Round 17 Match Review – Richmond –v- Port AdelaidePort Adelaide 14.12.96 def Richmond 12.11.83
Best: Bowden, Richardson, Tivendale, Tuck, Graham
Goals: Richardson 4, Delidio 2, Campbell, Hyde, Tivendale, Simmonds, Tuck
Round 17 saw the Tigers and OER hit the road for their second interstate game of season 2005. The venue was the always unfriendly AAMI stadium and the opponent was Port Adelaide. Could the Tigers repeat their round 6 effort against the Power? With no Gaspar or Kellaway who was going to get the job on Tredrea?
The latter question was answered when Ray Hall started on Tredrea. Also down back Chris Newman took Josh Mahoney and Mark Graham got the job on Brendon Lade. In the centre the Tigers had Knobel in the ruck with Tuck, Coughlan and Tivendale who started on Dew.
In the first quarter even though the Tigers seemed to get the hands on the ball first the Power were getting the clearances not from the players in the middle but from their players who were flooding in from the wings. In the middle the Port Adelaide intention was not to get the first kick or handball but to get the ball usually via a tap out into open space enabling Burgoyne in particular an easy possession and long kick forward.
The Power were the first to score in the first after receiving a number of what could only be described as puzzling and soft free kicks. One of the most glaring umpiring errors came when Lade received a 50 metre penalty against Mark Graham after a Power player knocked the ball out. Within in the first 15 minutes of the first quarter Port had kicked 6 goals to 1 with efficient movement of the ball from the back of the centre square and some assistance from the Tigers who contributed with some terrible skill errors (a Newman kick in going out of bounds on the fall being a lowlight). Fortunately, the Tigers were able to stem the flow and at the end of the first Port had kicked 7.4 to the Tigers 2.3.
The start of the 2nd bought more of the same with the Power extending their lead to 43 points. But as the rain started to fall a major change was to come over this game. Firstly, Tiger coach Terry Wallace made some changes in the middle. He bought on Foley and Campbell and along with Krakouer he put them in for the centre bounces. Kane Johnson moved himself to the wing and Tivendale followed Dew down to just inside the Power’s F50. These moves seemed to restrict the Power’s ability to get the easy clearances they were getting in the first. As a result the Tigers began to win the centre clearances, winning the clearances also seemed to increase the Tiger’s willingness to attack the ball and every contest. Nathan Foley was a standout in this area as was Andy Krakouer. Although Krakouer’s final possession count (1 kick, 4 handballs) was disappointing his 11 tackles and just importantly his desire and ability to keep the ball in the Tigers F50 put the Power defence under enormous pressure and created scoring opportunities for his team mates.
Despite kicking 5 goals to 3 in the second the Tigers found themselves down by 18 points at the long break.
During the half time break the rain got heavier which for most of us Tiger fans in the crowd agreed would be to our advantage.
The start of the 3rd was an arm wrestle but as expected the wet conditions seemed to be favouring the Tigers as they continued their impressive work rate and attack on the ball. The backline being lead by Graham and Bowden had Tredrea’s measure. The Tigers scored first and were getting on top with Bowden, Hyde and Tivendale giving the Tigers plenty of run out of the back half. Tuck was moved to the forward line to give us another mobile marking target. This move appeared to work when Tuck took a strong contested mark 20 metres out from the Tiger goal. Unfortunately he opted to pass to Hilton on a better angle but the umpire deemed that the ball didn’t travel the required distance and the result was a point rather than a goal. Port’s only goal for the quarter came from another Tiger skill error when a badly executed Newman handball to an unsuspecting Johnson resulted in a turnover and a Stuart Dew goal. However, with Foley, Tuck and Campbell back in the middle in the Tigers continued to win the ball out of the centre and won the third quarter and took a 1 point lead into the final break.
For the start of the final quarter the Tigers reverted back to its original centre square line up and as in the first the Power started to take control of the clearance – it was a move that I must say had me scratching my head. Despite this the Tigers had the first opportunity to score when spearhead Matthew Richardson had a shot about 35 metres out to put the Tigers 7 points up. History tells us he missed but he did make up for that miss later in the final quarter when he slotted a goal from just inside the boundary 48 metres out. The breaking point of the game has been well documented when Graham showing great courage as he has all season ran back with the flight of the ball and had the ball spill out and had to watch Mahoney kick what ended up being the winning goal.
A couple of other things again stood out during and after this game. Firstly, we still make a lot of skill errors when under pressure as well as when we are not under pressure. Will Thursfield was an inspired choice as number 1 pick in the rookie draft of 2004. Nathan Foley is the type of player we need: an in and under type with goods hands.
And finally, all those things people say about Port Adelaide fans being feral – they are true especially when it rains 
Although it was pleasing that we fought back rather than capitulating like we did against the Saints we cannot continue to give good sides 7 goal starts. This was a game we could have and should have won and considering that for me at least the final result was disappointing.
