Dyer'ere said:
First up. We're about $1.30 to make the eight. That's because we're a certainty to make the eight.
Secondly we're about $4 to make the four. Is it $6 today? Overs.
We're $17 for the flag. Overs again in my mind.
*But with Daniel Jackson and Luke McGuane and other Cale Hookers and Puoplolos and George Newb and Late Scratching and various lepers for other clubs we can't win it.*
The expansion of the league and the subsequent dilution of talent meant that Clinton Young (Jackson or even Grigg would ask him if he had trouble with the sh!t sticking to his fur) was sought after by top four clubs last off-season.
*But we finished umptelveth last year; how could we win the flag this year?*
For two reasons.
First an allowance. Webberley, Post, Derrickx and A. Maric played regular late season footy for us last year. The sh!t does not stick to their fur. Even at VFL level. We fixed the depth problem so that even if we are in the direst of inury sh!t this year A. Edwards plays not Jeromy Webberley.
(Notice we have injuries and yet Edwards still can't get a game?) Let's not even go into cultural/player/body mass change.)
All this does is remove the reason we didn't make the eight last year. It doesn't give us a premiership shot.
Secondly it's about improvement.
Trent Cotchin can improve on 2012 form. He hasn't yet. Problee gone back a bit. But it is only round eight right now.
Brett Deledio can move into a #2 mid role by the end of 2013.
And Dustin Martin can at least equal an improved Deledio.
Titch is beginning to show that he may be a change clearance machine. Conca is yet to bloom but is due to and then the good news starts. Half of the old Foley would be a godsend and Tuck will get back. (How 'bout that broken arm full forward thing?) Brandon Ellis. Nick Vlastuin. These two are the real godsends.
Jack? Meh. Just a star. Jake King? Oh, I dunno. Beat three twice in 30 minutes. G. Ablett senior would be impressed. Career best form. Vickery has grown a leg or healed one. McGuane may rise to the occasion or . . . perhaps, if Vickery keeps improving we can play a smaller, even fiercer forward line.
*What about Jackson's momentum killing?* Richmond is one of the few first to the ball sides in the top eight. *That's because everybody plays formation second to the ball, fluster and counter.* This is not a new theory. jackson is not an inside player. Mainly he's outside and he runs and hits like a man. See Clinton Young. If Action ever meets him in a final be grateful that Clinton Young is not your sister.
*But Rancid is hilarioously useless.* Let us discuss this in three weeks. My money is on Rance. Houli has been a revelation. He's failed at times but he keeps getting up and going again. The lesson of football, of life, at any level, is to go again. I'd like to be more like Houli. Chaplin is only going to get better. Likewise Morris. We are struggling at #3 back but we have options.
All of this is very possible. Some of this improvement has started to happen. What if McBean or Elton or Arnot just bloomed? McDonough?
Hawthorn is currently $3 for the flag which means it's unlikely that they'll win it. Is Richmond likely to win it this year? Duh. We've had our share of bad luck. Give us just a year of 51% of the other kind.
But all Tiger fans, all PREnders, know that we're unlikely but a chance. That's why normally amicable threads are melting down. We're most frightened of success when we can smell it.
Bitterness is cowardice; dispute is bravest when it's mannered.
The window is open now. You know it.
Well, PREnders. We had a lot of possibilities. And our window was open. But the improvement we needed? Hey, we got some of it.
In 2014 we couldn't afford to lose our best and fairest winner. And our #2 forward Jake King. (It was just him, Jack and a resting mid to kick to.)
I know, I know - the scarf salesman told us 70k members and a top four finish but we only got the money. And survival.
Brett Deledio really matters to us. So much so that because he's injured the club had to debut an 18yo who is coming off zero preseason and *smile* all reserves time. Had to name him in the middle. Are they frightened of us?
It was always a crazy dream. And we did win a million games in a row last year before it all turned to *smile*.
Did you go to Adelaide for the final? Did you get drunk or high or something. Did you look at the ground for a while, maybe a long while and notice leaves there even though it was spring ? I hope somebody touched your arm. Were you there with your family?
It's the way we shake our heads, isn't it? Together. I've told you before that we're the team of the poets. And we all know that poetry isn't much but it's better than nothing.
The ruckman's gone. Been gone for over a year. He just grinds those games out against the odds. He's like a tin man the way he moves now. I wonder what keeps him going.
I had a dream about rolling green fields and low walls of stone, ribbons under skies of mauve and gentle grey. And there was a wooden gate in the wall with a little hatch in it. I looked in and the hatch sprang open and a monkey was looking back at me, rolling his head from side to side while he gazed wet and black eyed into me.
And he asked me to poke my head through the hatch and I did and he kissed me on one eyebrow. And he gave me a message and it's a message for us 'You can keep the scarf.'
