Richmond's 2014 Fixture

[kilbluff1985]

Mean while Libba and Cotchin are locked :)

[quinny88]

Mean while Libba and Cotchin are locked :)

True that!

[Ringo]

So anything less than Top 4 this year for Richmond would be a fail.

I dunno Ringo, I would be happy with anything inside the top 8 to be honest.

We're a fairly inexperienced team still compared to the other top-end teams I think, so I think just making the finals should be our goal, top 4 would be a bonus, but shouldn't be our grading for a pass/fail... A finish outside the top 8 would obviously be a fail though.

Just stirring as I can not see Freo, Hawthorn or Sydney really slipping. Geelong may slide from Top 4 creating a vacancy.  With the draw you guys have seriously now I think any thing outside the Top 6 would be a disappointment,  Top 4 would be a bonus but I think 5 or 6 is a realistic goal. (Will be Top 8 however when we beat you twice Ha. Ha.)

[Ricochet]

I actually also think anything but top 4 is a fail. With that draw you should be able to lock in a double chance and basically a Prelim. Top 8 isn't the end of the world but history shows you really need to make the top 4 to win it. And a draw like this doesn't come around every year. Time to take advantage of it

[Mailman the 2nd]

Cotchin a much better shot at the brownlow this year I'd say

[quinny88]

Come on tigers top 4 it is then!  Pumped for the season to start already. Booking flights to the gold coast for round 1  ;D

[Nige]

We play the Dees and Pies in the NAB Challenge, not sure if this has already been stated elsewhere.

[Chelskiman]

I actually also think anything but top 4 is a fail. With that draw you should be able to lock in a double chance and basically a Prelim. Top 8 isn't the end of the world but history shows you really need to make the top 4 to win it. And a draw like this doesn't come around every year. Time to take advantage of it

I wouldn't call it a fail if we don't get top four.  We're still a young side, but we are getting better each year, so top four isn't out of the question at all.  There's still some good sides about that will be fighting for top four as well (Geelong and Collingwood to name two) so if we do get it it will be massive for us.

We do have a nice draw though, so I agree that we have to take advantage of it.  I'm glad we don't play the Blues first up this year, though GC away is going to be a tricky test in itself.  I think that's a really important game for us too, so it's important we can get off to a winning start.

This is going to our most important season for a long time though.  We literally can't afford to go backwards (not making the 8) because we have a good list and wasting a year like that would just be terrible for the club and fans.  I'm more than confident we will make the eight, but this is Richmond, so you just never know.

[TheAnt]

The 'young side' excuse is wearing a bit thin, young core maybe. We're the 8th oldest list in the comp and Champion Data rates us as the 4th best. Focus on finals first but not getting top 4 is a dissapointment.

[Chelskiman]

We're right in the middle really.  We still have some young players that are only going to get better, but we're also getting into a phase where our list is perfectly placed to make regular finals appearances for many years to come, with the off chance we can grab a premiership in that time. 

I'm not using it as an excuse either, as we finished 5th at the end of the home and away season last year (and really should have made 4th had we beaten Carlton when we were in control of that match at quarter time), I'm just saying that we should expect us to make a few mistakes during the year, and weshould probably expect to lose a game or two against sides we are favourites in.  We still have a lot of learning to do, but we are getting stronger each year, and a top 5-6 finish is a must, and if we manage to land 4th then that's even better.  We shouldn't be hell bent on making top 4 though.  If it happens it happens, but our season won't be a failure if we don't get it.

It's exciting times for us right now, but we also shouldn't be getting ahead of oursleves either.

[TeeJay]

The 'young side' excuse is wearing a bit thin, young core maybe. We're the 8th oldest list in the comp and Champion Data rates us as the 4th best. Focus on finals first but not getting top 4 is a dissapointment.

This is inflated with some old recruits though like Stephenson. The team that actually plays each week though is still very young. Consider Richmonds best players and most of them are 25 or under. Still not an excuse but top 4 is very hard. Sydney, Hawthorn and Fremantle would be everyone's top 3 in no particular order and then there's a bunch of teamsfighting for 4th.. so you're saying their year is a fail if they don't finish above all of Geelong, Collingwood, Essendon, NorthMelbourne etc.. Going to be very hard.
I actually think that Richmond will finish top 4 but really they could finish as low as 8th such is the closeness of the comp at the moment

[Nige]

What Teejay's just said has basically been my whole argument since people started saying anything but top 4 in 2014 is a disappointment. There are like six teams vying for 4th. Yes, we have a draw which should aid our chances, but if just miss out, it mightn't necessarily be because we weren't good enough, but one of those other teams like the Pies, Cats or Roos played better.

[Ricochet]

What Teejay's just said has basically been my whole argument since people started saying anything but top 4 in 2014 is a disappointment. There are like six teams vying for 4th. Yes, we have a draw which should aid our chances, but if just miss out, it mightn't necessarily be because we weren't good enough, but one of those other teams like the Pies, Cats or Roos played better.

They might be better teams but they have a significantly harder draw than Richmond. For predicting top 4/8/whateva, you have to look at how good the team is compared to those they play not the other good teams in that bracket.

If I was on the board (which Im clearly not lol) I would look at it this way.
- Richmond finished 5th this year
- With a young group of 22-30 of regular starting quality
- While also getting quality games into some first and second year players
- With a significantly easier draw in 2014
- With the addition of some recuits/depth, without losing any quality

As a board member I would expect improvement... and improvement is a top 4 finish for 2014. This would be the aim, missing that aim would be a fail (for 2014).

[TeeJay]

What Teejay's just said has basically been my whole argument since people started saying anything but top 4 in 2014 is a disappointment. There are like six teams vying for 4th. Yes, we have a draw which should aid our chances, but if just miss out, it mightn't necessarily be because we weren't good enough, but one of those other teams like the Pies, Cats or Roos played better.

They might be better teams but they have a significantly harder draw than Richmond. For predicting top 4/8/whateva, you have to look at how good the team is compared to those they play not the other good teams in that bracket.

If I was on the board (which Im clearly not lol) I would look at it this way.
- Richmond finished 5th this year
- With a young group of 22-30 of regular starting quality
- While also getting quality games into some first and second year players
- With a significantly easier draw in 2014
- With the addition of some recuits/depth, without losing any quality

As a board member I would expect improvement... and improvement is a top 4 finish for 2014. This would be the aim, missing that aim would be a fail (for 2014).

Winning a final would be improvement. Not making top 4 isn't the end of the world. Do you think they will make top 4 rico?

[TeeJay]

And what's a "significantly harder draw" there's no such thing. It's only a matter of a couple of games. And who's to say how the teams they play twice will be travelling at the time they play them? You would say a team has an easy draw if they play Gws the demons and the saints all twice, but it's not if at the time of next year all of those teams are in red hot form and go up the ladder. You beat who you come up against each week. There's no easy games in football. If they make top 4 it will be because they deserved it. If they don't it's not the end of the world. They will want to win at least 1 final this time around though for the season to be a pass