Except avoiding the alternative and that alternative was best avoided. With Brisbane getting up had we managed to bungle it, we'd have been stone cold motherless last on the ladder. None of this equal last malarky, it would have been ours and ours only.
It's bloody tough for Dimma now, with three camps emerging:
- The 'we can't make finals so burn it down and go as high in the draft as possible' crew
- The 'do some damage on the way home and start to rebuild our reputation' crew
- The 'I don't care either way, he can't coach' crew.
I find myself in coward's corner somewhere between groups one and two, with a dash of three.
I have understanding, and sympathy, for Hardwick playing the 22 that he deems the best given that we've only just cleared the halfway point of the year. The same people who want everyone dropped for Helbig, O'Hanlon, McBean and Elton would have been pitchforks at the ready if we'd lost that game yesterday (my hand is up).
If we haven't had a decent look at those players by the middle of August that's a completely different story, anybody from our best group of players who needs surgery should be in a gown while the real teams are loading their training a month out from the finals (sigh).
I'm not a draft scholar but people who usually know what they're talking about reckon it's pretty even from 3-10, so a few cheeky confidence building wins between now and the end of the season might not be the worst thing.
Cotchin and Ellis aside, the game was eminently forgettable and based on media coverage this morning - has already been forgotten.
The skipper was always going to hit back sooner or later, it's a shame it came against a team that seems very hittable.
At 24 and 122 games (only 22 more than Dusty), he's in a position that he shouldn't be through no fault of his own. In an ideal world, Cotchin would be one of three vice captains learning the ropes, still developing his own game and getting ready to take over as captain in 2017. But when was the last time ideal world and Richmond were used in the same sentence?
Ask Jack Grimes and Trengove how easy it is develop your game as captain, it can't be easy. Cotchin needs help, both on and off field as he alone can't fill the leadership vacuum that has been three decades in the making. Lids and Chaplin could be phased out, Rance and Maric could step up and Ellis and even Miles could be phased in.
Given how well we've been travelling 40 points seems fitting, but such a margin is frustrating seeing we skipped out to a five goal lead before the Saints had strung five possessions together. It looks as if something is very wrong aerobically, we don't look as fit as other teams and god help us against Port Adelaide in a fortnight.
Rance ain't the problem. Nobody in footy works harder than Nick Riewoldt and Rance was with him every step of the way. Even when Riewoldt went up the ground, Rance was there. When he ran back, Rance was there. Nick Riewoldt is one of my very favourite players, but when someone can stick with him - he's very beatable. And yesterday, he took a beating.
If Vickery or Griffiths are to kick on, they need to study Riewoldt's workrate and replicate it. He imposes himself on a game by running hard to meet it, while both Vickery and Griffiths seemingly wait for the game to come to them.
Newman, while hardly the future, was very good. Although defensive forward tends to be where players go to be phased out, his poise, experience and tackling will likely be needed as we (hopefully) tinker with a few things in the last two months. I thought it was the best game he has played in a long time. Round 22 at the MCG would be a fitting farewell, nobody wants to play their last game at Homebush.
I'm right up for kicking the suitcase out of Brisbane and then seeing out the year with a bit of list management. Four weeks ago, we had no clue if Miles was part of the future - he is. We'd just about given up on Batchelor, but he's etching out a role. Foley looked cooked, but he isn't. Strangely, the belief in Dea may have been a tad too high, while he has a crack - I doubt he's good enough to break into the best 22.
There are still a few names on the list to learn about, and there is no better time than after the Brisbane game.
Couple of extra things worth pointing out this week:
Votes
5: Trent Cotchin
4: Brandon Ellis
3: Alex Rance
2: Chris Newman
1: Brett Deledio
Leaderboards
The Benny
27:
Dustin Martin
24:
Brandon Ellis
22:
Trent Cotchin
16:
Jack Riewoldt
14:
David Astbury
13:
Shaun Hampson
10:
Daniel Jackson, Ricky Petterd and Alex Rance
8:
Reece Conca and Anthony Miles
6:
Steven Morris and Bachar Houli
5:
Brett Deledio
4: Matt
Thomas, Sam Lloyd and Shaun Grigg
3: Ty
Vickery, Troy Chaplin and Shane Edwards
2: Nick
Vlastuin, Nathan Foley and Chris Newman
1: Ben
Griffiths, Orren Stephenson, Matthew Dea and Ben Lennon
Blair
Hartley Appreciation Award
13:
Shaun Hampson
10:
Ricky Petterd
8:
Anthony Miles
6:
Bachar Houli
4: Matt
Thomas and Shaun Grigg
3: Troy
Chaplin
2:
Anthony Miles
Anthony
Banik Best First Year Player
4: Sam
Lloyd
1: Ben
Lennon
Joel
Bowden’s Golden Left Boot
6:
Bachar Houli
4: Shaun Grigg
3: Troy
Chaplin
Greg
Tivendale Rookie Medal
8:
Anthony Miles
4: Matt
Thomas
1:
Orren Stephenson
Championship
Belt:
Incumbent
|
Winner
|
Streak
|
Wins
|
NA
|
Cotchin
|
1
|
1
|
Cotchin
|
Astbury
|
1
|
1
|
Astbury
|
Riewoldt
|
1
|
1
|
Riewoldt
|
Astbury
|
1
|
2
|
Astbury
|
Petterd
|
1
|
1
|
Petterd
|
Ellis
|
1
|
1
|
Ellis
|
Conca
|
1
|
1
|
Conca
|
Martin
|
1
|
1
|
Martin
|
Riewoldt
|
1
|
2
|
Riewoldt
|
Martin
|
1
|
2
|
Martin
|
Martin
|
2
|
3
|
Martin
|
Miles
|
1
|
1
|
Miles
|
Martin
|
1
|
4
|
Miles
|
Cotchin
|
1
|
2
|
