The 2014 PREmier Fighting Tiger Award - THE AWARDS

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

20

Matt Dea (7)

Total Games For Richmond 31
Total Votes 60 (0)
Rounds Played 7 (3)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10NP ’11:28 ‘12:22 ’13NP
Average Votes/Rounds 8.6
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 14 (12)
Best Round (Votes) 12 vs North Melbourne (43)
Normalised Score (Rank) 3.004 (19)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 2 (=15)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 29
Most Votes From Fighting Fury, fuzztiger, Panthera tigris FC & SkillzThatKillz (5)

In my report on Matty Dea in 2013, I referred to his struggle to find a place in our first choice back 6 and it would seem that this problem is still relevant this year. He managed to add another 7 games in 2014 (second only to his 14 appearances in 2012), but with a season high 17 disposals in those matches, while playing as a running defender, it is clear that at this point he is providing depth. He turns 23 next month and will need to take more strides in his ability to read the play and find the ball, if he is to have a future at Richmond. His 29th place in the JDM would suggest that the coaches also feel that he has plenty to work on.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

19

Troy Chaplin (25)

Total Games For Richmond 45
Total Votes 90 (199)
Rounds Played 22 (22)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:NOL ’13:12
Average Votes/Rounds 4.1
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 16 (11)
Best Round (Votes) 22 vs St Kilda (32)
Normalised Score (Rank) 3.398 (17)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 1 (=18)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 6
Most Votes From Sammy C & SkillzThatKillz (7)

Chaplin’s 19th place finish in this year’s awards may surprise some and certainly contrasts with his 6th place finish in the JDM. However, he did have a very ordinary first half of the year and even when his form did return (around the time that Rance returned), he didn’t often feature in the best 3, which this award recognises. Even so, 19th probably doesn’t really reflect his value to the side and his ability to play as the loose man, that is so important when our defence is at its best. His 29 touches against St Kilda in round 22 really shows what he is capable of and the fact that he hasn’t missed a game since coming over from Port Adelaide really makes a joke of the idea that his body was shot.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

18

Ivan Maric (20)

Total Games For Richmond 55
Total Votes 91 (134)
Rounds Played 13 (19)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:4 ’13:14
Average Votes/Rounds 7.0
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 18 (20-21 & 23)
Best Round (Votes) 23 vs Sydney (39)
Normalised Score (Rank) 2.722 (20)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 1 (=18)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking =13
Most Votes From MorrisMinor & tigersnake (5)

The loss of Maric for the first half of the season may have been one of the contributing factors to our disappointing results during that time. Neither Hampson nor the Big O were able to fill the gap left by the absence of Ivan. It’s interesting, the role that Ivan plays for the Tigers, as his physical presence just seems to lift our midfield. He is clearly a natural leader and his passion is infectious. He doesn’t impose himself as a tap ruckman, but he is big enough to go toe to toe with any ruckman in the league and at least let them know that they are in a contest. He also works tirelessly around the ground and can take those marks on the wing that are such key contests in modern footy. He’ll be 29 years old next season and we are going to have to seriously be thinking about succession for the future as Maric will not be able to shoulder the load by himself for much longer.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

17

Nathan Foley (41)

Total Games For Richmond 154
Total Votes 96 (90)
Rounds Played 17 (16)
Historic Position ’07:1 ’08:4 ’09:5 ’10:17 ’11:7 ‘12:8 ’13:20
Average Votes/Rounds 5.6
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 14 (18)
Best Round (Votes) 13 vs Fremantle (49)
Normalised Score (Rank) 3.442 (16)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 1 (=18)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 15
Most Votes From Coburgtiger & LeeToRainesToRoach (6)

Axel, the 2007 winner of this award, managed to play another 17 games in 2014, which was an encouraging return, given his history of injury. However, it is clear that those injuries have taken a toll and at 29 years old, he doesn’t have the true line breaking speed that characterised his best games in the Yellow and Black. Having said that, he is probably still in the best 22 as I write this, but it will be hard for him to maintain that position if our developing midfield improves as it should in 2015. That is nothing against Axel, who has been an excellent club man at the Tigers, but just an honest reflection on where his game is at and the current state of the Richmond list. Let’s hope he can continue to contribute for the remainder of his career and make the young brigade earn their spot in the Tiger engine room.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

16

Bachar Houli (14)

Total Games For Richmond 88
Total Votes 120 (325)
Rounds Played 22 (20)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:6 ‘12:15 ’13:9
Average Votes/Rounds 5.5
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 11 (2)
Best Round (Votes) 22 vs St Kilda (75)
Normalised Score (Rank) 3.550 (15)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 3 (=11)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 9
Most Votes From Tiger Ghost (8)

Another consistent season from Houli, albeit unspectacular. His consistency and durability have been a hallmark since arriving from the Bombers in 2011. Since that time he has only missed 2 matches for the Tigers and has played the important running halfback role, turning defence into attack and using his raking kick as a weapon. His inability to really impose himself on matches, averaging 21.5 touches per game, probably explains his lower position in this award, which only rewards top contributors. However, he is an important soldier in the side and sports such a fantastic beard that I’d expect to see plenty more of Bachar’s contributions in 2015.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

15

Ben Griffiths (24)

Total Games For Richmond 35
Total Votes 135 (0)
Rounds Played 15 (1)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10NP ’11:25 ‘12:25 ’13NP
Average Votes/Rounds 9.0
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 5 (3)
Best Round (Votes) 3 vs Western Bulldogs (53)
Normalised Score (Rank) 3.666 (14)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 2 (=15)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 20
Most Votes From Baloo (11)

Considering the season’s commentary and Baloo advocacy you could be forgiven for being surprised that Big Ben finished at 15th in this award (and 20th in the JDM). However, the commentary and his club award for most improved player reflect the potential impact that a player with his skill set could have. At the end of 2013 there was much discussion about his future and his work on the contested side of his game with Chocco Williams seems to paying dividends. His work to impose himself physically on the contest, to fly for and grab the big pack marks, his tap work in the ruck and his huge, booming kick (out of range eh BT? pfffft), have been a real highlight of this season. He clearly needs to work on his work inside 50 and his goal kicking, as his 12 goals (0.8/game) for the season probably explain his final position in this award. 2015 could be a big season for Griff and I look forward to seeing his rip apart a game singlehandedly. He has shown the potential, he just needs to put it all together.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

14

Ricky Petterd (13)

Total Games For Richmond 29
Total Votes 139 (36)
Rounds Played 16 (12)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:NOL ’13:25
Average Votes/Rounds 8.7
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 7 (2)
Best Round (Votes) 17 vs Port Adelaide (47)
Normalised Score (Rank) 3.939 (13)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 2 (=15)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 17
Most Votes From evo (8)

A player that seems to polarise opinion on PRE more than most, Petterd managed to string together 16 matches and a finals appearance in 2014. He does have the ability to frustrate with some great games, such as his 22 touches, 9 tackles and 2 goals against Port Adelaide contrasted with his horrible games, such as his terrible 9 disposal elimination final. If he could just find a bit more consistency and eliminate his occasional shanks and brain fades he could be very important player at Tigerland. He has a natural goal sense, is fearless and tackles with the best of them. Hopefully, we will see a better all-round season from Ricky Bobby in 2015 and we can banish the memory of his elimination final performance from our memory.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

13

Sam Lloyd (42)

Total Games For Richmond 8
Total Votes 141 (n/a)
Rounds Played 8 (n/a)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:NOL ’13:NOL
Average Votes/Rounds 17.6
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 4 (4-5)
Best Round (Votes) 4 vs Collingwood (140)
Normalised Score (Rank) 3.397 (18)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 3 (=11)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 28
Most Votes From bigwow, Blind Faith, Brodders17, fuzztiger, GoodOne, happytige, Herr_Tiger, Hugo, jb03, larabee, Mikee, mk33, MorrisMinor, Newman, Ridley, Sammy C, SkillzThatKillz, spook, st.francis, tigerdave, tigerman, tommystigers, Total Tiger, WesternTiger & YinnarTiger (3)

Sam Lloyd made quite an impression when he debuted for the Tigers in round 3 vs Collingwood. 22 touches, 5 tackles, 3 marks and 3 goals was an outstanding return and he was voted best Tiger afield in this award, securing 140 out of his total of 141 for the season. Unfortunately, he never quite scaled to such heights in his other 6 matches and there are some reports that he may have gotten a bit ahead himself after such a sterling debut. He was obviously drafted to kick goals and he did show that he does have that capability at the highest level with 3 bags of 3 from his 8 games. The question will be whether his lack of pace and a tank will count against him. With only a single AFL preseason under his belt you would think that we could see improvement in this area and he may be able to find himself a niche as that medium marking forward that hurts the opposition on the scoreboard.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

12

Reece Conca (30)

Total Games For Richmond 71
Total Votes 175 (413)
Rounds Played 18 (16)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:15 ‘12:13 ’13:7
Average Votes/Rounds 9.7
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 7 (7)
Best Round (Votes) 7 vs Geelong (128)
Normalised Score (Rank) 5.116 (12)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 3 (=11)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 18
Most Votes From Baloo, loto, Rowdy, Tiger Ghost & tigergollywog (5)

2014 was another season where Reece Conca showed the glimpses of what he is capable of without really having an overly consistent season. In what I had hoped would be a break out year for Reece, playing the inside midfielders role, he only managed to average 18.7 disposals in his 18 matches and wasn’t able to string solid games together throughout the season. His brain fade that saw him suspended late in the season for a clumsy elbow that struck the back of the head of his opponent and sparked a brief media frenzy, didn’t help matters. There are some whispers about him being shopped around to West Coast, which would be disappointing and would certainly impact on the cuddles/goal stats at Tigerland if it actually came to fruition.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

11

Shane Edwards (10)

Total Games For Richmond 152
Total Votes 222 (109)
Rounds Played 22 (19)
Historic Position ’07:12 ’08:24 ’09:12 ’10:11 ’11:16 ‘12:9 ’13:18
Average Votes/Rounds 10.1
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 11 (21-23)
Best Round (Votes) 16 vs Brisbane (58)
Normalised Score (Rank) 6.989 (9)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 5 (=8)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 4
Most Votes From Newman (12)

I think it would be hard to argue against 2014 representing Titch Edwards’ best season for Richmond (an almost perennial announcement). Despite this, his 11th placed finish is actually not as good as his 9th place in 2012 and equals his 2010 result. He is another polarising player on the PRE boards with some still seeing him as Shank, despite his improvements in this area. Few could argue that he was in the best 3 players during the final matches of the season, consistently winning the ball, hitting targets from inside the pack with bullet handballs and evading would-be tacklers. As I’ve said before, he brings something unique to the Tiger midfield when he is in form and can lead to unlikely goals with his ability to crack open the play. The coaches clearly recognised his contribution and his 4th place finish in the JDM was well deserved.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

And now for the TOP TEN of the 2014 PREmier Fighting Tiger Award!

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

10

Daniel Jackson (23)

Total Games For Richmond 156
Total Votes 223 (643)
Rounds Played 10 (22)
Historic Position ’07:16 ’08:21 ’09:3 ’10:9 ’11:13 ‘12:21 ’13:4
Average Votes/Rounds 22.3
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 3 (9)
Best Round (Votes) 4 vs Collingwood (59)
Normalised Score (Rank) 6.375 (10)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 3 (=11)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 27
Most Votes From MalenyTiger, rosy23 & Tagger (12)

The 2013 Jack Dyer medallist provided the shock of the season when he announced his retirement on the eve of our finals campaign. 2014 was a horror season for Jacko, who was unable to get his body right and only managed to make 10 appearances for the season. In retrospect his decision doesn’t really surprise me. His JDM winning speech hinted that footy wasn’t the be all and end all for Jacko and he clearly has lot going on outside of his footy life. He will be sadly missed in the yellow and black, but considering his abilities outside of footy, perhaps we’ll see him back in other capacities in the future. Jacko held a special place in the footy hearts of many PREnders as we acted as his sponsor for the duration of his career. He showed what can be achieved with hard work, courage and dedication and will retire a club champion, not a small achievement for someone who many considered a battler.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

9

Matt Thomas (19)

Total Games For Richmond 13
Total Votes 241 (n/a)
Rounds Played 13 (n/a)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08: NOL ’09: NOL ’10: NOL ’11: NOL ‘12: NOL ’13:NOL
Average Votes/Rounds 18.5
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 1 (2)
Best Round (Votes) 2 vs Carlton (132)
Normalised Score (Rank) 5.928 (11)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 5 (=8)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 22
Most Votes From MalenyTiger (9)

Recruited as a mature-aged rookie from Port Adelaide prior to the 2014 season, Matty Thomas was elevated for round 1 and had some decent cameos throughout the season. With the absence of Jackson through injury for much of the season, Thomas provided a lot of grunt in the midfield and racked up some impressive numbers, with 29 touches and 7 tackles in our round 1 loss to the Gold Coast and his 11 tackles against Carlton the following week a couple of stand outs. Although he’s no match winner, he provides important grunt inside, which helps lighten the load on players like Cotchin. Even if it is only for depth, he has a place on the Tiger’s list and he is a better option than an untried kid in that role.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

8

David Astbury (12)

Total Games For Richmond 37
Total Votes 268 (3)
Rounds Played 8 (5)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:19 ’11NP ‘12NP ’13:30
Average Votes/Rounds 33.5
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 2 (6-9)
Best Round (Votes) 4 vs Collingwood (127)
Normalised Score (Rank) 7.154 (8)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 4 (10)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 25
Most Votes From Streak (9)

Reading my report on Dave Astbury from 2013, it is fair to say I was reasonably pessimistic about his prospects. His lack of form after his recovery from his serious knee injury made his prospects seem less than good. What a revelation it was to see his form in the first 8 games of 2014! He was able to go with the best full forwards and beat them week in, week out. Having seen him up close during a match function, it is safe to say that he is true key position player size now and his strength was evident during those early season highlights. We all know what happened though, with another knee injury cruelly curtailing his season. The only positive being that he was back playing in the VFL by the end of the season, raising hopes for a reasonable preseason and a return in 2015. A fit and firing Astbury looks like he could be a key player in a successful Tigers backline.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

7

Anthony Miles (26)

Total Games For Richmond 13
Total Votes 399 (n/a)
Rounds Played 12 (n/a)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08: NOL ’09: NOL ’10: NOL ’11: NOL ‘12: NOL ’13:NOL
Average Votes/Rounds 33.3
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 6 (18)
Best Round (Votes) 13 vs Fremantle (101)
Normalised Score (Rank) 14.014 (7)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 9 (7)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 12
Most Votes From fuzztiger (22)

Another one of the major highlights of 2014 was the debut of Anthony Miles for the Tigers. Being made to work in the VFL and accrue massive numbers in the process, he forced his elevation to the senior list through these performances. Most pleasing was that this form at VFL level translated to AFL form and his impact in the Tigers midfield coincided with the start of the Tiger’s dream run in the latter half of the season. For a 22 year old kid, that only just managed to find himself on an AFL list in 2014, his performances were exceptional. He averaged 24.4 possessions, 4.3 tackles and 3.2 frees for in his 13 matches. He works for a living and is often at the bottom of the pack, winning the ball, or winning the free in the process. This role clearly freed up players like Cotchin, Martin and Deledio to play more outside and improved our inside and outside game noticeably. It wasn’t surprising to see him win the best first year player award and it looks like he could play a key role in the Tigers’ midfield for the foreseeable future.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

6

Brandon Ellis (5)

Total Games For Richmond 65
Total Votes 495 (503)
Rounds Played 22 (20)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:17 ’13:5
Average Votes/Rounds 22.5
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 4 (2-3, 15 & 20-21)
Best Round (Votes) 2 vs Carlton (113)
Normalised Score (Rank) 15.161 (6)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 11 (6)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 2
Most Votes From Rowdy (21)

These awards always throw up an apparent spurious result now and then, and the 6th place finish for Brandon Ellis could be considered one of them. This is even more surprising given it is a worse result for him when compared to his 5th place in 2013. I think it is fair to say that Brandon fully show his A-grade repertoire in 2014. Averaging 26.1 touches per match, ranked 6th in the AFL for total kicks, 4th for total uncontested possessions and 6th for total rebound 50s it was a nice to see him rewarded with a spot in the initial 40 considered for All Australian and a 2md place finish in the JDM, all this in the year he turned 21. He plays such an important outside role for the Tigers and his massive tank allows him to run up and down the wings all day long, accruing possessions at will. I look forward to seeing further improvement in 2015 as Ellis plays his role as a key element of the Tiger midfield.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

5

Jack Riewoldt (8)

Total Games For Richmond 157
Total Votes 526 (342)
Rounds Played 22 (21)
Historic Position ’07:28 ’08:17 ’09:9 ’10:1 ’11:8 ‘12:10 ’13:8
Average Votes/Rounds 23.9
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 2 (10)
Best Round (Votes) 10 vs GWS (159)
Normalised Score (Rank) 15.590 (5)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 13 (=4)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 5
Most Votes From SCOOP (16)

With the all the pain and misery we’ve witnessed over the past 3 decades, one thing we have been blessed with in recent times has been a consistent goal kicking forward. While many other teams struggle to find a match winning forward, we had Richo and after his retirement, Riewoldt. As much as the media like to point out the ‘new’ selfless Jack, this has been part of his game for some time now. Despite this, he still consistently kicks 60+ goals a season. Yes, he is outspoken and perhaps he overstepped with his comments about the gameplan this year, but that is all part of the package that is Jack. He clearly loves playing for the jumper and 2014 also featured one of the best performances in a Tiger jumper in recent memory when he bagged 11.2 against the hapless Giants in round 10. With an evolving forward line, combined with his natural footy smarts, it will be interesting to see where Jack finds himself positioned in the future. What we can rely on is that he’ll continue to kick goals and set up plenty for his teammates.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

4

Brett Deledio (3)

Total Games For Richmond 214
Total Votes 579 (874)
Rounds Played 18 (22)
Historic Position ’07:2 ’08:2 ’09:1 ’10:2 ’11:4 ‘12:2 ’13:2
Average Votes/Rounds 32.2
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 1 (1)
Best Round (Votes) 1 vs Gold Coast (131)
Normalised Score (Rank) 17.190 (4)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 13 (=4)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking =7
Most Votes From AstuteTiger & SkillzThatKillz (17)

In 2014 it looked like Deledio’s golden run in these awards was set to meet its end. As it turns out, his 4th place finish equals his worst result (2011), which says a lot about the consistent and durability of this Tiger champion. At 27 years old and 214 games, he still has plenty of good years left and with many of his fellow draftees of 2004 moving around to other clubs (he and Roughead from the Hawks are the only 2 from that top 5 at their drafted club), he has also shown plenty of loyalty. Sitting in 11th position in these awards after 17 rounds this season, his 4th place finish says a lot about how he finished off the season. I personally rated him our best player in the final quarter of the season, but overall with an average of 25.4 touches/game you would have to say that as a whole he was pretty damaging. With his skills he is one of the key players for the Tigers and he was missed during his injury this year. Hopefully we can reward his consistency with another finals campaign in 2015.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

3

Dustin Martin (4)

Total Games For Richmond 108
Total Votes 663 (961)
Rounds Played 21 (22)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:5 ’11:2 ‘12:12 ’13:1
Average Votes/Rounds 31.6
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 1 (12-14 & 18-20)
Best Round (Votes) 9 vs Melbourne (134)
Normalised Score (Rank) 23.633 (2)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 17 (2)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking 3
Most Votes From jb03 (29)

The 2013 winner of this award, Dusty Martin had another solid season and was leading this year’s race after round 20. Unfortunately, a late season injury and a missed match as a consequence were enough to see him slide to 3rd overall. Still a solid finish from one of the Tiger’s best. Dusty’s 2014 form was dynamic, averaging 25.4 possessions and more than a goal a game, with 27 for the season, it must be a luxury for Dimma to be able to rotate Dusty through the midfield and then rest him one out in the forward line. Some of the best action this year occurred with Dusty in such a position. Too strong for the small defenders and too nimble against the big defenders if the ball hits the ground, he is a nightmare match up for opposition coaches. He has really seemed to settle this year as well and it was nice to see the focus on his footy, rather than anything off field. Listening to him speak (which he still is clearly not overly thrilled doing), it sounds as if he is settled at Tigerland, which is great to hear, as he is such an important part of the Tiger line up.

 

[Panthera tigris FC]

PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2014
FINAL RANKINGS

2

Alex Rance (18)

Total Games For Richmond 107
Total Votes 719 (499)
Rounds Played 17 (22)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:23 ’10:24 ’11:5 ‘12:7 ’13:6
Average Votes/Rounds 42.3
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 2 (23)
Best Round (Votes) 23 vs Sydney (163)
Normalised Score (Rank) 23.195 (3)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 19 (1)
Official Jack Dyer Medal Ranking =7
Most Votes From Rancey18 (24)

Another key element in the Tiger revival of 2014, was the return to fitness of Alex Rance. Even though he only missed 5 games for the season, his absence was certainly felt, with our backline struggling during that period. Once he returned he was consistently among our best players, being adjudged in the top 3 tigers afield in 9 of his 17 appearances. One on one he was rarely beaten and his attacking play set him apart from other negating defenders in the league. As a key defender he averaged 17.3 disposals and 5.8 marks and was 4th in the AFL for 1 percenters/game. He was rewarded for his elite showing, being named CHB in the All Australian side, not bad for a player that I personally wrote off back in 2010. We are a better side when our backline is settled and Rance is a key part of that side and clearly marshals the defence. Let’s hope that we can see a settled, Rance-led defence lead the Tigers to finals victories in 2015.