Will chaos versus control bring the Tigers more success in 2021?

Richmond’s frenzied style of football has delivered it three premierships in four years. But do the Tigers need to change things up next season?

After three premierships in four years – including winning the historic night Grand Final in 2020 – the big question is can Richmond claim another flag next season?

Glenn McFarlane takes a look at how the Tigers are shaping up ahead of their assault on the 2021 season.

INS: Samson Ryan (Western Magpies), Maurice Rioli Jnr (Oakleigh Chargers)

OUTS: Jack Higgins (St Kilda), Oleg Markov (Gold Coast), Luke English (delisted), Fraser Turner (delisted), Derek Eggmolesse-Smith (delisted)

COACH STATUS

As a three-time premiership coach at the top of his game, it’s hard to see Damien Hardwick going anywhere anytime soon.

Hardwick is already contracted for next year, but will likely sign on the dotted line with an extension before the start of next season.

Next year will be his 12th season as coach.

He passed Tom Hafey’s games record as Richmond coach this year and will aim to equal the legendary coach’s tally of four premierships in 2021.

He might yet look back on the 2020 flag in the COVID-shortened season as his greatest flag yet, steering the club over a few in-season hurdles.

GAME PLAN

Chaos beat control in the Grand Final and that style has been Richmond’s pathway to three flags and a preliminary final loss across the past four seasons.

The Tigers’ brand holds up in the heat of September (or October if you consider this year), with their average winning margin in finals exceeding five goals.

The game plan hasn’t changed much since that breakthrough 2017 season, but the players keep sticking to the system that works.

They like to outnumber at stoppages and pull a forward, such as Kane Lambert, into the midfield which allows Dustin Martin to head forward.

The Tigers are the second-best in the AFL at taking the ball from defence to attack and they boast the second-best inside 50 differential, often winning repeat entries.

Their pressure element is strong.

TRADE TABLE REPORT

The aim was to keep as many players as they could rather than chasing new faces in the trade period.

While they lost Jack Higgins and Oleg Markov to rival clubs, there was a sigh of relief when Jack Graham rejected a deal to join the Blues.

Higgins will be a loss in that he his a constant ball of enthusiasm and could cause the Tigers some regret if he excels in the St Kilda forward line alongside another ex-Tiger in Dan Butler.

Still, when you win three premierships in four years, you can’t keep a list together forever.

THEIR 2020 DRAFT HAUL

There were limited changes to the Tigers’ playing list with limited draft action.

Most of the focus will be on Maurice Rioli Jnr who could get a small window to show his untapped talent at stages of 2021, but he won’t be rushed.

He is still raw and needs time to develop.

Regardless of whether he plays in 2021 or not, it was one of the great stories of the post-2020 season – the son of Richmond great, the late Maurice Rioli Snr finding a new home at Punt Rd alongside cousin Daniel.

Twenty-year-old Samson Ryan – a Tigers’ fan as a kid – is a long-term ruck project who came through the Brisbane Lions Academy.

He is an investment for the future.

PLAYERS THEY CAN REINVENT

Could the Tigers try something different with best-and-fairest winner Jayden Short, who has been so important rebounding off the half-back-flank?

It would be a bold move to shift Short, given he won the club’s best and fairest in a premiership year, but that’s something the Tigers haven’t been afraid of doing in recent seasons.

He has been a key part of a rock-solid Richmond defence, but given the depth of talent in that zone, Short could be moved up one line and maybe even find a new home on the wing.

His penetrating play and run and dash would be equally suited there and let’s face it, the Tigers already have a defence that is the envy of rival clubs.

The other focus could shift to Mabior Chol and his willingness and ability to shoulder ruck burdens if Toby Nankervis misses any games.

Chol has shown he has the talent, but can look on occasions as if he misjudges the pace and urgency to the game.

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Jake Aarts was stiff not to have a premiership medal around his neck by season’s end after performing so well in 14 games in his debut AFL season.

He just lost his spot at the wrong time, but took it with good grace.

He has won a new deal and can now cement his role as a pressure small forward.

Jack Ross is also contracted until the end of 2022 and can try and lock away a more permanent spot.

This is an extremely tough unit to break into and midway through the year the Tigers would have had expectations that Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones would be pushing for selection, but both have set themselves a long way back.

BEST 22 FOR NEXT SEASON

B: David Astbury, Dylan Grimes, Nick Vlastuin

HB: Jayden Short, Noah Balta, Bachar Houli

C: Kamdyn McIntosh, Dion Prestia, Marlion Pickett

HF: Kane Lambert, Jack Riewoldt, Shane Edwards

F: Jason Castagna, Tom Lynch, Shai Bolton

Foll: Toby Nankervis, Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin

Inter: Liam Baker, Jack Graham, Nathan Broad, Daniel Rioli

CHAMPION DATA SAYS

Good: The Tigers led the AFL for both time in forward-half differential and points scored from forward-half turnovers.

Bad: Richmond ranked 15th for both clearance differential (-3.6) and points generated from stoppages (18.6) across 2020.


FINISH THE LAST FIVE YEARS: 2016: 13th. 2017: Premiers. 2018: 3rd. 2019: Premiers. 2020: Premiers

TAB PREMIERSHIP ODDS: $4; Top 4: $1.60; Top 8: $1.10