The March to the finals- 2015.

[Feeling Tigerish]

every time i do ladder predictor we are playing one of north, geelong or bulldogs in an elimination final

all 3 we haven't beaten this year.

its ridiculous, but id rather play one of the top 4 teams than any of those 3

 

[AngryAnt]

every time i do ladder predictor we are playing one of north, geelong or bulldogs in an elimination final

all 3 we haven't beaten this year.

its ridiculous, but id rather play one of the top 4 teams than any of those 3

strangely when I run it we finish 3rd or 4th... but I have us winning every game :hihi

 

[JR8]

every time i do ladder predictor we are playing one of north, geelong or bulldogs in an elimination final

all 3 we haven't beaten this year.

its ridiculous, but id rather play one of the top 4 teams than any of those 3

Does not necessarily mean we will not beat them come finals time!!

 

[Brodders17]

strangely when I run it we finish 3rd or 4th... but I have us winning every game :hihi

we will be strong favourites in the rest of our games.

 

[year of the tiger]

we will be strong favourites in the rest of our games.

agree - next Friday will be a great game - Adelaide will be desperate to stay in touch - their finals start now.

and I am glad we finally get to play the suns in melb ;D

 

[RemoteTiger]

Love the euphoria around the club after a great win. The most important aspect of that win was the players got angry and focused that anger at the ball. If an opponent got in the way he paid the price. Brilliant true gritty with a touch of class win - which must make the players realise they are good enough if they play to their capabilities.

My fear -

The bright lights of the finals
+
The need for Richmond to win a game in the finals
=
Rabbits in the head lights

Totally overwhelmed by the occasion we play poorly and get rolled.

Finals games are a different game mentally and whilst our mental strength has improved - the question still remains are we mentally good enough to match it with the regular Grand, Preliminary finalists such as Hawthorn, Fremantle, Swans, etc. in a finals series.

Please let us not believe because we beat Hawthorn, Fremantle and the Swans in the Home and Away games we can do it again in the finals. The H & A wins are a good pointer that we are capable but finals mental pressure is another step up.

As I see it - Richmond's next challenges are

1. Get the double chance for the finals - possible - but also relies on other games going in our favour. (One game at a time)

2. Mentally strengthen our resolve to match it with Finals pressure.

Truly hope this aspect of the finals will be addressed by Hardwick and co. long before September action.

 

[AngryAnt]

We are already playing finals style footy.

We are turning up the heat on the opposition and they don't like it. If you don't reckon Hawthorn had to win that game you are kidding - they needed that win badly to stay in touch with a top two position - and they couldn't get the job done. This is the "best side in the AFL" that has just smashed Freo the league leader and that many saw as going for a three-peat unbeaten from last week until they raised the Cup. Unstoppable. That was a finals pressure game for them.

And we smashed them around the ground all night.

Worrying about matching the opposition in terms of pressure when finals come is the wrong way of thinking about it. Dimma wants us to be the team applying the pressure and forcing the opposition into errors. The Hawks, Frockers, Weegles and Swans are the ones worrying about matching us.

And this is right way to go about it.

 

[year of the tiger]

Love the euphoria around the club after a great win. The most important aspect of that win was the players got angry and focused that anger at the ball. If an opponent got in the way he paid the price. Brilliant true gritty with a touch of class win - which must make the players realise they are good enough if they play to their capabilities.

My fear -

The bright lights of the finals
+
The need for Richmond to win a game in the finals
=
Rabbits in the head lights

Totally overwhelmed by the occasion we play poorly and get rolled.

Finals games are a different game mentally and whilst our mental strength has improved - the question still remains are we mentally good enough to match it with the regular Grand, Preliminary finalists such as Hawthorn, Fremantle, Swans, etc. in a finals series.

Please let us not believe because we beat Hawthorn, Fremantle and the Swans in the Home and Away games we can do it again in the finals. The H & A wins are a good pointer that we are capable but finals mental pressure is another step up.

As I see it - Richmond's next challenges are

1. Get the double chance for the finals - possible - but also relies on other games going in our favour. (One game at a time)

2. Mentally strengthen our resolve to match it with Finals pressure.

Truly hope this aspect of the finals will be addressed by Hardwick and co. long before September action.

I think your talking about 2013 and 2014 to be honest. 2013 was about getting to the finals first time for a long time and by getting there we had achieved our goal. 2014 was similar because we started from so far back to just making it meant we had made the grade (and we spent so many petrol tickets just getting there we were spent in the elimination final)

This year is different and feels different and we are playing a different brand of footy. Both Hardwock and Chocco know exactly what it takes to win finals and grand finals - we have just come of 8 qtrs. of tough footy against two very good sides and I didn't see one backward step in either of those games - we just didn't hold our own in those games - we controlled both games - we were the enforcer - we set the standard.

The double chance would be nice - but I think we have missed that chance this year

We now have
* star factors (elite) players across all areas of the ground
* we have serious grunt factor
* our bottom 6 has improved dramatically over 12 months
* we are playing as a team
* we have leadership spread across all areas of the ground
* a game plan that appears to be pretty solid and is being tested against the best and it is working.

The next area to work on is flexibility - being able to throw people around into different positions to mix things up - we are not their yet

 

[CarnTheTiges]

We are already playing finals style footy.

We are turning up the heat on the opposition and they don't like it. If you don't reckon Hawthorn had to win that game you are kidding - they needed that win badly to stay in touch with a top two position - and they couldn't get the job done. This is the "best side in the AFL" that has just smashed Freo the league leader and that many saw as going for a three-peat unbeaten from last week until they raised the Cup. Unstoppable. That was a finals pressure game for them.

And we smashed them around the ground all night.

Worrying about matching the opposition in terms of pressure when finals come is the wrong way of thinking about it. Dimma wants us to be the team applying the pressure and forcing the opposition into errors. The Hawks, Frockers, Weegles and Swans are the ones worrying about matching us.

And this is right way to go about it.

The Hawk supporters seem to be trying to gloss over it by saying that they didn't need to win the game, whereas we did, but they did need to win it. It largely extinguished their chances at a top 2 finish and a home final.

 

[Tigertough1974]

The Hawk supporters seem to be trying to gloss over it by saying that they didn't need to win the game, whereas we did, but they did need to win it. It largely extinguished their chances at a top 2 finish and a home final.

Yep these bloody hawk supporters barely knew any years ago now they seem everywhere, had a few mates on Facebook go back and forth saying loss we had to have..??

Didn't give them the dignity of a reply although they weren't aiming at me anyhow...

As always fans can be silly.. You only needed to see Clarkos presser to know he was a very upset man, check out when idiot Stevens asks him about the concussion incident, you can see he wants to jump the table and smash him, then bags Carey for suggesting it...

Yep one they had to lose!!

Go tigers!

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Yep these bloody hawk supporters barely knew any years ago now they seem everywhere, had a few mates on Facebook go back and forth saying loss we had to have..??

Didn't give them the dignity of a reply although they weren't aiming at me anyhow...

As always fans can be silly.. You only needed to see Clarkos presser to know he was a very upset man, check out when idiot Stevens asks him about the concussion incident, you can see he wants to jump the table and smash him, then bags Carey for suggesting it...

Yep one they had to lose!!

Go tigers!

I don't think Clarko would have been quite as confrontational as he was if that loss didn't get in his guts and burn. They wanted to win that one as much as anyone.

 

[Brodders17]

nah, the hawks fans are right. it was the loss they had to have. they wouldnt want a top 2 finish and a home final, would they.

 

[tigerlove]

The Hawk supporters seem to be trying to gloss over it by saying that they didn't need to win the game, whereas we did, but they did need to win it. It largely extinguished their chances at a top 2 finish and a home final.

Was a critical game for the Hawks to win even moreso since West Coast drew. Now 6 points from 2nd.

 

[BrisTiger24]

Was a critical game for the Hawks to win even moreso since West Coast drew. Now 6 points from 2nd.

And Eagles in Perth next week. Can't see them finishing top 2 now

 

[AngryAnt]

Was a critical game for the Hawks to win even moreso since West Coast drew. Now 6 points from 2nd.

That draw helped them a bit... if WCE had got they'd be out of 2nd place running altogether.

Will be interesting to see how many other sides try to take it up to them the way we did Friday night.

 

[artball]

I don't think Clarko would have been quite as confrontational as he was if that loss didn't get in his guts and burn. They wanted to win that one as much as anyone.

of course they did. hawks players faces walking off at full time said a lot. they got beat.

 

[Tigerfan]

If we beat adelaide, only teams 9-12 can catch us

 

[ninjahaha]

Love the euphoria around the club after a great win. The most important aspect of that win was the players got angry and focused that anger at the ball. If an opponent got in the way he paid the price. Brilliant true gritty with a touch of class win - which must make the players realise they are good enough if they play to their capabilities.

My fear -

The bright lights of the finals
+
The need for Richmond to win a game in the finals
=
Rabbits in the head lights

Totally overwhelmed by the occasion we play poorly and get rolled.

Finals games are a different game mentally and whilst our mental strength has improved - the question still remains are we mentally good enough to match it with the regular Grand, Preliminary finalists such as Hawthorn, Fremantle, Swans, etc. in a finals series.

Please let us not believe because we beat Hawthorn, Fremantle and the Swans in the Home and Away games we can do it again in the finals. The H & A wins are a good pointer that we are capable but finals mental pressure is another step up.

As I see it - Richmond's next challenges are

1. Get the double chance for the finals - possible - but also relies on other games going in our favour. (One game at a time)

2. Mentally strengthen our resolve to match it with Finals pressure.

Truly hope this aspect of the finals will be addressed by Hardwick and co. long before September action.

Good post.

We still have a few tests to pass.

Backing up a big win. Would have been a massive build up last week.

Beat a side that are playing their elimination final next week.(crows)

Win a final.



Once we get past those issues we will be at base camp, ready for an the ascent to the peak.



Where we are now has been a difficult journey. What we have ahead is the hard part.

 

[JR8]

of course they did. hawks players faces walking off at full time said a lot. they got beat.

Exactly. Have to laugh at Hawthorn supporters who say that game didnt mean anything to them and it was a loss they had to have.

Obviously they didnt see the look on the players faces at the end of the game.

They had that stunned look of "what the hell just happened"!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ian4]

Geez, just looked at the ladder and realised Footscray have overtaken us. People are talking top 4, but we need to make sure we land a home final