What Is Sam Lonergan Actually Responsible for Changing in Richmond’s Stoppage Game?

Richmond’s late-season stoppage improvement created a more demanding question than whether the Tigers can simply climb the clearance table. They began winning enough first possession to show genuine progress, yet too much of that work still failed to become territory, inside-50 advantage or scoreboard pressure.

That puts Sam Lonergan’s 2027 responsibility under a sharper light. As Richmond’s midfield and stoppage coach, where does his job finish once the clearance is won? Is he responsible only for the first possession, or also for the shape, exit, protection and next phase that determines whether the win survives? And where does Lonergan’s work hand over to Blake Caracella’s ball movement rather than disappearing between the two portfolios?

The full member investigation separates those responsibilities, examines what changed in Richmond’s stoppage work during 2026, and asks what supporters should be able to see in 2027 before a clearance win can be treated as evidence that the whole phase is becoming more useful.

Read the full RTSSG investigation here.

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