David King is bullish on Richmond as we enter the second half of the season, following their Thursday night win over Port Adelaide and the general health of their list.
The Tigers kicked out to an early lead against the Power and held them at bay in a low scoring, high pressure game.
King believes they’re starting to put the pieces together at the right time of the year.
“I thought (Richmond) was very good. It was a 12-point margin in the end, but they smashed them really. It felt like a 35–40-point win really,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“If Shai Bolton kicks a couple of those five points, he blows the game apart.
“I thought they were very good. They’ve got their game back. They’re really only waiting for Tom Lynch and they’re at absolute full health. There are very few teams who are full health at Round 14.”
Kane Cornes looked ahead to the Tigers’ draw, wondering whether they have a path to the top four and potentially a fourth flag in this era.
Richmond plays Carlton and Geelong in the next fortnight, as well as Fremantle and Brisbane in Victoria in the final few months.
“Richmond’s draw is wide open now. There’s only a couple that will really challenge them in Geelong and Carlton. They probably win at worst three out of their next five. They don’t miss finals from there,” Cornes said.
“Can they do damage? Is there a premiership there to steal? Melbourne is stumbling, you look at Brisbane and Sydney and Geelong and you’re not sure about them, where do Fremantle sit in all of this.
“Is there a premiership to steal or not?”
To which King responded: “Let’s look at Round 14, 2019. Where do you reckon Richmond was on the ladder? They were ninth.
“They were outside of the eight at Round 14 in the premiership year. I think this has got a similar feel to it.
“Get everyone back and healthy, not in terms of winning premierships, but in terms of the design of the season. Get everyone as healthy as you can, if there’s any risks rest them and get them 100 per cent right.
“Then make a charge in the back six or seven weeks of the season building into a finals series.
“Damien Hardwick knows that formula. They’ve been here before.
“Health is your best player. They are looming large.”
The Tigers are expecting to get Lynch back for next Thursday’s clash with Carlton, while Kane Lambert was the medical sub in his return from a hip injury.
They are the only two players on Richmond’s injury list at the present time.