Richmond's pleasant Sunday stroll pays dividends Michael Horan
From: Herald Sun
August 21, 2011 10:11PMTHERE was no top eight berth to play for, no September action to aspire to. This was round 22, Melbourne versus Richmond, 11th playing 13th.
With a crowd of just 36,321, clearly there were a legion of members or fans from either club who had better things to do on sunny August Sunday afternoon.
Yet this was a beauty. A contest with lashings of finals-like finals excitement, a see-sawing battle where desperation and commitment was the order of the day, where the prize was simply pride and hopefully the pleasure of winning a hell of a fight.
In the end it was, fittingly, Richmond by seven points.
The Tigers' dividend was the pleasure of relegating the Demons to 13th, elevating themselves to 12th but more importantly being reminded that they can dominate, then be challenged, reeled in, headed but then stay true to themselves and fight back to win.
And in defeat Melbourne, which has now lost five in a row after a month of inner turmoil, showed that its future is far from bleak.
Flushed with the success of a 43-point win over finals aspirant Sydney last weekend, the Tigers hit the ground running and looked like they might run the Dees off their legs under a warm sun and in perfect conditions.
Early in proceedings it was none other than the man Melbourne traded at the end of the last season - Brad Miller - who provided a focul point up forward early - a lively and productive alternative to the heavily guarded Jack Riewoldt.
The Tigers shot out to a 20-point lead and piled on 6.2 in the opening term, while the Demons accuracy of four straight goals from just 10 inside fifty entries kept the difference to just 14 points at the first change.
In an eventful opening term Demon mid-fielder Colin Sylvia had nine possessions, kicked two goals and was put on report after a heavy hit on Tiger Jayden Post.
By day's end he was clearly best afield with 29 disposals, five goals and did everthing possible to get his side over the line.
Melbourne's seemed to have withstood Richmond's early heat when they surged back to within three points by mid-way though the second term, but again the Tigers surged to put a 26-point gap by the long interval.
The Dees had by the pillar of efficiency when they did go forward, posting 7.1 by half-time.
When one thought that sort of conversion couldn't continue, they came out and doubled it in the third term - booting 7.1 to 2.3 to suddenly own an eight-point lead at the final change.
In a game that had been played at a cracking pace, it was fair to wonder if Richmond could find the legs to fight back. The answer was yes, and in spades.
A snapped goal from Robin Nahas at the five minute mark narrowed the deficit to a point.
Three minutes late Jeromey Webberley, after being subbed into the game four minutes earlier, drilled a superb running goal from the Members' flank to put the Tigers back in front.
Within Twenty minutes the lead would change four times before the Tigers finally broke Melbourne.
Riewoldt, held to a single goal all afternoon, produced a brilliant second effort to goal 21 minutes into the term to make it a nine-point game and a minute later Shane Edwards bombed one from 50 metres to ice the contest.
True to the day the Dees kept coming and got the last two goals - via their best two players Sylvia and Jones - but it wasn't enough to claim the prize.
Four Talking Points- Matt Windley1.The story of the game unfolded 90 minutes before the first bounce when Brad Green was named as Melbournes substitute.
He is the first captain to don the green vest and was reduced to warming up alongside the Auskick kids at half time.
He replaced Jeremy Howe at the 14 minute mark of the third quarter and made an immediate impact by kicking a goal within three minutes.
2. Aaron Davey had a 150th he would rather forget. He went statless in the first quarter and had only one kick to half time.
To make matters worse he gave a free kick away and will also come under scrutiny from the match review panel after collecting Tiger Mitch Morton with an elbow to the head late in the second term.
3. The Morton brothers -Cale and Mitch - will have much to discuss at the breakfast table this morning after being pitted as direct opponents for much of the first half.
Demon Cale had seven touches to quarter time, Mitch had two. It was 11-9 Cales way by half time before the pair went their separate ways for much of the second half.
4. Richmond forward Brad Miller made every kick count against his old side in the first half.
Miller went goalless when these two sides met in Round 14, yet by half time last night the 28-year-old was one of the most effective players on the ground with eight possessions, six marks and three goals.
Full-time scores:
RICHMOND 6.2 10.9 11.12 17.15 (117)
MELBOURNE 4.0 7.1 14.2 17.8 (110)
Goals: Richmond: B Miller 3, D Martin 3, J Riewoldt 2, N Foley 2, A Graham, D Jackson, J King, J Webberley, R Nahas, S Edwards, T Cotchin. Melbourne: C Sylvia 5, L Jurrah 3, N Jones 3, J Trengove 2, B Green, J Bennell, J Watts, R Petterd.
Best: Richmond: D Martin, N Foley, S Tuck, T Cotchin, S Grigg, S Edwards, B Deledio. Melbourne: C Sylvia, N Jones, J Garland, B Moloney, M Jamar, N Frawley.
Injuries: Nil.
Reports: Richmond: Nil. Melbourne: C Sylvia (Melbourne) for rough conduct against J Post (Richmond) in the first quarter.
Umpires: Stephen McBurney, Sam Hay, Heath Ryan.
Official Crowd: 36,321 at MCG.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/melbourne-name-captain-brad-green-as-substitute-for-richmond-clash/story-e6frf9mf-1226119118680
