Round #01 - Define reality. Give hope.
Sam Lalor
There was a sense of inevitability that there would be a moment in the game where the Richmond faithful would get to celebrate the hope that Sam Lalor and this group of tyros represent, which my drawing represents
One mark. That’s all it took. It was enough.
It meant much more than what was recorded in the stats sheet.
Yes, in cricket, the scorebook will show that a snick through slips that reaches the boundary records the same number of runs as a beautiful cover drive that does likewise.
But they are different.
This mark was different.
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The mark was taken by Sam Lalor, Richmond's first selection in the National Draft just a few months earlier, making him the first player selected overall.
That he was capable of a mark of this quality came as no surprise, particularly to Tiger supporters who packed the MCG in numbers that defied a team with so few expectations in the coming season.
It has been suggested that the Tigers could, in fact, go winless this season.
The more passionate, of which there are many in the Tiger Army, would have devoured every morsel of footage on the young tyro, but seeing it in the flesh and on live television both reassured and excited.
Just as the cover drive can show all the defining qualities of a superior batter in the blink of an eye, so did this mark. It had the full mix of celebrated attributes, balance, athleticism, eye-hand coordination, but not more of any than the situation required, and in a flash, the ball was moved on, but the Tiger faithful stayed in the moment.
What just happened was far more important than what might happen next, and they collectively willed the fleeting moment to remain.
The Sam Lalor mark offered a glimpse into one of leadership's most profound responsibilities:
Define reality.
Give hope.
There was a sense of inevitability that there would be a moment in the game where the Richmond faithful would get to celebrate the hope that Sam Lalor and this group of tyros represent. He has embraced all the number one expectations, and the comparisons with the retiring superstar Dustin Martin seem very real.
A couple of hours later, even more reason to celebrate. The unlikeliest of victories for the young Tigers, a come-from-behind win against their fiercest rival, Carlton.
One game, particularly the first of the season, should not redefine reality, but for both Richmond and Carlton, it was certainly reason to pause.
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“If you are a member of the team, you must understand how you fit in, be honest about what your own strengths are, and find ways to make yourself invaluable to the overall vision.”
- Bill Belichick - Six-time Super Bowl winning coach
To walk into Richmond’s Punt Road Oval today is to enter a place where a "so far" story meets a "not yet" story.
The echo of three recent premierships still resonates, but last year's two-win wooden spoon season speaks its own truth.
This is what defining reality looks like.
The wooden spoon wasn't just the conclusion of an era but a conscious beginning of another, the Tigers bringing forward the shadow of the future, trading experienced talent, Premiership players still with plenty to offer, for capital in a highly regarded National Draft, three of whom, Luke Trainor, Harry Armstrong and Lalor, were in the team for the Round 1 win.
The build isn't just about collecting talent, but that's where it starts. For the Tigers, it’s about crafting an identity where the standards necessary for success are embedded in the new generation's DNA, recognising this game for what it is, not an arrival, but a glimpse of possibility.
It is a process that starts with knowing what you want, comprehensively and strategically evaluating what you now have, and applying the same mindset to what you could have, using all available means accessible to list managers and recruiters.
Working out how individuals can fit into the team, and how the team can bring out the best in that individual, all whilst ensuring that everyone is aligned and committed to a common goal.
After a victory like this, there could be a temptation to revise expectations, and whilst it is important never to stifle possibility, this generation of Richmond leaders, and the list build they are embarking on, carry enough Premiership wisdom to know the game will not give up its rewards so easily.
In this environment, Senior Coach Adem Yze, a young coach who has done the yards, learning his craft in great systems, faces leadership's central challenge – imagining a team that doesn't yet exist – the 'not yet' vision that shapes every list and development decision.
At the same time, he must also create the conditions that balance present reality with future vision.
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Leadership isn't about being ready. You’re never ready. It's about being present to what each moment asks of you.
Leadership, if you’re prepared to embrace all its expectations, will pick you up somewhere and leave you somewhere else.
So it will be for Adem Yze, as he well understands.
The highest levels of performance are grounded and empowered by the deepest levels of belief. This means trusting and believing in the vision, the systems, structures, and processes, and, most significantly, in the role leadership will play in creating the conditions to deliver on the promise of the current iteration of the Richmond Football Club.
This is what giving hope looks like.
But the leaders know that reality is but a game away. There will be growing pains, tough losses and disappointment when performance doesn’t meet even the most reasonable of expectations, but they will be framed as lessons and learnings until such time as they can no longer be, and someone else will be given an opportunity.
For all of the joy of the Sam Lalor mark and the memorable Tiger victory, in which he would play a key goal-kicking role, as my drawing celebrates, the game will always present its truth.
Defining reality doesn't diminish hope. It gives hope substance.
Play on!
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