It’s a varied palate for Round 6’s Notebook. The three topics for this week:
1) How veterans are leading the way for Richmond and setting the example
2) Sydney’s search for balance between the old and new styles
3) Every team’s Expected Score performance through six rounds of 2025
Let’s get into it.
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Patreon subscribers get early access to the Notebook each week as part of their benefits for signing up.
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Veterans leading the way for Richmond
This almost functions as a part two to last week’s Notebook section on West Coast needing to find ‘minutes eaters’.
(Link below this section for those who missed it, obviously most of the Richmond players about to be mentioned are more than minutes eaters, but it’s about a general concept)
Some names to start us off, and their performances against Gold Coast:
– Nick Vlastuin: 15 intercept possessions, 7 intercept marks, 27 disposals, 10 coaches votes
– Tim Taranto: 35 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 6 clearances, 6 tackles, 6 coaches votes
– Noah Balta: Held Ben King to one goal, also eight rebound 50s, 5 coaches votes
– Jacob Hopper: 27 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 8 clearances, 2 coaches votes
– Tom Lynch: His best game of the year, the forward line fulcrum
Add in more than serviceable games from Toby Nankervis, Jayden Short, and Kamdyn McIntosh, and suddenly it’s a third of the team as mature heads shielding the youngsters and playing well in their own right.
Having Richmond IP taught from these experienced heads allows the rebuild to start from a higher point than full scorched earth and starting from scratch.
Although most of the work is done day to day at the club, externally we only see what happens on game day. Against the Suns we saw how these veterans are leading the way.
A couple of passages to illustrate. The first one happens in the blink of an eye, so it’s deliberately been slowed down to half speed to show the value of experienced defenders behind the ball constantly directing teammates:
You can argue Brown made the decision to press up too late – which I would disagree with – but even if we are going down that route, it’s what happens with players finding their way. The role of players like Vlastuin is to cover, erase mistakes and get things back on the right path.
And then on offence, take this passage of play – even from just before the centre bounce when it appears Short is imploring his teammates to go up another level again. Then it’s Hopper providing support for McIntosh to dish a handball to. The eventual kick forward spills to ground and it’s Nankervis putting his body on the line, before Taranto, beating the midfielders to the spill, capitalises.
These sorts of passages create good habits. Youngsters look at Vlastuin supporting his defence, at McIntosh winning the ball, at Hopper providing support, at Nankervis putting his body on the line, at Taranto putting in multiple efforts, and realise that’s the level they have to reach. It ultimately makes Richmond a better team much quicker than if the experience wasn’t around or not playing to the level.
It’s not supposed to imply it’s all onwards and upwards from here. There’ll still be more tough days than good in the short and medium term. But wise heads still playing at a good level teach younger players lessons at a rate they wouldn’t get otherwise. Ideally in a year or two, those younger players are ready to start taking over.
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For those who have missed it, the last five posts on The Shinboner, plus…
2025’s Team Structures Page, now updated
North Melbourne’s Round 6 analysis v Carlton
Checking in on the 0-5 teams: Round 5’s Notebook
North Melbourne’s Round 5 analysis v Gold Coast
Minutes played by age: Round 4’s Notebook
North Melbourne’s Round 4 analysis v Sydney
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Sydney’s fascinating search for balance
This might come across a little more negative than intended, but it’s fascinating watching a largely established group of players (with a couple of exceptions, admittedly) adjust to new coaching instructions, and the consequences of being a half-step off.
It’s easy to see the greater focus on a higher, pressing defence than under John Longmire, and then the goal to capitalise offensively on opportunities which come from it.
But for a new defensive mindset to work, the offensive style has to shift slightly. At the moment both haven’t clicked* at the same time, which is why we’re seeing some of these results.
(*North Melbourne in Round 4 doesn’t count)
The offensive output – undoubtedly partly due to personnel – has suffered. For instance, against the Power, Sydney had 46 clearances but only scored 19 points from them, an anaemic return.
Then because the offence has suffered, it makes the field harder to defend. For example, this passage starts from a kick that’s out of character and allows Port to go end to end because it hasn’t allowed Sydney time to set up in defence:
Even though the kick itself is obviously an error, it’s hard to imagine even the thought of that kick crossing a Swan’s mind last year. While watching a team go basically coast to coast naturally elicits a ‘defence has to be better’ reaction, it all starts from poor offence.
In his post-match press conferences this year, Dean Cox has been at pains to stress – either obviously or subtly – how he wants his side to add extra layers to their game.
Part of it has involved shifting midfielders’ roles slightly inside stoppages and contests (even though the only notable non-Gulden personnel change has been more Chad Warner forward minutes with Jordon picking up the load), looking to bring more players around the ball to cut off opposition transition, and generally getting comfortable with working in a smaller space.
Perhaps it’s a direct reaction to how Brisbane sliced Sydney open from contest and the domino effect it caused in last year’s Grand Final. But while the Swans are figuring the new style out, the balance has – understandably, to be fair – shifted arguably a little too far towards defence.
Only three teams have a worse scoring shot per inside 50 efficiency than Sydney so far this season (West Coast, Carlton, and Melbourne for the record). It’s just a little bit different to most of last year when no one could stop Sydney scoring.
But defensively, opponents have struggled to control the ball as much as last year, their mark and uncontested possession tallies decreasing. It’s a clear departure from teams going into games against Sydney last year knowing their best – and sometimes only – way to win was by controlling the ball first and foremost.
It’s fascinating watching the team adjust and learn week to week. With few needle-moving replacements returning in the short term – apart from Callum Mills (listed at 1-2 weeks), no one else is within three or four weeks – they need to find a way to scrounge a couple of wins.
Because at 2-4, with Gold Coast (away) and GWS (home) in the next fortnight, the season could quickly start to slip away if the learning process takes a little longer than planned.
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The Create Your Own Depth Chart feature is now part of the List Management suite, all on the $5 tier for Patreon subscribers:
You can subscribe to the Patreon for 2025 right here. The three tiers are much the same as previous years, with refined features for the top two.
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Expected Score through six rounds
Six rounds in feels like the optimum time to check in on how sides are faring against the Expected Score.
Some teams you’d expect to see outperform the average, given the kicks in their side. Taylor Walker and Darcy Fogarty for Adelaide, and Nick Larkey for North Melbourne, just to name a couple.
And then elsewhere, it’s almost a case of addition by subtraction from an accuracy point of view. For instance, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan ‘led’ the way the last two years for underperforming Expected Score.
Here’s how every team ranks to this point in 2025, along with their best and worst game during the first six rounds.
