Easy, Tiger!
April 18th 2008 04:08
Terry Wallace just firmed up as the favourite for the uncoveted title of First Coach to be Sacked. But hang on, didn't the Tigers just knock off Fremantle in Perth? By 10 goals no less? Aren't they 2-2 and in the eight?
How to explain such a phenomenon?
Part of the reason I am not surprised is that I cannot rate Fremantle. When the Hawks travelled over there to play them in round 2, they were my 'Certain Winner'. Freo are old, slow, and largely talentless, with a few players shouldering a burden laid on them by poor intensity and poor list management. Someone recently commented that they were accumulating a premiership list without actually winning one! Mark Harvey is doing the best he can with what he's got, which is why they are 1-3 and not 0-4.
So factor out the win over Freo.
Richmond's other win? Against Carlton. They were up at 3-quarter time in that game by just a point.
So factor out the win against the Blues.
Now the two losses. They were hammered by North Melbourne, absolute no shows who only really charged when the game was over and the Kangas were spent. And Collingwood did much of the same - they jumped them early and put the result beyond doubt almost before quarter time.
So you see how Richmond's 2-2 status artificially inflates their competitiveness. But still, the first coach to be sacked?
Perhaps the bookies are looking ahead to Richmond's run in the next four matches - the Bulldogs, Hawthorn, St Kilda and Geelong - widely tipped to be the exact makeup of this year's top 4.
After those four, Terry Wallace may well be walking on thin ice.
How to explain such a phenomenon?
Part of the reason I am not surprised is that I cannot rate Fremantle. When the Hawks travelled over there to play them in round 2, they were my 'Certain Winner'. Freo are old, slow, and largely talentless, with a few players shouldering a burden laid on them by poor intensity and poor list management. Someone recently commented that they were accumulating a premiership list without actually winning one! Mark Harvey is doing the best he can with what he's got, which is why they are 1-3 and not 0-4.
So factor out the win over Freo.
Richmond's other win? Against Carlton. They were up at 3-quarter time in that game by just a point.
So factor out the win against the Blues.
Now the two losses. They were hammered by North Melbourne, absolute no shows who only really charged when the game was over and the Kangas were spent. And Collingwood did much of the same - they jumped them early and put the result beyond doubt almost before quarter time.
So you see how Richmond's 2-2 status artificially inflates their competitiveness. But still, the first coach to be sacked?
Perhaps the bookies are looking ahead to Richmond's run in the next four matches - the Bulldogs, Hawthorn, St Kilda and Geelong - widely tipped to be the exact makeup of this year's top 4.
After those four, Terry Wallace may well be walking on thin ice.
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Comment by Harry
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