Despite injury woes, history says Richmond are still premiership contenders

Critics of Richmond’s premiership chances have once again made a resurgence as the Tigers’ injury list begins to once again pile up early in the season.

It was only 12-months ago when the Tigers had a number of superstars side-lined. Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt, and Alex Rance just to name a few.

This list of injuries lead many within the AFL community to put a line through the Tigers’ premiership hopes. However, they came out and demolished an unbecoming GWS Giants outfit to win the 2019 Grand Final.

The recent relocation of all Victorian teams has not made the Tigers’ injury woes any easier. Two-time premiership players Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards will stay home in an effort to help their family situations.

Accompanied by these two is an ever-growing injury list. Consisting of captain Trent Cotchin, the clubs current best and fairest Dion Prestia, and their leading goal kicker Tom Lynch, it is to no one surprise questions are being asked about their premiership legitimacy.

This adversity is something the club has faced many times before and have shown great resilience to in the past. That same resilience in previous years will be the exact reason they will get through this injury situation on the brighter side.

If previous finals series is anything to go by, it is not necessary to finish in the top four to play and win in a premiership. In 2016, the Western Bulldogs were premiers after finishing seventh on the ladder and last years GWS side made the grand final after finishing sixth.

2020 has confirmed one thing, and that is inconsistency.

AFL fans are quick to set kingpins like Collingwood or GWS as premiership favourites based on form, but that same form in recent weeks only confirms that no one is guaranteed a win this season.

For that reason, there should be every inkling that Richmond are in a more than capable place of going for the holy grail once again this season.

Richmond has played the Pies, Giants, Saints, and Hawks. All teams very capable of a finals appearance this year.

The upcoming fixtures the Tiges are likely get are going to be current bottom half sides. Not only is this the case, injured players will slowly be making their way back into the side in the coming weeks.

Just like the planets aligning, this symmetry in fixture and returning players will put the Richmond football club in a great place to take on a finals series with full force.