Tigers' Roar Fades Amidst Cull Rumours After Horror Start

The once mighty Richmond Tigers are staring down the barrel of a forced rebuild barely a week into the 2023 AFL season. A shambolic 39-point loss to the Gold Coast Suns in their opening fixture has set off alarm bells and fueled speculation of a ruthless cull of the club’s aging veteran core.

Four-time premiership winner Jordan Lewis did little to douse those flames, urging the Tigers to conduct an “honest” assessment of their list this early in the campaign. The former captain minced no words in his critique, labeling Richmond’s performance as “pathetic” and questioning whether the yellow and black are genuine contenders this year.

“If you’re 1-5, is it a really early snapshot of where the future lies with this side?” posed Lewis. “There comes a period of time where you need to be honest and assess where the list is at and where the club is at, and as quick as you possibly can make a decision.”

His ominous comments arrive on the eve of Richmond’s titanic Thursday night clash with traditional rivals Carlton. Having made sweeping changes following their insipid Round 1 display, the Tigers have swung the axe on recruits Jacob Koschitzke and Sam Naismith as well as youngsters Samson Ryan and Sam Banks.

Stalwarts Tom Lynch, Dustin Martin, Toby Nankervis and Rhyan Mansell have all been recalled in what looks to be a desperate bid to inject some grunt and experience into a side that appeared “soft” and “in disarray” per Mark Robinson.

“They looked terrible last week. Like, terrible,” Robinson remarked of Koschitzke’s forgettable debut. “Seeya, you’re out. He didn’t earn his spot, he can’t keep it.”

For a club that has been an enviable model of sustained excellence over the past decade, Richmond now confronts the unpalatable prospect of a future without the fabled nucleus that delivered them three flags in four years. With Martin, Grimes, Pickett, Prestia, Lynch and Broad all 30 or older, time is rapidly catching up on the Tigers’ championship era.

While Lewis concedes the youngsters knocking on the door may not be at the required level yet, he insists Richmond cannot afford to bury their head in the sand if their slump continues. “Let’s start to look at the future and not necessarily play the senior players that have been so good,” he challenged.

Retorted Robinson: “They haven’t got the talent underneath.”

It’s a grim reality check for a fallen giant that has dropped from penthouse to outhouse in less than 12 months. Having missed finals in 2022, their first absence from September action in six years, an ungainly transition looms ever larger on the horizon.

Can the Tigers’ battered pride and fresh personnel inject the requisite snarl against the Blues? Or will this be the death knell that triggers a complete changing of the guard at the hallowed Punt Road institution?

The next month could prove fateful in determining whether Richmond rebounds from their inauspicious start or opts for an explosive overhaul in sacrificing their dynastic champions. One thing is certain: Hardwick’s men are treading on perilously thin ice. The axe is poised to swing.