'Saddens me': Caroline Wilson takes aim at 'disappointing' Tigers
Veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson has called out reigning premiers Richmond for the ‘wrong mindset’ since the return of the game’s restart.
Richmond, with a win and a draw to their name, have been underwhelming to say the least since the season restart.
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The defending premiers are languishing in 14th spot on the table with a percentage of 87.9.
Wilson, speaking on Fox Footy Classified, felt the team had returned from the restart with the ‘wrong mindset’.
"That makes me worry about my football club."
Caroline Wilson reacts to comments by Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt, which show that the Tigers aren't completely buying into the hub.#9FootyClassified | Watch @9go pic.twitter.com/hBKdWozqbN— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) July 1, 2020
“There are some clubs who have been outliers in this and it saddens me to say that Richmond has been an outlier in terms of attitude going forward,” she said.
“Richmond have probably been the most disappointing in terms of their attitude.
“Richmond is a club that went into this season believing they were every chance of winning another premiership.
“I get the feeling they feel they’ve lost their competitive advantage. They’ve been really disappointed about the potential cuts to the football department soft cap, the players have come back in the wrong mindset.”
Wilson also took exception to Richmond captain Trent Cotchin and leader Jack Riewoldt after they claimed they wouldn’t be upset if teammates decided to stay in Victoria if the teams were relocated.
AFL premiership favourites struggling
Starting the year as premiership fancies, West Coast and Richmond find themselves in a scrap for survival ahead of their Thursday night showdown at Metricon Stadium.
The Eagles' quarantine hub struggles continued on Saturday when a poor third-quarter display cost them dearly on the way to a 48-point loss to Port Adelaide.
It left West Coast with a 1-3 record and the second-worst percentage in the competition (68.8).
Richmond's 32-point loss to Hawthorn in round three was followed by a shock 26-point defeat on Saturday to St Kilda, despite the return of Dusty Martin.
With the regular season shortened to 17 rounds, West Coast and Richmond have little room for error from this point, making Thursday night's clash a high-stakes affair.
With AAP
