Victory at any cost isn’t victory at all.
The art of war was cruel for Richmond last night.
It secured the four points and restored a good measure of Tiger football, but the toll was too high.
Injury and absence is set to replace form as the chief concern for Damien Hardwick and the quest for back to back premierships.
There are such strong echoes of the struggles in the first half of last year, which was spent in the constant grip of adversity.
Richmond used time as its ally in a strategically brilliant premiership assault.
It took it welts falling to 7-6 and waited for the mid-season bye, then launched from ninth, immediately looking the best team in the competition and not losing in a dominant three month stretch.
The difference this year – time is the enemy in a 17-round season without a bye and their fixture beyond Sydney and North Melbourne might play a pivotal role in determining their fortunes.
The mantra will be to keep it together.
The Tigers roused from their lethargy only to be flattened by injury.
The physical toll is obvious – Dion Prestia and Toby Nankervis with long term ankle injuries, Trent Cotchin with that persistent hamstring complaint.
And Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards not entering the hub.
That’s a migraine at selection.
The emotional toll will best be judged in hindsight.
Is this a quest that’s just too hard or will the adversity again light the fire?
The one thing we can say with some certainty is Richmond is living its family values.
And for the most part I’m relieved to see a level of empathy and compassion for Houli and Edwards who are prioritizing their families over travel at the moment.
The players have too often been cast as the villains this season when in reality they are making the necessary sacrifices to ensure the competition can be staged.
A little bit of gratitude and kindness is in order.