Co-Captain, Toby Nankervis holds the 2023 Premiership Cup before the season, the big man has aspirations of lifting it up once more come September.
(Photo: Richmond FC Facebook)
Is the wonderful joy of premierships and winning finals over for the Richmond Football Club or can a couple of gun midfielders be everything the club needs for a resurgence to the top of the ladder in 2023?
After dominating the competition for the best part of half a decade, the Richmond Tigers have finally fallen back into the pack and after only just managing to sneak into finals last season, they were eliminated by Brisbane Lions in a heartbreaking two-point loss. While many people have been very quick to predict the Tigers to spiral downwards from here and fall back down to the lower ranks of the ladder, maybe even miss finals this year, they may have landed just what the side needed.
Nobody is arguing that Richmond hasn’t dropped off the last couple of years, missing finals in 2021 and then just scraping into seventh position last season, before being eliminated in the first final. The 2017-20 dynasty is over and there is no disputing that, but are the Tigers really that far off the mark or will they be a chance to not only play finals, but give the premiership a real shake in 2023?
The side’s first game saw a 58-58 draw with the Carlton Blues and while the Tiges didn’t take home the four points, they played a brand of footy that coach, Damien Hardwick was impressed with.
“I sit there and walk away and although we only get the two points, I walk away happy with what we put out on the park,” he said post-match to the playing group.
“That’s an outstanding product that needs a little bit of refinement, I’m pumped with the intent …get back to work, that’s what we do, that’s who we are.”
There is no doubt that the news of Giants duo, Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper both selecting Richmond as their preferred destination to be traded was like an early Christmas for the Tiger army. And securing the services of the pair got many supporters excited and gives the Tigers’ midfield a more youthful and dangerous dynamic.
Jacob Hopper kicks the ball long during the season opener against Carlton.
There are a lot of positives to having two young midfielders’ slot into the side. Not to mention the pair are well accustomed to playing alongside each other in the engine room and have a nice synergy that they could bring to the powerhouse Victorian club.
Round One
Tim Taranto has already put together a potential three-vote game to start off the season with 32 disposals (12 contested), five clearances, eight tackles and four inside-50’s. This allowed Richmond to win the clearances and if the side was more effective going into the forward line, it should’ve taken home the four points. Jacob Hopper was also influential racking up 18 touches and six inside-50’s.
Round Two
In Richmond’s 32-point win over Adelaide, the pair were probably the Tigers’ best two players, Hopper drew the eyes of the umpires, coaches and all those supporters watching on, as he picked up 23 disposals, six tackles and kicked a goal. While Taranto also had another standout game and showed why he is arguably the greatest pickup of the trade period. The midfield bull got 28 disposals, eight tackles and seven clearances in the side’s win.
Taranto is just 25 years old, while Hopper is 26, and with other players such as Shai Bolton (24), Jack Graham (25) and Jayden Short (27) running through the midfield, there is plenty of youthful talent. Even captain, Toby Nankervis is only 28 years old and has plenty of good football left in him.
After much conjecture about where Dustin Martin would be playing in 2023, the 31-year-old put all of the incorrect rumours to bed late last year with coach, Damien Hardwick confirming that the Brownlow medallist would remain at Punt Road in 2023. Following the passing of Dusty’s father, Shane, his playing future was uncertain with many prominent journalists reporting that he could make a move to Sydney or Greater Western Sydney on a big deal to be closer to family. While there was definitely a time when his playing future was undecided, Martin will likely play out the remainder of his famous career in the yellow and black.
When you tie this in with the inclusions of Taranto and Hopper to an already seasoned midfield, the Tigers’ engine room could look scary this year. It was also thought at one point in time that gaining Taranto and Hopper could mean losing the likes of Ivan Soldo, however Richmond managed to win out of the trade period, keeping the big man.
On top of this, Dion Prestia showed what he was capable of last season polling 19 votes in just 19 games. Without injury, the ‘human meatball’ would’ve been a real contender for the 2022 Brownlow medal showing how important he is to the Richmond midfield. He only stands at 175 centimetres but is in my opinion, the most important and valuable player at the Richmond Football Club. You only have to delve into the stats to see how good Richmond’s win-loss record is with Prestia in the side.
Tim Taranto had an outstanding game in round one with 32 disposals and eight tackles.
While the dominance of a midfield group is often decided by clearances, the Tigers have never been a big clearance side, even in years where they were the best team in the competition and won premierships. The way that Richmond played during its dynasty allowed the club to be smashed in the clearance count and still win the game at the final siren. With the ‘mosquito fleet’ and the ‘chaos ball’ style of play, the side’s small forwards and midfielders capitalised on turnover and punished any mistakes from the opposition, especially in the corridor and the forward half.
However, with the addition of Hopper and Taranto who are both contested bulls and clearance machines, this could be another area that Richmond could damage sides in 2023, from sheer dominance in the middle. You only have to look at the first two games to see a difference in the rejuvenated midfield structure of the side and a greater ease in clearing the ball from stoppages.
The Tigers like many sides, are currently missing some key personnel from the side, especially in the back half. The likes of Robbie Tarrant (hip), Josh Gibcus (hamstring), Nathan Broad (suspension) and Jayden Short (calf) are all big outs. As a result, you would think it will be a tough ask for the Tigers when they step foot onto the MCG this Friday night to battle it out against the in-form team of the competition and flag favourite, Collingwood.
The rest of the year is an unknown at the moment, but Richmond fans should keep some optimism and excitement about what the 2023 season could hold for their club.
Where will Richmond finish in 2023?
Top 4
Top 8
Miss the finals
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