{"id":72264,"date":"2025-03-12T09:55:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T23:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/?p=72264"},"modified":"2026-07-03T10:30:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T00:30:03","slug":"four-signs-of-a-successful-richmond-season-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/2025\/03\/four-signs-of-a-successful-richmond-season-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Signs of a Successful Richmond Season in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>None of the signs will be wins.<\/p>\n<p>The Tigers head into the 2025 season with the least experienced list in the AFL and virtually no established AFL talent.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">After criticism of him being a &quot;cheerleader&quot; and lacking aura, Adem Yze has hit back. <\/p>\n<p>STORY \ud83d\udc49<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CSVueuadjo\">https:\/\/t.co\/CSVueuadjo<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LaurenHeraldSun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@LaurenHeraldSun<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cV7zf64UQT\">pic.twitter.com\/cV7zf64UQT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; SuperFooty (AFL) (@superfooty) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/superfooty\/status\/1899274561876865454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This year, we\u2019re just hoping for the first season of a soon-to-be successful TV show.<\/p>\n<p>They usually start with unknowns and make them stars.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"ca\" dir=\"ltr\">A trio of Tiger debutants \ud83d\udc40 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cj5xftJawE\">pic.twitter.com\/cj5xftJawE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Richmond FC \ud83d\udc2f (@Richmond_FC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Richmond_FC\/status\/1898988681899421747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Kieran Culkin wasn\u2019t famous before Succession, now he\u2019s an Oscar winner.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of wins, Tiger fans just need to see these four signs for the season to be an overall success.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>1. Games have to be a more pleasant experience than sticking needles in my eyes.<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>Watching Richmond in 2024 was more painful than that COVID celebrity-filled imagine video.<\/p>\n<p>Richmond\u2019s ball movement out of the back half was particularly awful. As soon as the ball got to defensive 50, nobody was less dynamic.<\/p>\n<p>If you offered me a dollar for every time someone got the ball at half-back and hoiked it up the line to nobody, I wouldn\u2019t take it because that many billions isn\u2019t worth my happiness.<\/p>\n<p>It showed in the numbers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">AFL Season 2025: Richmond<br \/>&#8211;  Ranked 1st on the injury ladder <br \/>&#8211; Continued to go long down the line from halfback under Yze<br \/>&#8211; High turnover rate. Dramatic change to 2022 following the injuries\/list changes<br \/>&#8211; Youth revival brings low expectation + high excitement <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kZtEqG7Dw8\">pic.twitter.com\/kZtEqG7Dw8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Ives (@JamesIves17) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JamesIves17\/status\/1894160611757432940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Tigers were the least fluid, most risk averse, team in footy.<\/p>\n<p>This season, there has to be more dynamism and run coming out of the back half. It doesn\u2019t even need to work, just try something. Be like Ani from Anora.<\/p>\n<p>Make it clap and maybe you\u2019ll get a diamond ring out of it, even if the marriage to an oligarch end-run doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ANORA - Official Redband Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/p1HxTmV5i7c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Another year of dour, \u201cMelbourne without any good players\u201d type of football from Adem Yze and I might cry.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>2. The highly pedigreed kids need to have a moment or two.<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>It\u2019s unlikely that all of Richmond\u2019s top picks will become AFL stars. The draft is inexact, and if I were betting, I\u2019d say three of the seven top-30 picks don\u2019t work out.<\/p>\n<p>But this is a year where hope should spring eternal for all of them.<\/p>\n<p>Even if they don\u2019t imprint themselves on the competition like Harley Reid did, they just need to have a moment.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What an absolute ripper this was!<\/p>\n<p>Congratulations to Harley Reid on winning the 2024 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NAB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NAB<\/a> AFL Goal of the Year! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2oOeoaPSU1\">pic.twitter.com\/2oOeoaPSU1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AFL\/status\/1838167757868941353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 23, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Give me an insight into who you are, like the Godfather 2 scene between Michael and Senator Geary. That scene showed what Michael had become.<\/p>\n<p>I need something like that from Sam Lalor.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sam Lalor makes an instant impact kicking the first goal \ud83d\udc4f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3sHOEFNF4X\">pic.twitter.com\/3sHOEFNF4X<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Richmond FC \ud83d\udc2f (@Richmond_FC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Richmond_FC\/status\/1891307830025531716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>I still remember being at the ground for Dusty\u2019s first ever goal in what was a just okay first year for him.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dustin Martin - 1st AFL Goal\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nOSgYfxm1vk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Richmond was getting pumped, but it wasn\u2019t the point.<\/p>\n<p>In that goal, you saw his traits.<\/p>\n<p>You saw the breakaway speed, the ability to roll through traffic, the poise, and the kick.<\/p>\n<p>Each give me one moment like that.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>3. Listen to Bill Belichick<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>Bill Belichick\u2019s famously said \u201cdo your job\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Belichick\u2019s simple formula for Success<\/p>\n<p>Do your Job!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake care of the 1 or 2 or 3 things that we have emphasized all week &amp; we will be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no mystery \u2014 it\u2019s trusting each other &amp; doing your job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcfd<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@nflnetwork<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ooKy4JrFDn\">pic.twitter.com\/ooKy4JrFDn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jaycob Ammerman (@Jammer2233) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jammer2233\/status\/1175414865852338176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 21, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>He gave players with limited skillsets specific areas of responsibility and had them focus on that.<\/p>\n<p>The Tigers need to do the same for the less talented guys on the list.<\/p>\n<p>Post-dynasty, this was one of Damien Hardwick\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Two new recruits in two new guernseys. <\/p>\n<p>Gold Coast\u2019s new home + alternate strips for 2025. <\/p>\n<p>More tonight <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/7NewsMelbourne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@7NewsMelbourne<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nmgfFDiMYp\">pic.twitter.com\/nmgfFDiMYp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cleary_mitch\/status\/1857159081418789317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 14, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The most successful one was taking an average small forward Dan Rioli, and turning him into an elite running half-back who he then poached.<\/p>\n<p>Yze did it last year with Rhyan Mansell who became a terrific small forward last year.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rhyan Mansell gets the perfect sit!<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLTigersPies?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLTigersPies<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8Xu21U3xD6\">pic.twitter.com\/8Xu21U3xD6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AFL\/status\/1894675024654528619?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 26, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Do it with more players.<\/p>\n<p>Take Thompson Dow.<\/p>\n<p>Among all players who attended more than 15 centre bounces per game and played over 15 games, Dow got the fewest clearances.<\/p>\n<p>He can\u2019t do that! Can he do anything else?<\/p>\n<p>He is a good runner. Try him on a wing?<\/p>\n<p>Tyler Sonsie, Tom Brown, Steely Green, Hugo Ralphsmith.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Steely Green has three!<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLTigersGiants?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLTigersGiants<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/gotiges?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#gotiges<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Z0jYFuJdp2\">pic.twitter.com\/Z0jYFuJdp2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Richmond FC \ud83d\udc2f (@Richmond_FC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Richmond_FC\/status\/1812392663049748955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 14, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>All candidates for the Belichick treatment.<\/p>\n<p>None are going to be stars. Give them one job, define its parameters, and tell them to focus on just that for the whole year.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>4. Start abandoning the sunk costs.<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>Remember Mark Brendanawicz from Parks and Rec?<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mark Brendanawicz: Oh yeah, yay\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Qtohdk6A4vI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>They started the show with him as this crucial character, then after one season where he didn\u2019t quite work they slowly got rid of him. He never came back after season 2.<\/p>\n<p>Richmond should Brendanawicz a few this year.<\/p>\n<p>To be clear, I\u2019m not saying get rid of everyone over 28. A big issue last year was that Richmond got bullied all over the ground due to a lack of size.<\/p>\n<p>Certain players do need to be phased out, though or at least put some kids into the crucial roles alongside them.<\/p>\n<p>Take the centre bounces again. This is a focus area for me because it clearly wasn\u2019t for Richmond.<\/p>\n<p>The eight players who attended the most centre bounces last season were as follows: Nankervis, Taranto, Hopper, Prestia, Dow, Bolton, Graham, Baker.<\/p>\n<p>Richmond was 18th in clearances, contested ball and scores from stoppage in 2024.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cI\u2019m sure we\u2019ll get some great young kids in who will be hungry and we\u2019ll come back ready to go on day one of pre-season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcf9 Captain Toby Nankervis wraps up the 2024 season. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xDWEXvZ76P\">pic.twitter.com\/xDWEXvZ76P<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Richmond FC \ud83d\udc2f (@Richmond_FC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Richmond_FC\/status\/1830797699597378032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 3, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Brendanawicz the few from that list that haven\u2019t left and put the new kids into the firing line. Start with Jacob Hopper and go from there.<\/p>\n<p>I know you can\u2019t drop him but start him on a flank or something. Don\u2019t let him clog development.<\/p>\n<p>One experienced player for every two kids in every centre bounce.<\/p>\n<p>Lean in.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b><i>Like what you read from our hard-hitting columnist?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b><i>Follow\u00a0<\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/guywholikesspo1\"><b><i>@Guywholikessport<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>\u00a0on Twitter or check out his\u00a0<\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/guywholikessport.wixsite.com\/guywholikessport\"><b><i>FULL BLOG HERE\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>None of the signs will be wins. The Tigers head into the 2025 season with the least experienced list in the AFL and virtually no established AFL talent. After criticism of him being a &quot;cheerleader&quot; and lacking aura, Adem Yze has hit back. STORY \ud83d\udc49https:\/\/t.co\/CSVueuadjo@LaurenHeraldSun pic.twitter.com\/cV7zf64UQT&mdash; SuperFooty (AFL) (@superfooty) March 11, 2025 This year, we\u2019re just hoping for the first season of a soon-to-be successful TV show. They usually start with unknowns and make them stars. A trio of Tiger debutants \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/cj5xftJawE&mdash; Richmond FC \ud83d\udc2f (@Richmond_FC) March 10, 2025 Kieran Culkin wasn\u2019t famous before Succession, now he\u2019s an Oscar&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":72268,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8298,344],"tags":[29,9778,1329,8260,3094,956,981],"hub_post_cat":[],"class_list":["post-72264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australian-rules","category-guywholikessport","category-sports","tag-afl","tag-afl-2025","tag-australian-rules","tag-guywholikessport","tag-opinion","tag-richmond","tag-richmond-tigers"],"acf":{"md_tip_date":null,"md_tip_date_end":null,"md_market_url":"","tip_date":"12\/03\/2025","event_country":"Australia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72264"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87794,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72264\/revisions\/87794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72264"},{"taxonomy":"hub_post_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub_post_cat?post=72264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}