SEN footy analyst Terry Wallace says extra quality throughout Richmond’s senior players will allow the club to make a much better premiership defence, than the Western Bulldogs did in 2017.
The Bulldogs became the first since Hawthorn in 2009 to miss out on playing finals the year after winning the premiership, while Richmond came from 13th in 2016 to win its first premiership in 37 years.
The former Western Bulldogs coach said the likes of Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt, Brownlow Medallist Dustin Martin, and Captain Trent Cotchin are all entering the prime of their careers.
“I think you can rely more on their senior spine,” Wallace told SEN’s The Run Home.
“You’ve got Rance at 27 [28 next year], [David] Astbury 26, [27 next year]. You go down the other end Jack he’s 28, [29 next year]. Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin through the middle of the ground, they’re 26 and 27, they’re all at the right age.
“If one of the big boys Rancey or Jack goes down at either end, clearly they are going to be difficult to replace, but structure wise they look a lot more sound than I thought the Bulldogs did 12 months ago.”
Wallace doubts whether the Tigers will change any of the game plan that made them so successful in 2017, and has backed the likes of Josh Caddy and Jacob Townsend to cover the lack of a second tall forward option.
“I think what they did from the point of view of the trade period shows that the answer to that is no,” he said.
“Could they have gone out and got a back-up key position player? They avoided doing that, and if anything they went the other way- [Todd] Elton came off their list, so they were comfortable to say ‘no we’re happy to go in with what we’ve got’.
“I think that they’re mad if they change it with the way the game is going a strong bodied Caddy, a manic Townsend they can play [as] the second or third talls.
“They are both tough and strong enough to compete in the air to bring the ball to ground level, and they are twice as good at ground level as your key position players.”
He feels that while Richmond should be able to keep up their manic pressure, their draw which sees them come up against Adelaide, Essendon and Geelong twice will be their biggest concern.
“They finished 13th a year prior, so they played the double up games against [lower sides], it allowed them to get in that top for position,” Wallace said.
“Yes you deserved it Richmond fans, but it was a helping factor particularly early in the year.
“They found their way and got their confidence up and working, that won’t happen this time, all those games will happen against the better sides of the competition as the reigning premiers.
“Can they keep that manic pressure up? I sense they can, but they’re the questions surrounding them.”