 |
Don’t miss a minute of the action. Tickets now on sale through ticketek
http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/Show.aspx?sh=SWANS0310
To view a map of the SCG please click on the link below
http://www.sydneycricketground.com.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/SCG.pdf
RICHMOND has embraced a vision for a golden decade with an ambitious plan to more than double membership, clear debt and play finals three times, all within five years. The Tigers are determined to rouse the sleeping giant of football and their dormant fans through their plan, which carries a motto of 3-0-75. The motto stands for playing finals three times, having zero debt and signing 75,000 members within the next five years.
The five-year plan is about positioning the club for where it will be by the end of the decade, with a vision for 2020 that they return not just to being one of the top four Victorian clubs, but the top Victorian club. Significant in the short term is the intention to play finals three times by 2014, which would require the Tigers to make the eight no later than 2012 – and stay there. Left unstated was if, when or how many premierships the club hoped to win by 2020. The five-year written plan, drafted by Brendon Gale after he took over as chief executive last year, pledges the club to the surprisingly bullish targets, which exceed the stated goals of any rival.
All staff at the club – players, coaches and administration – as well as the board gathered in the players’ gym at Punt Road on Tuesday night for the presentation, and all ‘’signed up” to the goals. The plan has been driven by Gale and reflects the belief at the club that, after two years of significant personnel change, the Tigers have the critical people in place to attack such broad goals. Gale has taken over as chief executive, Craig Cameron as general manager of football, Damien Hardwick is the new senior coach, Simon Derrick has been appointed commercial operations manager and Cain Liddle is membership manager. Richmond carries about $4 million in debt, although importantly the new final stage of its Punt Road redevelopment is being done without further capital input by the club. The existing debt would be wiped out and the club would enjoy strong profit growth after retiring the debt. The financial improvement would ride from a doubling of membership to hit a target of 75,000 members. The Tigers last year enjoyed a record membership of 37,000, which was primarily seen as a spike in response to the arrival of Ben Cousins.
The long-held belief at Richmond, and broadly in football, is that there is a huge reserve of support that has drifted from the club over the past two decades, which have been marked by upheaval and poor on-field performance. However, Gale reminded staff on Tuesday that Richmond was the first club in the VFL to attract one million fans to its games in a year – 1972 and again in 1973 – while the next club to do so, Collingwood, took until 1979. Essendon did not do so until 1993 and Carlton 1995. The belief is not just that Richmond can get back to being one of the top four Victorian clubs but that it can get back to being the top club. On the field, Richmond comes from a long way back in its push to make the finals, having finished 15th last year and being the bookmakers’ favourite for the wooden spoon this year.
Complicating matters is that to fill holes remaining in their list the Tigers confront drafts weakened by the concessions for the Gold Coast and Western Sydney. Gale last night declined to comment on the strategic plan, saying he wanted to send the information to members first.
Rising Richmond star Trent Cotchin has signed a new, three-year extension deal with the Club that will bind him to Tigerland at least until the end of 2013.
Cotchin, who turns 20 in April, revealed the decision to remain a Tiger was a fairly easy one to make . . .
“I am very, very happy that I am going to stay here,” he said.
“One of the things you want to be as an AFL footballer is a one-club player.
“Another factor for me, was seeing how much support the Club has outside, from members, as well as from people inside the Club . . . It’s just a good place to be.
“I was having dinner with a friend last night and was saying how you probably couldn’t find a bad person (at the Club). You’d be happy to catch up with any of them outside the Club and hang out with them. That’s not only the players, but the staff, whether it’s in administration, in development, or the coaches . . . They’re all good people and very easy to get along with.
“You can share a lot of thoughts with them and work through things together. That’s the best thing about it – the togetherness.
“I’m really confident we’ve got the right people in place to eventually achieve sustained success, and that’s what we’re working towards at the moment.”
Cotchin was particularly pleased to set the record straight on rumors that he may have secretly signed a confidentiality agreement to join the new Gold Coast club in 2011.
“I was disappointed that some people would actually think that I would do that behind the Club’s back,” he said.
“No, my plan always, was to be with Richmond and stay with the Club . . . it was just a matter of time until I signed.
“We spoke about it, initially, before Christmas and agreed that we’d see how the start of the year panned out. But then, obviously, a bit of pressure came with the media speculation, although it didn’t affect my decision, or the way we were going about it.
“In the end, we decided that it was the right time, and I’m very glad it’s happened.”
Cotchin, taken by the Tigers as the second selection overall in the 2007 National Draft, was hampered by an Achilles injury throughout his first couple of seasons in the AFL, and managed just 25 games. But he has shown enough in that time to suggest he’s more than capable of developing into one of the competition’s elite midfielders.
The modified training regime he’s been on over the pre-season has him in good shape to tackle the 2010 season.
“The conditioning staff has been terrific in managing my program and making sure that I got through the pre-season unscathed,” Cotchin said.
“I’ve been running pretty well and I’m feeling pretty fit. So, I’m just looking forward to getting the next couple of games under my belt and then, hopefully, hitting Round 1 full of steam with the side and, hopefully, we can have some wins.”
President Mark Maunder travelled to Craigieburn for the traditional Richmond Family Day.
A trip worth making,got to see where Craigieburn is situated,a fair way out from Melbourne
in a new development,quite a nice suburb.
The new Ground looks great,wasn’t open to the public and the finishes touches are being put
on the Dressing Rooms,overall looks like a good training facility.
(Photos of Ground in Photo Gallery)
Got the chance to chat to Gary March and Brendan Gale who appreciate the support of the Sydney Tigers,both gentleman have made a commitment to our function and the Club will also be sending two injured players to our function.
Gary March even took the time to mention my name as having travelled down from Sydney during the jumper presentation,which was appreciated.
It’s good to know there is support for our group from RFC
So what’s the message from Damien Hardwick for 2010.
The future,this year is not just a development year,but the start of the future of the Richmond Football
Club and helping it to achieve success in the new years ahead.
Lots of likely new recruits,plenty of athletic type players,there will be some tough times this year but
Damien Hardwick and his Coaching staff have a blueprint and will not deviate from it,and they have the support of the board who know that it’s time to rebuild.
Let’s hope the building blocks of today reap success in the future.
Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Year of the Tiger!!!
As with every year in the Chinese calendar (which clicked over yesterday, February 14), 2010 is symbolised by an animal; this year is the Year of the Tiger (虎年说虎).
The tiger is a special animal in many ways in Chinese culture, according to http://www.chinaculture.org/, the stripes on a tiger’s forehead are similar to the Chinese character for “King”, so they consider the tiger to be the natural born King of the wild. The tiger is considered to be a symbol of courage. Like the use of fireworks in Chinese traditional festivals, the image of a tiger is traditionally used to ward off evil spirits, particularly from children, who are often given tiger-shaped hats to wear. People born in the Year of the Tiger are believed to be born with charming personalities and a tendency to set high standards for themselves.
One particularly poignant saying I found on this site which is related to the tiger was an old Chinese proverb:
“Vicious as a tigress can be, she never eats her own cubs.”
In this year of royal tigers, tigers of courage and tigers who can shake off the demons of the past, I am personally looking forward to seeing the Richmond Football Club start claw its way back from the wilderness and take those first important steps toward being crowned – for an 11th time – King of the League.
– Ian Kenner.
For the Tigers, Dustin Martin – taken with the third pick overall in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft – slotted seamlessly into senior football as he led the Tigers with 26 disposals, dual club champion Brett Deledio worked hard through the middle with Daniel Connors, Andrew Collins and Shane Edwards, while down back, rookie David Gourdis showed promise.
Hardwick said he was pleased with the Tigers’ second half, but that the result changed nothing at Punt Rd.
“We’re a young developing side, and Hawthorn are a top-four calibre side, and we’re a fair way off them at this stage,” he said.
“Look, nothing’s changed – we know exactly where we’re at.
“We’ve got to plan for the future, we know where we’re headed, but it’s going to take some time.”
With the Hawks still being without excitement machine Rioli and former Port Power player Burgoyne, the signs are ominous for the other teams eyeing a top-eight finish.
Once Hawthorn found the go pedal it was game over, leading by 38 at the first change, 72 at the half and 12 at the final break.
The Tigers had two injuries, with newcomer Ben Nason injuring a knee, and Adam Thomson taking a knee to the back of the head in a marking contest.
Hawthorn will play the winner of Sunday’s Western Bulldogs/Brisbane Lions clash at Etihad Stadium on February 26, while Richmond will play on the NAB Challenge circuit.
Hawthorn 0.7.3 2.10.7 3.15.11 3.16.12 (135)
Richmond 0.1.1 0.2.1 0.4.2 0.9.8 (62)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Nine-point goals: Breust, Mitchell, Roughead Goals: Franklin 5, Roughead 2, Hodge 2, Ellis, Moss, Mitchell, Suckling, Lisle, Shiels, Schoenmakers
Richmond: Nine-point goals: Nil Goals: Riewoldt 3, Nahas 2, Polak, Astbury, Hislop, Morton
BEST
Hawthorn: Franklin, Mitchell, Hodge, Lewis, Roughead, Ellis
Richmond: Martin, Deledio, Connors, Gourdis, Edwards, Collins
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Richmond: Nason (hyper-extended knee), Thomson (knee to head),
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Ryan, Grun, Richie
Official crowd: 11,217 at Aurora Stadium
Richmond has named a number of new faces in its squad for the opening NAB Cup encounter against Hawthorn on Saturday night in Tasmania.
Among the new faces to be named are Mitch Farmer, Dustin Martin, David Astbury, Jeromey Webberley, Ben Nason and Relton Roberts.
The Tigers will travel to Launceston tomorrow, missing only Troy Simmonds, Daniel Jackson and Nathan Foley through injury.
Richmond v Hawthorn
Aurora Stadium, Launceston
Saturday, February 13th, 7.40pm.
Squad of 29 players
2. Will Thursfield
3. Brett Deledio
6. Graham Polak
8. Jack Riewoldt
9. Trent Cotchin
10. Shane Edwards
14. Dean Polo
15. Mitch Farmer
17. Chris Newman
18. Alex Rance
19. Daniel Connors
20. Mitch Morton
21. Shane Tuck
24. Andrew Collins
25. Angus Graham
26. Robin Nahas
27. Tom Hislop
29. Ty Vickery
30. Richard Tambling
31. Adam Thomson
33. David Gourdis
35. Matthew White
36. Dustin Martin
37. Jayden Post
39. David Astbury
40. Kel Moore
46. Jeromey Webberley
47. Ben Nason
50. Relton Roberts
RICHMOND star Brett Deledio says he feels like he is at a new club in his sixth season with so many on and off-field changes at Tigerland.
Veteran stars Matthew Richardson, Nathan Brown, Joel Bowden and Kane Johnson among 12 senior players to depart Richmond in the off-season, while the club welcomed new coach Damien Hardwick and his fresh army of assistants.
“It’s definitely a different feeling, it’s a fresh feeling,” the dual best-and-fairest winner said today.
“Everyone’s excited and I notice most of the difference in meetings – it’s not dominated by more experienced players, the younger players feel like they can say something and speak up.
“Everyone’s excited and fresh, which is probably the best thing.
“I’m still only 22 but I feel like an old bloke down there, this is my sixth pre-season.
I guess I try to take as much responsibility as I can with the younger guys, but in saying that I’m still pretty young myself.”
The speedy midfielder said the pre-season had been markedly different under Hardwick than his predecessor Terry Wallace, Deledio’s only previous AFL coach.
The Tigers will unveil a new style in Saturday night’s NAB Cup match against a near-full strength Hawthorn in Launceston, one the former No.1 draft pick says will be much more regimented.
“We’ve trained the same thing week in, week out, we haven’t changed at all, we know what we’ve got to do when we get the footy,” Deledio said.
“It’s been repetitive all the time, we haven’t deviated in our plan.
“It’s a lot more structured, it’s not as free-flowing, but in saying that we’re still encouraged to take the game on when we need to.”
Deledio says this year’s pre-season has also been noticeably more low-key than a year ago, when the arrival of big-name recruit Ben Cousins helped create an atmosphere of great optimism, which was soon dashed.
He said the Tigers’ top pick in the 2009 draft, midfielder Dustin Martin, was a likely starter against the Hawks, as is Graham Polak, who is trying to win a spot back on the senior list after working his way back from a serious brain injury last year and being redrafted as a rookie.
RICHMOND appear set to rest Ben Cousins for Saturday night’s NAB Cup first-round clash with Hawthorn in Launceston.
Cousins is not under any injury cloud and his preparation will include participation in pre-season practice matches before the Tigers’ match with Carlton in the opening match of the season on March 25, The Australian reports.
The 2005 Brownlow medallist is likely to be joined on the sidelines by ruckman Troy Simmonds, who is overcoming a back injury, Daniel Jackson (back) and Nathan Foley, who had ankle surgery last month and will struggle to be fit for the start of the season.
Richmond’s first national draft selection Dustin Martin, the overall third pick, is certain to make his debut, while other newcomers include Mitch Farmer, David Astbury and Jeromey Webberley
Another preseason is coming to an end, our first without our beloved Matthew Richardson. So what can the RFC fans look forward to this season? One thing is for certain, it will be interesting to see who emerges as the next big thing at Tigerland this season. For so long Richmond has emersed itself in everything Richo. There is no doubting Richo was the heart and soul of our club, but who will step up and fill these gigantic shoes this season and beyond? Who will the Tiger faithful pin their hopes on come match day, and most importantly who will be the face of the club to drive memberships and bring the fans through the gates to watch and cheer? We have a lot to look forward to this season….watch this space!
Bree McAullay