosy is spot on. Richo's best position is CHF running back towards goal. Frawley should go and have a coffee with Robert Walls and learn a thing or two on how to play Richo.

 

[Dean3]

I agree rosy, I think he's best at CHF - but I still count that as a forward option;D. I don't like him as a FF much at all...not because of how he plays there, but because we tend to bomb it long to him every time when he's down there.

 

[hungry1]

Seems we all agree that he should move out of Full forward but that he should still be somewhere around the forward area. The problem is whenever he is permanently based in the forward line the ball gravitates towards him and makes us very predictable.

By playing him up the ground the bonus is that he has the ability to lose his opponent running forward and he could play an important role on our defensive 50 with kick ins and flooding back. I also don't see any reason why he could not be more damaging in front of goal either. Remember as full forward he is only averaging 1 goal per game at the moment this season. Not a great return for a full forward. IMO he'll kick more goals when running loose.

 

[Harry]

Richo should play at HFF. A wingman needs to be involved in the hardball gets in the middle - something richo cannot do. Playing him at HFF, he will be able to run up and provide an option at kick ins, he will be able to run and lose his opponent and be able to double back into goal scoring areas, and he will not be double manned in the forward line.

Richo's strength is his running ability and he is wasted at FF. Plus he is not smart enough and his kicking is not good enough for FF. He is also not smart enough to play CHF. And he is not good enough below his knees to play wing. IMO HFF is his best position.

 

[PMac]

Hi everybody back after a time away............

Good post from Flea to start this thread but..I disagree with Richo in the midfield. Apart from marks he's not a big one for contested possessions and his defence isnt up to it.

Like many in this forum, I'd like to see Richo off the HFF with permission to go pretty much where-ever he wanted to go. Many of the tigers best games over the past few years havent been when Richo has kicked a bag, but rather those games when he's chased the ball up field, picked up a dozen or so marks, run on 10 meters and kicked it another 50 or 60 into the forward line.

Richos ability to mark and run make him a very dangerous mover of the ball into attack and this is where his value would come.

The traps are: an attacking HBF could carve us up and who do we use to fill FF and CHF?

 

[dimmauchump]

agree with all posts especially moving him out of FF!!!! If and that is IF we can continue our form from sunday and get our midfielders to stream through and kick goals then richo in the fwd 50 will only upset such a system!!! With a midfielder running through to kick a goal, seeing richo lead will only make him non-decisive!!! Go for goal and incur richos wrath or kick to richo and miss him!!!! Whereas a defender coming out the back 50 looking up field, seeing a roaming richo is an ideal target!!! Richos disposal to teammates is not as bad as some people think!!! To be honest he hardly misses when passing to a teammate, its more shots on goal!!!! Out of the 50!!!!!

 

[Dean3]

Despite what I've said above, talk of playing Richo on a HFF, or any 'position' is really old hat anyway. Whether he plays close to goal or away from goal is mostly dictated by his match-up. eg. If Mick Martyn picks him up, he's going to push away from goal and run him around to get Mick out of his comfort zone and split the Carlton defence, or if Pavlich picks him up he's going to push closer to goal to stop Pavlich being the link man running out of Freo's defensive area. That's why he's such a great player - a great running forward and also a difficult bloke one-on-one in the goalsquare.
Whatever we prefer, if he has to play close to goal to suit our structure then at least he CAN do it.