Effort is what countsI think what disappointed me most about Richmond this game was simply their lack of pressure. They were a team very happy to run hard when they had momentum, but they largely allowed the Dockers to do what they wanted with the ball. They tried to match the style of controlling possession, but when you’re not winning the ball in the middle or not putting pressure on the kicker – you’re not going to generate enough possession for this style to work.
At the end of the game, Fremantle finished with 60 tackles to go with their 112 contested possessions and 36 clearances. When you compare that to Richmond’s 40 tackles, 16 clearances and 98 contested possessions, their lack of effort is exposed more than anything.
With where the club is at, I think coach Yze could excuse any number of mistakes, but even if everything else goes wrong, you can still control the effort you put in to get your hands on the ball first or, if you can’t, make life as difficult as possible for the opposition.
Full article and match review here: https://themongrelpunt.com/afl-season-2024/2024/05/05/r8-fremantle-v-richmond-the-mongrel-review/
