One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on June 03, 2017, 11:10:38 PM
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Match report: Tigers break their Roo hoodoo
afl.com.au
3 June 2017
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.4 7.6 8.9 9.12 (66)
RICHMOND 3.4 6.10 12.13 14.17 (101)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Wood 2, Atley 2, Brown, Waite, Higgins, Gibson, Hansen
Richmond: Riewoldt 2, Martin 2, Butler 2, Lambert 2, Castagna, Cotchin, Edwards, Ellis, Grigg, Rioli
BEST
North Melbourne: Gibson, Dumont, Macmillan, Tarrant, Hrovat
Richmond: Martin, Riewoldt, Prestia, Rance, Houli, Lambert, Ellis, Cotchin
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Garner (leg)
Richmond: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Foot, Rosebury, Hosking, Schmitt
Official crowd: 36,100 at Etihad Stadium
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IF NORTH Melbourne wasn't already fully committed to its pursuit of Dustin Martin, the star Tiger's brutal dismantling of the Kangaroos on Saturday night should do the trick.
Martin turned in one of the finest performances of his season-long audition for potential suitors as the Tigers went on a third-quarter rampage to put the Kangaroos away, 14.17 (101) to 9.12 (66).
In doing so, Richmond (7-4) beat North (4-7) for just the second time in nine meetings across six years and climbed into the top four.
The Roos were already reportedly willing to offer Martin at least $1 million a season over five years to win his services and his do-it-all, 38-possession, two-goal effort may force the Kangaroos to increase their offer.
Martin was a class above a turnover-strewn contest that demanded someone grab it by the scruff of the neck. He was ever-present, but the Tigers split the game open in a chaotic seven-minute period right after half-time.
Fifty-metre penalties against North defenders Scott Thompson then Robbie Tarrant delivered goals to Jack Riewoldt and Shaun Grigg that propelled Richmond 10 points in front after a half-time deficit.
It was a continuation of the Kangaroos shooting themselves in the foot, after the Tigers had 14 scoring shots – admittedly for only five goals – off their rival's first-half turnovers.
Panic had set in by the time Riewoldt, who was involved in both earlier third-quarter goals, nabbed Tarrant in a tackle and slotted his second major.
All that was missing was Martin making a scoreboard impression. Another North giveback – this time off Todd Goldstein's boot – saw the Tigers rush the ball forward to Martin, who burned off Luke McDonald and thumped through a 50m goal.
The difference would have been more if Martin's teammates had converted two of his savvy passes, including an over-the-shoulder centring ball while hugging the boundary. The follow-up act soon after was predictable: a close-range Martin snap for maximum points.
North coach Brad Scott was non-committal mid-week on the prospect of tagging the game's most coveted out-of-contract star, then watched the Tiger bulldoze his way to 20 first-half touches.
Consoling Scott was the fact his team held a two-point edge at that stage.
Ed Vickers-Willis was sighted in Martin's vicinity early, but Trent Dumont – North's run-with specialist in Ben Jacobs' absence – had the longest crack at football's toughest job.
Dion Prestia (35), Trent Cotchin (32), Bachar Houli (31) and Brandon Ellis (30) also won huge numbers, while Jamie Macmillan (26), Sam Gibson (25) and Dumont (24) were the Roos' major ball-winners.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-03/match-report-dusty-gets-tigers-over-roo-hoodoo
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Tigers feast on sloppy Roos
Rohan Connolly
The Age
4 June 2017
RICHMOND 3.4 6.10 12.13 14.17 (101)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.4 7.6 8.9 9.12 (66)
GOALS:
Richmond – Butler 2, Martin 2, Riewoldt 2, Lambert 2, Ellis, Rioli, Castagna, Edwards, Grigg, Cotchin.
North Melbourne – Wood 2, Atley 2, Brown, Waite, Hansen, Gibson, Higgins.
BEST:
Richmond – Martin, Houli, Cotchin, Prestia, Lambert, Rance.
North Melbourne – Macmillan, Gibson, Tarrant, Ziebell, Dumont.
UMPIRES: Schmitt, Rosebury, Hosking, Foot.
CROWD: 36,100 at Etihad Stadium.
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Richmond already had North Melbourne under the pump in a closely-fought first half at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
The Tigers' pressure was top-notch, time and again forcing the Roos to turn the ball over. That was going to take some correction for the Roos to hang on to the narrowest of leads. What North absolutely couldn't afford was to go and shoot themselves in the foot as well.
But that's precisely what happened in the decisive first 10 minutes of the second half. Within a minute of the restart, Jack Riewoldt was held by Robbie Tarrant. As he shaped to take a free kick, Scott Thompson slung Josh Caddy even closer to goal. Result? A "gimme" for Richmond.
Not three minutes later, Shaun Grigg with the ball in his hands, Tarrant infringed on Riewoldt again downfield. Result? Another gift.
By now, the Tigers could smell blood. Now Riewoldt nailed Tarrant in a tackle, and nailed the resultant shot on goal as well. Dustin Martin, again rising to the occasion, marked after a long sprint, played on and went bang. Now it was 22 points.
And when North finally had a chance to stop the tide, they squandered it spectacularly, Jarrad Waite marking out the back behind Alex Rance, knowing he had the Tiger backman beaten for pace, but for some unknown reason dribbling at goal from 30 metres out rather than run to the goal line. Naturally, given how things were trending, he missed.
Two more goals to just one in reply gave Richmond a five-goal break come three-quarter-time. And given how laborious was the business of scoring for either side at times in an error-riddled game, that was going to be enough.
Not much happened for a good 10 minutes after this game's opening. It took some midfield pressure from the Roos to create the first goal, Martin pressured into an errant handball, Marley Williams cleverly dishing off the spills, Sam Gibson planting the ball on Ben Brown's chest and the big forward converting.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick would have been seething at the Roos' second, skipper Trent Cotchin giving away a free kick off the ball just as his side went forward from a centre clearance, then Riewoldt compounding that error giving away another free downfield, Jamie McMillan cashing in for the Roos.
The Tigers, though, suddenly clicked into gear approaching time-on. Jason Castagna dobbed the first, Cotchin made up for his earlier error with a long bomb, and Kane Lambert finished off a neat chain of short passes.
It was pretty simple stuff, and often simply a case of capitalising on North's errors, 13 of Richmond's first 14 scores in the game the result of the Roos' turnovers, the bulk of which weren't the result of any great pressure.
North's response was pretty immediate, however, and certainly more efficient. Mason Wood kicked the first goal of the second term within 25 seconds of the restart. He had a second six minutes later, the Tigers now starting to turn it over and North making them pay, Shaun Atley's run and conversion making it three out of four and giving the Roos the lead.
Aaron Mullett now gifted Richmond another goal straight from a kick-in, but when Waite, barely sighted, bobbed up for North, followed shortly by Sam Gibson the Roos had four out of five, Richmond's last goal of the quarter to Dan Butler on the goal line by then badly needed.
Not that the Tigers would have been out of it. It was two points North's way at the long break, but not with the slightest hint that either side had any significant edge over the other.
It needed a game-breaker to do that. And once again, "Dusty" Martin was the man. Already best on ground at half-time, he went up another level in that third term with two goals of his own, an assist for another, and a general stamp of class on a game that often lacked enough of it.
North had beaten the Tigers seven times in their previous eight meetings. But they never looked like improving on that record shortly after the second half began, and nor did they deserve to.
Richmond were harder at it, more efficient, and at a critical moment in this contest when the game was still in the balance, more disciplined, too
Votes
Dustin Martin (Rich) 9
Bachar Houli (Rich) 8
Trent Cotchin (Rich) 7
Dion Prestia (Rich) 7
Kane Lambert (Rich) 6
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-report/north-melbourne-vs-richmond-tigers-feast-on-sloppy-roos-20170603-gwjtwt.html
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North Melbourne v Richmond: Dustin Martin’s value rises again
Glenn McFarlane
Herald Sun
4 June 2017
IT was the five-hour stretch in which two of the game’s hottest off-season properties had rival suitors punching a new set of numbers into their salary-cap calculators.
In the first instance, it was GWS midfielder Josh Kelly — the subject of a $9 million nine-year deal from North Melbourne — who dominated at Spotless Stadium.
Then just a few hours after Kelly almost single-handedly buried Essendon, it was the Kangaroos’ other $1-million-plus off-season priority, Richmond star Dustin Martin who turned into another absolute clinic at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
Martin’s ridiculously sublime performance — one of many this season — helped to bury the team that so desperately covets him and who now might have to find considerably more coin to entice him away from Punt Rd.
He had a game-high 38 disposals (the same tally as Kelly), stretched out 677 metres gained, and showed precisely why so many clubs are so keen on securing his services.
Mind you, given the way the Tigers played their way into the top four with their 35-point win, they are feeling a bit more confident Martin may stay.
If it is going to take Richmond the best part of $1 million to keep him, the Kangaroos are clearly going to have to up their already considerable ante if they are to have any hope of luring him away from Punt Rd.
For if he was choosing solely between the two sides on Saturday night’s game, rather than salary, the yellow and black would get the points.
Martin was the subject of a banner from a North Melbourne supporter, with the message that he was more than welcome at Arden St.
The man himself was amused by that showing of love from an unlikely source, saying it was “a good night” and that the good wishes he received made for a “win-win” for him.
Surely, this time there could be no one among the 36,100 fans at the ground last night, or those watching on television, who doubted he was the best man afield, as was the case last week.
He provided his team with precisely what they needed — clean, direct ball use, brute strength, exquisite footy nous and the capacity to move the ball into clear space — all of which were sadly missing from the Kangaroos for most of the night.
Six minutes of madness in the third term — where 50m penalties and infringements seemed to flow like confetti — turned the game and the ill-discipline and lack of composure would have infuriated Kangaroos coach Brad Scott.
His team had gone into the halftime break with a two-point lead after a scrappy first half from both sides.
But the Kangaroos proceeded to concede six goals to one in a game-defining third quarter.
Martin labelled Richmond’s third term as the “best quarter we’ve played all year” when interviewed on Channel Seven after the game.
He played a key role in it, as did others including Trent Cotchin, Bachar Houli, Dion Prestia, and the man whose own form is almost as hot as Martin’s right now, Alex Rance.
In contrast, the Kangaroos got too little out of too many, and couldn’t run out what was an exceptionally quick last half, which saw the Tigers push through the 100-point barrier.
It remains to be seen if Martin will stay, but team performances like that will surely give the Tigers’ renewed confidence they are at least doing everything possible to keep him.
For the moment, though, the only place he is headed is New Zealand, to visit his father, Shane, during the Tigers’ bye weekend — and given his year so far, he’s earned the break.
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NORTH MELBOURNE 2.4 7.6 8.9 9.12 (66)
RICHMOND 3.4 6.10 12.13 14.17 (101)
GOALS
Kangaroos: Wood 2, Atley 2, Brown, Waite, Higgins, Gibson, Hansen
Tigers: Riewoldt 2, Martin 2, Butler 2, Lambert 2, Castagna, Cotchin, Edwards, Ellis, Grigg, Rioli
BEST
Kangaroos: Macmillan, Gibson, Tarrant, Ziebell, Dumont
Tigers: Martin, Houli, Cotchin, Prestia, Rance, Lambert, Ellis, Astbury, Nankervis
INJURIES
Kangaroos: Garner (leg)
Tigers: Nil
Reports: Nil
Official crowd: 36,100 at Etihad Stadium
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/dustin-martins-value-rises-again-after-sublime-performance-against-north-melbourne/news-story/cb97f21d927d85f5628290cbe28c12f8