One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on May 24, 2015, 10:00:23 PM
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Two straight for the Tigers
By Harry Thring
afl.com.au
May 24, 2015 7:59 PM
PORT ADELAIDE 0.3 3.6 4.10 5.13 (43)
RICHMOND 3.4 7.5 7.5 11.10 (76)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Monfries 2, Wingard 2, R.Gray
Richmond: Riewoldt 4, Batchelor, Ellis, Deledio, Martin, Griffiths, Menadue, Edwards
BEST
Port Adelaide: Wingard, Cornes, R.Gray, Wines, Boak, Hombsch
Richmond: Deledio, Riewoldt, Ellis, Maric, Rance, Martin, Miles
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Trengove (leg)
Richmond: Vickery (knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Karl Amon replaced Nathan Krakouer at three-quarter time
Richmond: Connor Menadue replaced Ty Vickery (knee) in the second quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Bannister, Hosking, Chamberlain
Official crowd: 45,268 at Adelaide Oval
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Richmond has won back-to-back games for the first time in the 2015 season, after a stirring 33-point victory over Port Adelaide.
The Tigers avenged the loss to the Power in last year’s elimination final, leading for almost the entire game at Adelaide Oval.
The win pushed Richmond into the top eight, and sets up a blockbuster Dreamtime at the ‘G match against Essendon next week.
After leading the Tigers to victory last weekend against Collingwood with 32 disposals and two goals, Cotchin was held to just 17 touches while the retiring Kane Cornes collected 28 of his own.
But Brandon Ellis (30 disposals), Brett Deledio (28) and Anthony Miles (26) all fired – as did Alex Rance, who kept Jay Schulz goalless.
The Tigers conceded the first seven goals of the game the last time they played at Adelaide Oval but they were far hotter early on Sunday.
They controlled open play and drove inside 50 16 times to Port's nine.
Despite the fortnight-long build up to Cornes' retirement the Power looked flat and lacked run as the Tigers opened a 19-point lead.
After eight possessions in his first quarter back from a wrist injury, Wines found Wingard deep in attack for the first goal of the second quarter and Port's first of the game.
But the Power's hard work was quickly undone when Jack Riewoldt somehow found himself free inside 50 before slotting a second just a few minutes later.
The Tigers lost big man Ty Vickery when his right leg was caught awkwardly underneath his 99kg frame.
Even with the help of trainers he barely managed to limp off and was soon subbed out of the game with a knee injury.
The Tigers' defence was holding firm under extreme pressure in the third quarter with Monfries nailing the only goal of the term.
Led by Deledio and Ellis, Richmond managed to soak up anything the Power could throw – albeit without scoring itself.
The Tigers had won six of its seven final quarters this year to Port's one and a brilliant long-range goal from Tigers' sub Connor Menadue ensured the trend continued.
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2015-05-24/two-straight-for-the-tigers
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Richmond defeats Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in Round 8 in Kane Cornes’ 300th and farewell match
Richard Earle
Adelaide Advertiser
May 24, 2015 9:30PM
RICHMOND played party pooper and ruined Kane Cornes’ retirement show as Port Adelaide’s slump from flag contender to pretender continued at Adelaide Oval.
The Power’s erratic season reached a new low as it embarrassingly kicked just five goals in Cornes’ 300th and final game to crash to a third consecutive defeat against teams it was expected to beat — West Coast, Brisbane and now the Tigers by 33 points.
Port’s top four hopes are on life support — and even its finals hopes in jeopardy — after it failed to honour a retiring hero in the right manner.
It now has a 3-5 record and has amazingly fallen to a lowly 13th.
Nothing went to script for Ken Hinkley’s outfit which owed retiring Cornes, who became the first man to play 300 games for the Power, a fitting finale in his last game before joining the SA Metropolitan Fire Service.
It trailed from the six-minute mark of the opening quarter to the final siren as its game plan fell apart amid some shocking decision making and poor skill errors.
Port’s run-and-gun game — so exciting and the key to making last year’s preliminary final — is gone and its confidence appears shot.
Even easy goals are being missed, with the usually reliable Jay Schulz and Chad Wingard missing simple chances.
Cornes played his role, adding another scalp to his belt by restricting Richmond captain Trent Cotchin to 17 disposals while having 28 touches himself.
At age 32, he was the Power’s best player.
“I’m a little disappointed to leave the boys like this, they are in a little bit of a hole at the moment but it’s been a great journey,’’ Cornes said as he was chaired off Adelaide Oval by captain Travis Boak and Angus Monfries.
“I’ve lived the dream.’’
While Cornes could hold his head high in his final game, he was given little support from teammates in what was an indictment on a club which is suddenly and surprisingly in trouble in a season which started with such high expectations.
Boak battled tirelessly for 32 disposals, Robbie Gray (28) was good and Ollie Wines — returning from a dislocated wrist — played well but there was too much left to too few.
In contrast, Richmond had winners everywhere, with full forward Jack Riewoldt (four goals) the dominant forward on the ground and runners Brandon Ellis (30 disposals), Dustin Martin (29) and Brett Deledio (28) all winning plenty of the ball.
Port’s five goals followed a total of 18 in its previous two defeats, illustrating that it has lost the ability to move the ball and score freely.
The result showed how far the Power has slumped.
In the previous meeting between the clubs at Adelaide Oval in last year’s elimination final Port won by 57 points after a brilliant eight-goal first term.
Cornes tossed the coin with Cotchin before the game and then ran from the wing to sit on him as soon as the ball was bounced.
He took just 40 seconds to win a disposal, pinging Cotchin for holding the ball.
But it was the Tigers who jumped out of the blocks.
They booted the only three goals of the first term to break to a 19-point lead with Deledio and Brandon Ellis (10 disposals) and Shaun Grigg (nine) prolific.
The Tigers dominated to such an extent they had 18 inside-50s to the Power’s nine, forcing Port coach Ken Hinkley to employ key forward Justin Westhoff as a loose man in defence to stop the bleeding.
Port appeared to wake from its slumber in the second term, kicking its first goal within 30 seconds of the re-start after Wines set up Chad Wingard with a centre bounce breakaway.
But Richmond steadied to open up a 23-point lead at half-time.
The Power dominated the third term, keeping the Tigers scoreless with a 14-5 inside 50 differential, but couldn’t make big inroads into the deficit.
Port kicked 1.4 from its 14 forward 50 entries to claw to within 13 points at the last change as Richmond appeared to be just hanging on.
But the Tigers had other ideas, taking complete control when the game was on the line to cause the upset and force their way into the top eight.
RICHMOND 11.10 (76)
PORT ADELAIDE 5.13 (43)
GOALS
Richmond: Riewoldt 4, Batchelor, Ellis, Deledio, Martin, Griffiths, Menadue, Edwards
Port Adelaide: Monfries 2, Wingard 2, R. Gray
Official crowd: 45,268 at Adelaide Oval
THE 5 THINGS WE LEARNED
1 — Milestone games mean nothing. Kane Cornes became Port’s first 300-game player but the side couldn’t have been more flat in the champ’s farewell appearance. Team-mates had spoken of wanting to reward Cornes’s service but the promise fell short. Cornes still finished with head held high, curtailing Trent Cotchin while gaining 28 touches.
2 — Port Adelaide won the 2014 elimination final by 57 points. Richmond skipper Cotchin learnt winning the toss and kicking with the breeze pays dividends. There was a massive gulf between the first quarters of the elimination final and round eight. Port’s goal-less first term was its first at Adelaide Oval.
3 — Adelaide Oval is now more red carpet than fortress for interstate rivals. The Tigers came and conquered as Sydney and West Coast have done this season.
4 — Port’s kicking for goal — Angus Monfries excepted — is reaching crisis point. A wasteful 8.17 in the loss against Brisbane was followed by 5.13 last night. Jay Schulz’s (0.2) second-term miss from 10 metres out was characteristic of Port’s profligacy in front of the sticks.
5 — If Brett Deledio’s on, Richmond’s on. The Tigers struggled early in the brilliant midfielder’s absence but looks decidedly more composed and confident when Deledio starts. Deledio’s contested possession (15) and clearance count (five) were decisive factors in the visitors’ triumph.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/afl-2015-richmond-defeats-port-adelaide-at-adelaide-oval-in-round-8-in-kane-cornes-300th-and-stuff-1227366351686
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Tigers get revenge on poor Port
Ashley Porter
The Age
May 25, 2015
RICHMOND 3.4 7.5 7.5 11.10 (76)
PORT ADELAIDE 0.3 3.6 4.10 5.13 (43)
GOALS:
Richmond: Riewoldt 4, Martin, Griffiths, Batchelor, Ellis, Deledio, Edwards, Menadue.
Port Adelaide: Monfries, Wingard 2, R. Gray.
BEST:
Richmond: Ellis, Deledio, Riewoldt, Miles, Martin, Grigg.
Port Adelaide: Boak, Cornes, Wines, Ebert, R. Gray, Westhoff.
INJURIES: Richmond: Vickery (knee). Port Adelaide: Trengove (ankle).
UMPIRES: J. Bannister, B. Hosking, R. Chamberlain.
CROWD: 45,268 at Adelaide Oval.
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Just when the curtains were about to fall on Richmond they produced another starring performance – against a seriously troubled Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Sunday night.
But the win came with a huge price with the Tigers' Ty Vickery suffering a right knee injury, which may keep him out for at least two months. Port's Jackson Trengove suffered a left ankle injury and is expected to miss a few weeks.
Vickery hobbled off the field in excruciating pain during the second quarter, with initial reports suggesting scans on Monday are likely to reveal medial ligament damage.
It wasn't pretty football, especially in the third quarter when Port had 14 inside-50 entries for 1.4 and held Richmond scoreless, but given the stakes on offer and the pressure on the vanquished, this may prove of the most significant days in the Tigers' season.
To respond to one of their most mentally crushing losses for some time – trailing seven goals to none in the first term of the first elimination final to Port last season and losing by 57 points – was a clear message Richmond has good old fashioned courage and pride. Despite early fears, their season is alive as they jumped into the top eight.
For Port to be so inept with Kane Cornes playing his 300th and last game, goes far beyond bewildering – simply proof that there is something very wrong. After being hailed as a likely finalist, at 3-5 they need to find something special like Richmond has shown in the past two rounds to recover.
The show was supposed to be a tribute for Cornes, but while he did a great job in his final shadowing role against Trent Cotchin, it was obvious his teammates lacked ability under pressure to change the early game trend – combating Richmond's aggression on the ball.
Richmond joined those to expose Port's game plan by refusing to allow them to drive through the corridor, checking closely to cull the quick run-on ball movement, and slow the pace of the game at the right times.
And full credit to Richmond for adapting to a perfectly executed game plan set by Richmond coach Damien Hardwick. The Tigers were focused, determined and disciplined, and overall produced an excellent team effort.
For so long so much has weighed on the shoulders of Jack Riewoldt, and on Sunday night he worked incredibly hard, produced a gem of a team game, caused concern for Port in the forward line and brought teammates into the thick of play with quality passages.
You know something is wrong with Port when Chad Wingard misses a goal from 20 metres right in front, and two minutes later Jay Schulz, regarded by many as the finest set shot in the game, is gifted a 50-metre penalty and also misses from that distance.
Port has been sapped of confidence, and the superior fitness appears a myth. Maybe they haven't got over the second Dubai fitness campaign. Whatever, they were exposed by Richmond as a tired side both mentally and physically. If their players could not ignite themselves with Cornes' departure, then what will?
Hardwick is no rocket scientist – he just got his players to respond to a desperate need to be disciplined and hard with their tackles, denying Port the opportunity to play like they like to play. Pre-match, the pressure on the eventual loser was going to be huge, so a big start was in need. To hold Port goalless in an opening quarter for the first time this season was a telling factor. To continue the tough approach without Vickery from eight minutes into the third term was impressive.
After being held scoreless in the third term to reduce their lead to 13points, Richmond regrouped, especially with the confidence they had won five of their six last quarters this season while Port – the so-called fittest side — had won just one. It was a disappointing end for Cornes; a huge boost in hope for Tigers fans once more.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-report/tigers-get-revenge-on-poor-port-20150524-gh8mgt.html