Adjusting the Game Plan Against Top Teams: Richmond's Adaptations

The hallmark of a true dynasty is not just dominance over the competition, but the ability to evolve when challenged. For the Richmond Football Club during its golden era, sustained success meant their signature, relentless game plan was constantly scrutinized and countered by the league’s best. Opponents studied the Tigers’ chaos, pressure, and territory game, developing strategies to blunt its effectiveness. Stagnation would have meant vulnerability. This guide breaks down the common tactical problems the Yellow and Black faced against elite opposition and details the precise, championship-proven adaptations implemented by Damien Hardwick and his leaders to solve them. Consider this a masterclass in in-season adjustment from a modern powerhouse.

Problem: Opposition Flooding the Backline and Creating a Wall

Symptoms: The forward 50 becomes congested, leading to low-scoring, scrappy affairs. Jack Riewoldt is double or triple-teamed, small forwards like Daniel Rioli find no space, and long, hopeful kicks into attack are easily intercepted. Scoring dries up, and the team’s trademark territory dominance feels futile.
Causes: Opponents, particularly defensively structured sides, learned to sacrifice midfield numbers to protect their defensive arc. They conceded the corridor and focused on forming a numerical wall behind the ball, knowing Richmond’s instinct was to move forward at all costs. This directly attacked the core of the Tigers’ "forward-half game" philosophy.
Solution: The shift from chaos to controlled chaos.

1. Patience Over Panic: The first adjustment was a mental one, drilled at Punt Road Oval. Instead of bombing long to an outnumber, midfielders like Trent Cotchin and Dion Prestia were instructed to lower their eyes and hold the ball if no viable option presented itself. This required immense discipline against a side’s defensive setup.


2. The Switch and Re-Switch: To break the wall, Richmond used the full width of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Players like Bachar Houli became masters of the controlled switch across the defensive 50, shifting the point of attack to stretch the opposition’s defensive zone and find a weak point.


3. Midfielders as Forwards: The most critical tactical tweak. To drag defenders away from Riewoldt, players like Dustin Martin and Shai Bolton were stationed deep in the forward line for extended periods. Their one-on-one prowess and goal sense forced opponents to make a choice: stay packed in the wall or risk leaving a superstar unattended. This created the mismatches and space the Tigers craved.

Problem: Losing the Clearance Battle Against Bigger Midfields

Symptoms: Being beaten at the source, especially in centre bounces against powerhouse clearance teams. This leads to sustained defensive pressure, as the backline, led by Alex Rance, is forced to defend repeated, direct entries. The team’s forward pressure is negated because the ball isn’t entering their front half consistently.
Causes: Some opponents possessed bigger, more physically dominant on-ball divisions designed to win first possession. Relying solely on pure grit at the contest was sometimes insufficient against these specific, brute-force units.
Solution: Acknowledging that you can’t always win it, so you must be prepared to lose it well.

1. Structure Over Scrap: Instead of committing all midfielders to a 50/50 ball at the bounce, Richmond would often assign one player (often Prestia or Cotchin) to a defensive, "losing" position at the stoppage. Their role wasn’t to win the tap but to immediately harass and corral the opposition player who did.


2. The Defensive Web: The solution extended far beyond the midfielders. Half-forwards and wingers adjusted their starting positions to be defensively minded at centre bounces, forming a second layer of pressure 20-30 meters from the contest. This turned a potential clean clearance into a contested situation in the corridor, where Richmond’s tackling and chaos were supreme.


3. The Dusty Factor: In must-win moments, the ultimate adaptation was simply deploying Martin into the centre square. His unique combination of brute strength, explosiveness, and game-breaking skill could single-handedly reverse clearance trends, as seen in the defining quarters of all three premiership deciders.

Problem: High-Pressure Teams Forcing Turnovers in the Middle

Symptoms: Sloppy, rushed ball movement through the corridor under intense physical pressure. Handballs go to feet, kicks are smothered, and the chain of possession breaks down, leading to punishing counter-attacks the other way. The Tigers’ own pressure game was being used against them.
Causes: Rivals like Geelong and Collingwood at their peak aimed to "fight fire with fire," applying manic pressure on Richmond’s ball carriers, particularly in the midfield. They targeted the handball chains that were the engine of the Tigers’ play.
Solution: Simplifying the game and leveraging territory.

1. Embracing the "Boring" Kick: Coaches at Punt Road emphasized the value of the long, high, contest-oriented kick to a one-on-one or a numerical contest in their forward half. While not pretty, this eliminated the risky short passes in traffic that pressure teams feasted on. It played to the strength of Richmond’s forwards in aerial contests and ground-level pressure.


2. Winning the Territory War: The focus shifted from disposal efficiency to territorial efficiency. The mantra became: "If in doubt, get it forward." Even an imperfect entry to a contest locked the ball in the Tigers’ attacking half, where their system was most potent. This neutralized the opposition’s midfield press by bypassing it entirely.


3. Role Players Stepping Up: In the 2019 premiership run, players like Marlion Pickett and Liam Baker excelled at this simplified, tough approach. Their ability to win the contested ball and immediately shift it forward with long kicks was a direct counter to high-pressure tactics.

Problem: Key Defenders Being Isolated One-on-One

Symptoms: Star opposition key forwards taking marks on the lead or winning contests deep in attack, leading to straightforward goal-scoring opportunities. This exposed what was perceived as a potential weakness in the Tigers’ system, which relied on team defence.
Causes: Opponents would try to slow the game down in their forward 50, preventing Richmond’s defensive swarm from setting up. They would isolate their best forward, often on the formidable but not invincible Alex Rance, in a pure one-on-one duel.
Solution: Making team defence non-negotiable, even from the forwards.

1. The Forward 50 Press Starts the Defence: The first line of defence was the forward line. If the opposition won the ball in their defensive 50, Richmond’s small forwards applied immediate, structured pressure to force a rushed or long kick. This prevented the precise, measured ball movement needed to isolate a defender.


2. Midfield Accountability: If a key defender was isolated, it was considered a midfield failure. Midfielders were drilled to track back with their opponents relentlessly, ensuring there was always help in the defensive corridor. This turned potential one-on-ones into two-on-ones or three-on-twos in Richmond’s favour.


3. The Rance-Riewoldt Pact: Rance and Jack Riewoldt famously worked together in training, with Riewoldt showing Rance what forwards hated. This led to Rance mastering the art of the "spoiling contest" – not always going for the mark, but ensuring his opponent couldn’t take a clean grab either. This subtle skill turned potential opposition marks into ground balls, where Richmond’s small defenders like Nick Vlastuin excelled.

Problem: Maintaining Intensity and System in Unique Finals Environments

Symptoms: A drop in the trademark pressure rating, uncharacteristic skill errors, or a game plan that looks "off" in high-stakes finals, particularly the 2020 premiership played outside of Victoria. The system that looked seamless at the MCG could falter under unique pressure.
Causes: Different grounds (like the Gabba), altered preparation routines, intense external scrutiny, and the sheer weight of expectation in a finals series could subconsciously lead to players deviating from their roles or trying to do too much individually.
Solution: Ritualizing process and doubling down on identity.

1. The "Connection" Focus: During the 2020 hub season, Hardwick and the leadership group, led by Cotchin, shifted focus from the opposition or the venue to internal "connection." Training at Punt Road or away grounds focused solely on executing their system for each other. The game plan was the anchor in a sea of uncertainty.


2. Simplifying Messages: In finals, the coaching messages became incredibly simple. "Bring the pressure." "Play your role." "Trust the system." This avoided information overload and reinforced the core, non-negotiable tenets of Richmond’s football. The complex adjustments were made during the week; on gameday, it was about execution.


3. Momentum-Response Drills: A key part of pre-season training drills for Richmond involved simulating game scenarios where everything was going wrong. Being down by 5 goals, a man down, etc. This built a muscle memory response: when challenged, revert to the system, increase the pressure, and trust it will turn. The 2017 premiership comeback and the 2019 Grand Final third quarter are testaments to this drilled resilience.

Problem: Adapting to Rule Changes and the Evolving AFL Landscape

Symptoms: The game feels faster or slower than preferred, new interpretations (like the standing the mark rule) disrupt defensive setups, or the competition as a whole finds a way to slow Richmond’s ball movement.
Causes: The AFL frequently introduces rule changes to open the game. A dynasty-era team must adapt its system to new interpretations while maintaining its core identity, or risk being left behind.
Solution: Viewing change as an opportunity, not a threat.

1. Early Adoption and Experimentation: Richmond’s football department, under Hardwick, would aggressively experiment with new rules during pre-season and early minor rounds. They asked: "How can this rule help our style?" For example, the 6-6-6 rule was seen as a benefit, creating more one-on-ones for their powerful forwards at centre bounces.


2. Empowering Leaders On-Field: With rules changing how teams could defend, on-field problem-solving became vital. Martin, Cotchin, and Riewoldt were empowered to make real-time adjustments. If a new defensive tactic was legal, they had the license to counter it within the flow of the game, a trust built from thousands of hours of shared experience.


3. Focus on Constants: Amidst change, the Tigers doubled down on the constants that always worked: physical pressure, contest work, and forward-half territory. No rule change could legislate against those pillars. By mastering the fundamentals, they provided a stable platform upon which tactical adjustments could be made.

Prevention Tips: Building an Adaptable System

The best troubleshooting is proactive. Richmond’s dynasty was built on a system designed for flexibility.
Develop Role-Players, Not Just Stars: A system reliant on 22 players executing a role is harder to counter than one reliant on 3-4 superstars. Every player at Punt Road knew their function inside out.
Train for Scenarios, Not Just Drills: As seen in their pre-season training drills, practicing for adversity (scoreboard, personnel, weather) builds tactical resilience.
Foster Brutally Honest Review: The leadership group’s willingness to critique their own and the team’s performance, without ego, was key to identifying problems before they became crises.

When to Seek Professional Help

In football terms, this is when internal adjustments are insufficient. For Richmond, this moment came after the 2016 season. The problems (fragile system, poor defensive transition) were chronic. The solution was seeking the ultimate professional help: a review that led to a new head of football, new assistant coaches, and a completely reinvented game plan. If multiple problems persist across several games—such as chronic defensive transition issues that no internal tweak solves—it may indicate a deeper structural flaw requiring external review, fresh coaching perspectives, or a strategic list management shift.

The legacy of the Tigers’ golden era is found in these adaptations. It was a dynasty not of a static, unbeatable plan, but of a relentless, intelligent, and united will to solve whatever problem the competition presented. They didn’t just have a game plan; they had a process* for perfecting it.