Tigers must think team
Tony Greenberg
richmondfc.com.au
1:19:49 PM Wed 18 June, 2003
Richmond’s Director of Football, Greg Miller, is more concerned with how the Tiger players confront the challenge ahead of them after the mid-season break, rather than where the team finishes at the end of Round 22.
The Tigers have lost four games in-a-row after a bold start to the season which saw them win six of their first eight encounters. They are in ninth spot on the ladder at the break, equal on points with last year’s Grand Finalist, Collingwood, but narrowly out of the top eight on percentage.
September action this season, however, is far from the forefront of Miller’s astute football mind right now.
“I’m really interested in seeing the response of the players to our style of play and the disciplines that are needed,” Miller said.
“The keys to the second half of the year are going to be maintaining an aggressive attack on the ball, and being a bit more disciplined in sticking with the game plan.
“Particularly in tight situations, teams win the close games because they’re disciplined in sticking to the game plan. The players are not trying to win the game off their own boot, and they’re not doing things in self-protection mode.
“We’ve got to do the team-orientated things – that’s what will win us the close games.
“If you’ve got a fierce attack on the ball and you stick to the game plan, the results will take care of themselves.
Miller cited a major positive of the first half of the 2003 season as the valuable insight that had been gained into the Tigers’ playing personnel.
“With every game that goes by, we’re more and more aware of who is – or who isn’t – going to be involved with the next Richmond premiership and period of sustained success at the Club.
“We want players to put the next Richmond premiership as their first thought – not their own interests – that’s just so important.
Miller appreciates the Richmond fans’ frustration with the side’s recent form slump, just when critics were talking up a finals appearance for the Tigers in 2003.
“It’s extremely disappointing to lose four in-a-row and supporters, understandably, would be most frustrated – particularly with the last two games when we were in front at the 26-minute mark of the last quarter in both of them,” he said.
“I think that at 6-2 you should have good expectations. But even at that point, my major concern was that we’d gone short on our playing list and we realise that we’re not as strong as we’d like to be in that area.
“We just don’t have 32 senior players on our list at this stage. And, there’s no doubt that without the pressure of a strong senior list, some players do get games that even they know they’re lucky to get.
“The fact is that we reward mediocrity with games at times, which we don’t like to do.”
But Miller was adamant that the team had, overall, lived up to its consistency of effort pledge in the first half of the ’03 season.
“The execution of some of our game plan, the lack of depth and players out of form has cost us. However, I’m sure our members would agree that the players’ aggression and their attack on the ball has been consistently good – apart from the Sydney game.
“In terms of attack our commitment, in terms of the morale of the group, in terms of us being honest with where we’re at as a team, I believe, from what I hear, that we’re a long way ahead of last year – and going in the right direction.”
Tony Greenberg
richmondfc.com.au
1:19:49 PM Wed 18 June, 2003
Richmond’s Director of Football, Greg Miller, is more concerned with how the Tiger players confront the challenge ahead of them after the mid-season break, rather than where the team finishes at the end of Round 22.
The Tigers have lost four games in-a-row after a bold start to the season which saw them win six of their first eight encounters. They are in ninth spot on the ladder at the break, equal on points with last year’s Grand Finalist, Collingwood, but narrowly out of the top eight on percentage.
September action this season, however, is far from the forefront of Miller’s astute football mind right now.
“I’m really interested in seeing the response of the players to our style of play and the disciplines that are needed,” Miller said.
“The keys to the second half of the year are going to be maintaining an aggressive attack on the ball, and being a bit more disciplined in sticking with the game plan.
“Particularly in tight situations, teams win the close games because they’re disciplined in sticking to the game plan. The players are not trying to win the game off their own boot, and they’re not doing things in self-protection mode.
“We’ve got to do the team-orientated things – that’s what will win us the close games.
“If you’ve got a fierce attack on the ball and you stick to the game plan, the results will take care of themselves.
Miller cited a major positive of the first half of the 2003 season as the valuable insight that had been gained into the Tigers’ playing personnel.
“With every game that goes by, we’re more and more aware of who is – or who isn’t – going to be involved with the next Richmond premiership and period of sustained success at the Club.
“We want players to put the next Richmond premiership as their first thought – not their own interests – that’s just so important.
Miller appreciates the Richmond fans’ frustration with the side’s recent form slump, just when critics were talking up a finals appearance for the Tigers in 2003.
“It’s extremely disappointing to lose four in-a-row and supporters, understandably, would be most frustrated – particularly with the last two games when we were in front at the 26-minute mark of the last quarter in both of them,” he said.
“I think that at 6-2 you should have good expectations. But even at that point, my major concern was that we’d gone short on our playing list and we realise that we’re not as strong as we’d like to be in that area.
“We just don’t have 32 senior players on our list at this stage. And, there’s no doubt that without the pressure of a strong senior list, some players do get games that even they know they’re lucky to get.
“The fact is that we reward mediocrity with games at times, which we don’t like to do.”
But Miller was adamant that the team had, overall, lived up to its consistency of effort pledge in the first half of the ’03 season.
“The execution of some of our game plan, the lack of depth and players out of form has cost us. However, I’m sure our members would agree that the players’ aggression and their attack on the ball has been consistently good – apart from the Sydney game.
“In terms of attack our commitment, in terms of the morale of the group, in terms of us being honest with where we’re at as a team, I believe, from what I hear, that we’re a long way ahead of last year – and going in the right direction.”
