Weekly Game Plan Preparation: The Richmond Checklist

For any team aspiring to sustained success, the weekly preparation of a game plan is the engine room of performance. It’s where premierships are first won—in the meeting rooms and on the training track. During the Richmond dynasty era, this process was refined into a science, a non-negotiable weekly ritual that transformed the Yellow and Black from hopefuls into a modern powerhouse. This was not about complex, indecipherable tactics, but about clarity, role definition, and an unwavering commitment to a proven system.

This checklist distills the core, repeatable process that underpinned the Tigers’ golden era. By following these steps, you’ll move beyond simply watching the opposition to constructing a proactive, Richmond-style plan built on pressure, contest, and team defense. You will learn to identify the key levers to pull each week while ensuring your team’s unique strengths remain the focal point.

Prerequisites / What You Need

Before you begin the step-by-step process, ensure you have the following foundations in place. The Richmond system under Damien Hardwick failed without them.

A Defined "Richmond" Game Style: Your non-negotiables. For the Tigers, this was an aggressive defensive zone, fierce contest work, and rapid ball movement from turnover. Your plan each week adapts around this core, never replaces it. (Need to define yours? Start with our guide to the Tigers' Defensive Zone Setup 2017-2020).
Clear Player Roles: Every individual must understand their primary function within the system—from the pressure acts of a small forward to the intercept role of a key defender like Alex Rance.
Recent Match Footage: The last 2-3 games of your upcoming opponent, with a focus on their most recent performance.
Statistical Data: Access to key metrics—clearance differential, inside 50 efficiency, turnover scores, pressure factor. The Tigers’ analysts were pivotal.
A Collaborative Mindset: Hardwick’s philosophy evolved into one of collaboration. This checklist works best with input from line coaches and leadership groups.

The Step-by-Step Weekly Process

The following process mirrors the weekly rhythm at Punt Road Oval during its peak. It’s a cycle of analysis, simplification, training, and reinforcement.

1. Opposition Analysis: The Hunt for Leverage Points

Objective: Move beyond generalities. Find the 2-3 specific, exploitable habits of your opponent that clash directly with your strengths.

Watch the Tape (Collectively): The coaching group reviews the last two opponent games together. Don’t just watch the ball; watch the defensive shape after a turnover, the corridor usage, and the exit strategies from defensive 50.
Identify Systemic Tendencies: Does their half-back line push up aggressively, leaving space behind? Do they favour a particular wing for switch kicks? Are their midfielders one-way runners? For example, a team that slowly switches play would be targeted by Richmond’s manic forward pressure.
Pinpoint Key Player Dependencies: How does their system feed off key individuals? If stopping one midfielder stops 50% of their clearances, that’s a leverage point. The plan for Dustin Martin was often to accept his brilliance but strangle the supply and influence of those around him.

2. Define the "Win" Scenario: The Richmond Formula

Objective: Translate analysis into a simple, vivid picture of victory. How do we win?

Frame the Game Through Your Strengths: The question is not "How do we stop them?" but "How do we impose our game?" The answer always starts with pressure and contest. The 2017 premiership was built on making the game a chaotic, physical fight—their absolute strength.
Set 3-4 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): These are your measurable benchmarks for the "Win" scenario. Examples from the dynasty era:
Team Pressure Factor > 200.
Win the Contested Possession differential.
Score > 40% of goals from forward-half turnovers.
Limit opposition scores from stoppage (< 30 points).
Craft the Narrative: Hardwick was a master of this. The "Win" might be framed as "Own the Contest, Own the Corridor" or "Bring the Heat for Four Quarters." This becomes the week’s mantra.

3. Develop Match-Ups & Role Clarity

Objective: Ensure every player knows exactly who they are accountable to and what their role is in executing the "Win" scenario.

Team Defense First: Assign match-ups based on defensive role, not just offensive prowess. A player like Bachar Houli might be tasked with guarding space and intercepting, rather than a direct man-on-man tag.
The Leadership Group’s Role: Players like Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt were extensions of the coaching staff. Cotchin’s role was to set the physical tone at stoppages; Riewoldt’s to organise the forward 50 press. Their understanding was critical.
Individual Player Briefs: Each player receives specific, actionable instructions. For Dion Prestia, it might be: "Hunt the first handball receive at stoppage and drive us forward." For a key defender, it could be: "Stand 5 meters off your opponent at all stoppages to be the intercept option."

4. Train the Plan Under Pressure

Objective: Move the plan from theory to instinct through focused, competitive training.

Scenario-Based Drills: Don’t just run drills; recreate specific game moments. "We’re up by 4 points with 3 minutes left, ball in our back pocket. Run the press."
Opposition Simulation: Use the reserve players to mimic the upcoming opponent’s structures—their kick-in plays, their centre bounce setups. The main squad practices breaking them.
Emphasise Communication: The defensive zone only works with constant, loud communication. Training sessions must be louder than game day. This was a hallmark of the Alex Rance-led backline.

5. Simplify & Communicate the Game Plan

Objective: Distill the entire week’s work into a message so simple it can be executed under extreme fatigue and pressure.

The One-Pager: The final game plan document should be visual, with minimal text. Diagrams of set plays, 3 key defensive triggers, and the 4 KPIs.
The Captain’s Address: The final message before the game often came from the players. Cotchin’s focus was on the contest and the man next to you. This internal reinforcement was powerful.
Focus on Us: As per Damien Hardwick’s coaching philosophy, the final communication always circled back to Richmond’s trademarks: pressure, contest, and connection. The opponent was almost an afterthought. (Dive deeper into this mindset with our analysis of Damien Hardwick's Coaching Philosophy).

Pro Tips & Common Mistakes

Pro Tips:
Review Your Wins, Not Just Your Losses: The Tigers constantly analysed what they did well in victories to reinforce their identity.
Empower Your Leaders: Give the Cotchins and Riewoldts ownership of segments of the review and planning. They see the game through a player’s lens.
Plan for Momentum Shifts: Have a pre-set "reset" trigger—like a specific stoppage setup or a shift in press height—to stop an opponent’s run. The 2019 premiership team was exceptional at this.
Use Landmark Games as Reference Points: Refer back to the defensive intensity of the 2017 Grand Final or the controlled chaos of the 2020 flag. These are shared experiences that define your standard.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Overcomplicating the Message: If a player has to think, they’re already too slow. Complexity is the enemy of execution.
Copying the Opposition: Do not fundamentally alter your style to mirror theirs. You might adopt a small tactical tweak (e.g., a hard tag), but never abandon your core. Richmond lost when they tried to be pretty, not when they were fierce.
Ignoring the MCG Factor (or Your Home Ground): The vast spaces of the Melbourne Cricket Ground were weaponised by Richmond’s speed. Your plan must account for ground dimensions and conditions.
Neglecting the Psychological: The plan isn’t just tactical. It’s about building belief. Remind the team why their system works, using evidence from their own past successes.

Checklist Summary

Use this bullet list as your quick-reference guide each week to ensure no part of the Richmond-style preparation process is missed.

• Conduct Collaborative Opposition Analysis: Identify 2-3 exploitable systemic tendencies or player dependencies.


• Define the "Win" Scenario: Frame the game through your strengths and set 3-4 measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).


• Establish Match-Ups & Role Clarity: Assign roles based on team defense and brief each player individually, leveraging your leadership group.


• Train the Plan Under Pressure: Use scenario-based drills and opposition simulation to build instinct, emphasising loud communication.


• Simplify & Communicate: Distill the plan into a one-page visual document and ensure final messaging reinforces your core identity and simplicity.

By adhering to this disciplined, focused, and strength-based weekly routine, you embed the habits of a premier team. This was the unglamorous, repeated work that made the moments of Dusty magic, Rance heroics, and Grand Final glory at the 'G possible. It transforms a game plan from a document into a destiny. Now, go prepare.