If you build it, they will come

We'll have prettier wins (I hope) before the end of the year but I doubt we'll have many more more important.

It was in front of a lot of people, a factor we haven't handled well in the Hardwick era. Taking the record to 4-7 in front of 70,000+, a stat that weirdly evens out to 4-4 in front of 80,000+. All more impressive, and important, by the fact we had four players with less than 10 games.

This was one of those games where miserable neutral fans go out of their way to tell you how ugly it was. As if we should care about the state of any game in which you defeat Essendon in front of 83,804 people. Newsflash: don't care one little bit. Winning ugly is OK by me and something at which Dimma and this crew are only just getting good.

That takes us to 3-0 in the McME Era (McBean, Menaue, Ellis) and leaves McBean himself 2-0 in front of over 140,000 people from two starts, Menadue's is 3-0 in front of 185,000 people. At this point it's fun to imagine Dimma walking through corn fields communicating with the heavens after the North loss. Compare those records to the fact it took: Titch 12 games, Newy nine and Dusty eight to salute. Titch lost by a total of 379 points before he played in a win. Still you could be Adam Tomlinson who played 21 before his first win, which was only against Melbourne, and now they've come good he has seemingly fallen out of favour and the poor bastard will probably end up at Carlton. Or maybe he will retire before he reaches 50 games so he doesn't end up on this dreaded table that not all that long ago was littered with Richmond players.

For a seemingly endlessly under-achieving club, Richmond players and supporters are very fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful stage as Dreamtime. Our record in the fixture has been ordinary in recent years while, damningly, we've been more successful in the return fixture against the Dons when the heat has been off. Had McBean, Menadue, Ellis and McIntosh been Hampson, Gordon, Lloyd and Thomas the win would have been equally as important but not so special. There is something really cool about winning big games and positioning ourselves for the future at the same time, not many teams have been able to do that as it's usually one or the other.

It is impossible to be anything other than thrilled for Titch. This fixture has thrust him into a position of leadership that I suspect he may not have sought, but his improvement as a footballer can be linked to his escalation as a leader. On a weekend where some of the football media and public has let themselves down by questioning Adam Goodes' right to be indigenous during Indigenous Round, the video of Titch and his family's story is the best thing I've seen the club produce, and they produce a lot of good stuff. When someone as relatively inoffensive and inane as Nathan Burke goes on the ABC (five minutes in to that clip FFS) and compares Goodes' war-dance to someone flipping the bird it makes you realise we've got a long way to go. But it's inspiring and makes me proud that Richmond ahead of the curve. To top if off Titch played a blinder night is one of the best players in the competition in the incredibly niche area of clearing the ball from a kick to a pack rebounding from 50. 

It's also the second week in a row that we've weathered the other team running at us in the third quarter and giving up only very limited damage. Wave after wave off Essendon attacks off half back were shut down and eventually they stopped coming. Our lot looked completely physically done towards the end of that quarter, but like the last three weeks, came again and kicked away in the last. Maybe there was something in all that talk about how fit we are coming out of pre-season.

One of the best things about the last three wins is the lack of panic when things aren't going our way. All of Collingwood, Port and Essendon have come at us and it's not that long ago that rolling over and surrendering the lead was the usual behaviour during this occurance. The Dons controlled the game for stretches of time but only managed eight goals. Our midfielders are running harder to defend and our key defenders are light years ahead of where they were this time last year in one-on-one marking contests than this time last year. Rance is a given, but Grimes and Batchelor have gone from liability against key forwards to rarely beaten, both are invaluable for their ability to play on small, medium or talls. Daniher and Carlisle got off the chain at different stages but given the amount of ball directed at them, 16 marks between them is hardly disastrous. Chaplin had as bad a 15 minutes as is possible to start, but recovered to play the next 105 in his usual calm and controlled manner, regularly freeing himself to be the spare and kill a contest.

While I'm on Daniher and Jake 'I kicked eight goals against the Bulldogs last year' Carlisle, how good to see the skipper get up in Daniher's grill as he was taking that shot on half time, and continue the verbal onslaught even though he kicked it before leaving Carlisle sprawled over the ground and our lot coming from far and wide the fly the flag. It was hardly Dermie and Hawthorn in the 1989 grand final but it was ace to see McBean and McIntosh right amongst it for many reasons but mostly because I can't stand Essendon.

The fact I can't stand Essendon is well placed because that looks like a playing list that is about to fall off a cliff. We all like Adam Cooney but what on earth is he doing there other than seeing out time? As much as we all like Cooney, nobody can stand Chapman and I'm equally baffled as to why they persisted with him for a second year. It's much like the last few RHCP albums in that you can't help but wonder if they've not made enough cash on their earlier work without taking a dump all over their legacy in their later years. Once upon a time Chapman was one of the best players in the competition but now he's just an angry old man who can't keep up with younger players and his presence (or lack of) hurt them on a few occasions last night.

One of the in-vogue phrases in footy is 'gut running' or as I like to call it 'running', however you choose to word it we have gone and got really good at it. Brandon Ellis, Grigg, Hunt and McIntosh all run out games as hard as they start them. Ellis especially was brilliant last night, regularly looking exhausted before dragging himself to the next contest at a good clip. His ability to look spent before willing himself on for another two or three goes is remnant of Judd and Cousins at their peak. Grigg, coming off a hot month but not as individually sensational last night, should take faith that my very casual football observing other half recognised him by name during the game much to my bemusement in what was victory for my continued faith in otherwise unfashionable Richmond players.

Speaking of hard running, Corey Ellis' goal that sealed the deal was something else and possibly the only time we've seen a sub have immediate impact. And thank you to Luke Darcy for reminding in commentary that he was activated as a sub and not running around against the rules.

Everybody played their role. Even the guys at the lower end of the possession scale impacted: Griff was hurting but continued to present though I doubt he'll be ready in time for Friday so god knows what selection we'll throw up without he and Vickery, Morris only had six possessions but his pressure acts were through the roof and that will keep him in Hardwick's (if not Twitter's) good books and the 22, McBean was far from disgraced by a player with 200 times the experience, Grimes was magnificent (spoiler alert) in killing their entries, Jack was happy to revert to decoy forward against the form key defender in the competition and Menadue runs as hard and fearless as possible for a skinny teenager.

Dimma as well deserves an abundance of credit, who for the second week in a row clearly out-coached his opponent and the strategies they have gone in against Port and Essendon have made the victories possible. It wasn't that long ago that we wondered if there was a Plan B and it seems that on the plane home from Hobart it was discovered alongside Plan C. They laboured with the footy last night and, as often pointed out, it was far from pretty but brutally effective. Essendon crave you kicking long in the forward line and we refused to give them that, but it sill helps when Carlisle is missing goals from dead in front.

From here we go to Fremantle with the pressure off and a week off to follow. It's the perfect scenario to have a ping at the stumps. I doubt they'll get it done but I reckon they'll make as good a go at it as anyone else against Fremantle so far.

Changes next week

If Griffiths isn't fully good to go they should give him the full two weeks to freshen up, he's going to be very important as we make a run at it in the second half of the year.

In: Lennon (as a high half forward)
Out: Griffiths (if injured)

It will be fascinating to see what they do if Griff isn't fit. McBean will really struggle to ruck against Sandilands (as anyone would) would so it might even be time to play Hampson. Probably best to hope that Griff can play.

The votes

5: Brandon Ellis
4: Shane Edwards
3: Dylan Grimes
2: Dustin Martin
1: Brett Deledio

Unlucky: everyone, but especially Cotchin, McIntosh and Vlastuin.

Leaderboards

The Benny:

14: Shane Edwards

12: Jack Riewoldt

11: Shaun Grigg and Trent Cotchin

10: Jack Riewoldt and Bachar Houli

9: Brandon Ellis and Dustin Martin
8: Anthony Miles and Taylor Hunt
7: Alex Rance
6: Nick Vlastuin
5: Ivan Maric and Brett Deledio
4: Dylan Grimes
3: Kamdyn McIntosh, Chris Newman, Ben Griffiths and Jake Batchelor
2: Sam Lloyd

Blair Hartley Appreciation Award:

11: Shaun Grigg

10: Bachar Houli
8: Anthony Miles and Taylor Hunt
5: Ivan Maric

Anthony Banik Best First Year Player:

3: Kamdyn McIntosh

Joel Bowden's Golden Left Boot:

11: Shaun Grigg

10: Bachar Houli
3: Jake Batchelor

Greg Tivendale Rookie List Medal:

No votes yet.