Loading

In both of those losses to the Cats and the Pies, the Tigers have played to win, used the corridor, responded after being dominated for periods of the game and most importantly, fought it out until the final siren. Genuinely fought it out, and there is a difference.

Maurice Rioli’s chase-down tackle is my personal highlight of season 2025 so far, but a fortnight earlier, on the night of their brave, but heavy loss down at Geelong, Maurice was called up early as the sub as Sam Lalor injured his hamstring.

Perhaps stung by his vulnerable position in the AFL team, Maurice played a four-quarter game of intense footy that leant on defence just as much as his obvious attacking flair. After a few peaceful years in AFL waters since Cyril Rioli retired from brutally chasing down opponents like a shark, there is now another predator in the water and the dorsal fin of Maurice jnr is putting the fear in footy’s beachgoers once again.

My apology to the Tigers does come with a couple of caveats though, as footy apologies often do.

The off-field indiscretion of Noah Balta has been forensically covered, but I also found myself thinking that Adam Yze’s insistence on Noah’s return to play being a “football decision” was naive and out of step with what we came to admire about Richmond’s leadership under Brendon Gale, Peggy O’Neal and Damien Hardwick.

I felt this twinge again in the aftermath of Tom Lynch’s round arm against Adelaide that earned him a five-match suspension. Again, the coach chose to defend his player with some flimsy context of the frustration of close checking and lack of umpire support. That context didn’t land with me. Tom has had what many would see as a dream career in many ways and his sole function now is to create a regular contest and help his young teammates develop good habits in the locker room. It was a petulant, a violent act and five weeks might’ve been kind.

Still, the core business of any AFL coach is to create a program for players and staff to improve, take on challenges and build on what’s gone before them. The Tigers have done that all year and have done it to such a level that you can’t help but look at say, North Melbourne, and wonder why they aren’t trying as hard.

If I take myself back to that regrettable moment in the pre-season when I predicted that the Tigers wouldn’t win a game, it wasn’t solely due to the rebuilding list. It was also based on the fact that the core leadership of the all-conquering Tigers were all gone. Gale, O’Neal, Hardwick, Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin have all moved on.

In watching the Tigers battle away (despite succumbing to the Magpies) last Sunday, I was humbled to see the echoes of those big five in the form of Toby Nankervis, Nick Vlaustin, and Nathan Broad and how that devotion to the cause is igniting the young ’uns coming through like Rioli, Rhyan Mansell, Luke Trainor, Seth Campbell and my new favourite, Taj Hotton.

Well done Richmond, and again, I’m sorry.

(It’s also worth noting that as I left Punt Rd from my week of week experience, I pinched one of the training footballs and took it all the way back to Warragul on the train. I’m sorry for that too.)

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.