Media articles and stats: Tigers heartbreak against Roos at the G

[one-eyed]

Tigers heartbreak at the G
By Mark Macgugan
Sun 22 Jul, 2012


RICHMOND                 2.3    5.9   10.12  14.15   (99)
NORTH MELBOURNE   3.5   7.9    9.11    15.13   (103)             

GOALS
North Melbourne: Petrie 7, Anthony 2, Harper 2, Harvey, Macmillan, Hansen, Campbell
Richmond: Riewoldt 3, Nahas 3, Martin 2, Tuck 2, Edwards 2, Cotchin, Houli

BEST
North Melbourne: Swallow, Petrie, Bastinac, Grima, Goldstein, Thompson
Richmond: Cotchin, Morris, Deledio, Tuck, Riewoldt, Jackson

INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Addam Maric replaced in the third quarter by Brett O'Hanlon
North Melbourne: Robbie Tarrant replaced at three-quarter time by Matt Campbell
 
Reports: Nil

Umpires: McBurney, Jennings, Mollison

Official crowd: 47,432 at MCG

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DREW Petrie has booted five final-quarter goals to steer North Melbourne to an four-point win over Richmond in front of 47,432 fans at the MCG on Sunday.

The 15.13 (103) to 14.15 (99) victory moved the Kangaroos back into the top eight, and drove a dagger through the Tigers' finals chances.

Petrie was well held by Tigers backman Alex Rance for much of the afternoon but came alive in the final term.

With the Kangaroos down by seven points at the last change, the 29-year-old took three marks inside forward 50 in the first seven minutes and kicked truly each time.

After Shane Tuck booted the next two goals to put Richmond back in front, Petrie again took control, adding two more.

He finished with a game-high seven goals in a suspense-filled game that featured 14 lead changes and an all-in melee at quarter-time.

Richmond attacked desperately in the dying stages, but couldn't secure a match-winning goal.

North captain Andrew Swallow led from the front, winning 29 disposals, including 10 clearances.

Nathan Grima played a superb sweeping role down back, and Ryan Bastinac and Liam Anthony also gave good service.

Ruckman Todd Goldstein had 47 hit-outs and laid five tackles.

Jack Riewoldt booted three goals for the Tigers in a competitive duel with North Melbourne full-back Scott Thompson.

Thompson had the better of the Richmond spearhead up to half-time, when the Kangaroos held a two-goal lead, but Riewoldt was a key player in the second half.

Classy Tiger Trent Cotchin was outstanding, collecting 24 disposals, including six clearances.

Brett Deledio and Shane Tuck were also prolific.

Returning from a two-game suspension for an off-field indiscretion, Dustin Martin had 23 touches and booted two goals.

Little man Steven Morris played his best game in yellow and black, collecting a career-high 23 disposals off half-back.

Behind at the main break, Richmond booted five goals to two in the third quarter to take momentum and a narrow lead into three-quarter-time.

The quarter-time melee started when Richmond defender Steven Morris tangled with Kangaroos big man Lachie Hansen on the siren.

Every player on the ground except North Melbourne's four interchange players rushed to the dust-up, as umpires scrambled to bring it to a halt.

The Kangaroos built their half-time lead on the back of four straight goals through the middle of the second quarter.

Two of those goals came thanks to 50-metre penalties.

The Tigers blew chances to peg the lead back late in the quarter, booting five straight behinds.

But a late goal to Shane Edwards kept Damien Hardwick's men in touch at half-time.

The match was North Melbourne's first and only visit to the MCG this season.

It was Richmond's second consecutive heartbreaking loss, after Karmichael Hunt's goal after the siren gave Gold Coast a narrow win last week.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/142263/default.aspx

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Team Stats

Disposals            372 - 383
Efficiency%           73 - 76   
Kicks                   213 - 216    
Handballs           159 - 167   
Con. Possies       151 - 127
Uncon. Possies    230 - 246
Marks                    85 - 86    
Con. Marks            16 - 8    
Uncon. Marks        69 - 78
Tackles                  55 - 61   
Clearances            40 - 44   
Clangers                55 - 57
Frees                     23 - 22
Hitouts                  40 - 50 ....... ( I.Maric 34, Grigg 3, McGuane 2 // Goldstein 47 )   
Inside 50s             50 - 62
Marks In50            12 - 11   
Rebound 50s         41 - 32
Assists                     8 - 9   
1%ers                   68 - 49
Supercoach        1647 - 1653
Dreamteam        1526 - 1585

Individual Stats

PLAYER              D     K      H     CP     DE%    M  CM   T   CL  FF  FA  I50 R50   G   B   GA    SC

B.Deledio         31    16    15    13      71%    6    1    2    4    1    1    6      0    0    0    1      91
S.Tuck              26    14    12    17      85%    4    2    4    5    3    1    6      2    2    0    1    155
A.Rance            25    16      9      6      56%    9    1    0    0    0    1    3    11    0    0    0      96
T.Cotchin          24    18      6    16      62%    3    1    5    6    5    2    5      3    1    1    0      98
D.Jackson         23    15      8      2      70%    4    0    5    1    2    1    7      2    0    3    1      81
S.Morris            23    10    13      9      78%    4    0    3    0    2    3    3      2    0    0    0      68
D.Martin            22    13      9      9      55%    3    1    4    3    2    2    3      2    2    2    1      88
R.Conca            21    15      6      9      62%    2    0    5    7    2    0    2      1    0    0    1      77
B.Ellis                21    12      9      8      86%    5    2    0    1    0    0    2      2    0    1    0      90
S.Grigg              20    12      8      3      75%    6    0    0    2    0    0    3      2    0    1    0      69
S.Edwards         16      7      9      6      69%    7    1    1    2    0    0    1      1    2    1    1      75
I.Maric               15      6      9    11      40%    2    0    4    3    0    3    1      1    0    0    0    100
C.Newman        15      9      6      5      67%    1    0    2    2    0    0    1      1    0    0    0      65
K.Moore            14      9      5      7      93%    5    2    1    0    2    2    0      2    0    0    0      65
J.Post                14      5      9      8      86%    4    3    0    2    0    1    0      3    0    0    0      75
L.McGuane        12      7      5      5      67%    2    0    6    1    0    2    1      1    0    2    0      57
J.Riewoldt         12      8      4      7      67%    6    2    3    0    3    2    2      0    3    2    0      83
M.Dea               10      3      7      4    100%    4    0    1    0    0    0    0      1    0    0    0      42
B.Houli              10      8      2      2      90%    3    0    4    0    1    0    1      2    1    0    0      68
R.Nahas              8      5      3      2      87%    1    0    2    0    0    1    0      1    3    0    0      59
A.Maric                7      4      3      0      86%    3    0    3    0    0    0    2      1    0    0    2      27
B.O'Hanlon          3      1      2      2      67%    1    0    0    1    0    0    1      0    0    0    0      18

http://live-footy.heraldsun.com.au/StatsCentre/Index/20121720120141708
http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/16931/Default.aspx#fixtureid=7802&tab=Stats

[one-eyed]

North Melbourne forward Drew Petrie boots seven to sink Richmond

    Matt Windley
    From: Herald Sun
    July 23, 2012

DREW Petrie was denied a fourth quarter against Carlton last week by a crook adductor muscle, after having kicked an equal career-best seven goals.

But nothing, and no one, was going to stop the North Melbourne veteran in Sunday night's final term against Richmond at the MCG.

Petrie was the difference as North turned a seven-point three-quarter time deficit into a thrilling four-point win.

He had two goals at the final break, but finished with a bag of seven after taking Alex Rance and Luke McGuane to the cleaners.

Two goals came from contested marks over Rance, one on a long lead; one after McGuane threw him to the ground in a marking contest; and the last after a string of 10 handballs that started deep in North's defensive 50m ended with Petrie in the goalsquare.

It was a quarter that could deliver the Roos a finals berth.

When the sides met almost 11 months ago in Round 24, it was to decide the best of the rest.

North was ninth, Richmond 11th, the winner would end the season on a high.

Going in to Sunday's clash, the Roos were again ninth, the Tigers again 11th, but the reward for the winner was far less superficial. And both teams played accordingly.

The first 20 minutes were forgettable, but after Tigers ruckman Ivan Maric got Michael Firrito in a headlock and gave away a free kick following a North goal, the game took off.

A quarter-time bust-up involving 39 players had everyone fired up, but North settled more quickly.

And after the Tigers last week played what has been described as the worst 50 seconds in football history and lost to Gold Coast, their second quarter on Sunday was up there with the dumbest.

Brett Deledio should have known better after giving away a free kick, then a 50m penalty that resulted in Petrie's first goal, for blasting umpiring Jacob Mollison.

Youngster Brandon Ellis inexplicably left Liam Anthony in 20m of space in the goalsquare, which resulted in a goal after he was picked out by Ryan Bastinac.

Forward Jack Riewoldt was busy screaming at the umpire for not giving him a free inside 50m when the ball was still to be won. Then he tackled opponent Scott Thompson to the ground behind play.

To compound the Tigers' problems, Daniel Jackson (twice), Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin missed gettable set shots.

But, after steadying in the third term, it appeared all would still somehow turn out right for Richmond after Martin threatened to orchestrate a redemption story of his own.

After Shane Edwards marked 55m out and waited for options that never materialised, Martin ran from behind him, took the ball and goaled.

The Tigers were in front.

A minute later Riewoldt marked on the lead 40m out and slotted the goal just as the three-quarter time siren sounded.

There had been 11 lead changes to that point, but it appeared a winner had been found.

No one had mentioned that to Petrie, however.

Despite his matchwinning heroics, Petrie was left all alone inside attacking 50 after the final siren.

As his teammates mobbed one another on the members' wing, Petrie simply stood at the City Rd end, where the Kangaroos cheer squad was, with his arms triumphantly in the air.

If his adductor was still sore after last week, he wasn't feeling it.

FOUR POINTS with Daryl Timms

1. IT didn't take Dustin Martin long to get back into the action after a club-imposed ban saw him miss the past two games. He booted a point in the first four minutes of the game.

2. TIGER coach Damien Hardwick might have been tempted to do an Alastair Clarkson and punch a hole in the wall of the coach's box after Brett Deledio gave away a free, and then a 50m penalty for abusing the umpires which resulted in a goal in the second quarter.

3. THE men in green came in for heated abuse from the Tiger fans. Commentator Scott Cummings suggested anyone wearing a green top would be wise to remove it if they were making their way to Richmond station.

4. WHEN North Melbourne's Drew Petrie gave the Kangaroos' the lead back with a goal 17 minutes into the last quarter, it was the 14th lead change in the game.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/north-melbourne-forward-drew-petrie-boots-seven-to-sink-richmond/story-e6frf9jf-1226432084947

[one-eyed]

Tigers beaten by the bounce
Matt Murnane
The Age
July 23, 2012


NORTH MELBOURNE 3.5 7.9 9.11 15.13 (103)
RICHMOND               2.3 5.9 10.12 14.15 (99)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Petrie 7, Harper 2, Anthony 2, Harvey, Macmillan, Hansen, Campbell.
Richmond: Riewoldt 3, Nahas 3, Martin 2, Edwards 2, Tuck 2, Houli, Cotchin.

BEST
North Melbourne: Petrie, Swallow, Bastinac, Grima, Harvey, Gibson.
Richmond: Tuck, Cotchin, Morris, Deledio, Rance.

UMPIRES McBurney, Mollison, Jennings.
CROWD 47,432 at MCG.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IT COULD have easily bounced the other way. Shaun Grigg's snap from the forward pocket with 57 seconds left at the MCG yesterday only needed to take the kind of sharp left turn that you see every week of every game and Richmond's season might still have a pulse.

Having watched Karmichael Hunt and the Gold Coast steal a game from their team with two goals in the final minute last week, Tigers supporters felt entitled to believe it was their turn to experience the ecstasy rather than the agony.

Richmond was gone with 3½ minutes remaining, but pulled off a Gold Coast-like fightback to close within five points, thanks to two late goals of their own.

Their season was on the line — teetering — awaiting the bounce of a dribbling ball.

Had Grigg's shot found its way through the goals rather than the other side of the post, coach Damien Hardwick's men might have held on — to the game as well as their 2012 campaign.

But it was not meant to be for the Tigers, not this year.

Leading by seven points at three-quarter-time and with all the momentum following Jack Riewoldt's set shot conversion after the siren, the Tigers blew it again — just another in a string of costly final-quarter failures that will earmark a season that showed such promise.

The Tigers gave away 50-metre penalties, undisciplined free kicks, and butchered the ball coming out of defence all day. But to be fair, this game was taken from them — it was a performance lacking maturity and polish, not effort.

Drew Petrie's five goals in the last quarter was the difference.

Hardwick knew it might happen that way; he said as much before the game. Alex Rance did everything he could to make sure it didn't.

For three quarters, Rance (who finished with 11 rebound 50s) was close to his team's most valuable player as he put his body on the line to deny Petrie and the Roos.

He had set himself for this task all year. During the pre-season, Rance told The Age that he rated the high-marking Roo the toughest key forward in the AFL to play on.

He and the Tigers got a devastating reminder of Petrie's class in just 30 minutes yesterday.

And it was an errant Rance kick coming out of defence that led to a turnover and Petrie's first goal of the final term.

It was one of five goals the Roos got from Richmond turnovers in the fourth quarter; the Tigers' poor disposal in the back half proving to be their undoing.

Later in the term, Trent Cotchin also coughed up another turnover deep in the defensive 50 that led to super sub Matt Campbell kicking the Roos' final score of the match.

Two minutes after his first of the final term, Petrie buried a 50-metre set shot and then, two minutes after that, latched onto a strong contested mark to boot his third. In six minutes, he had turned the game and, ultimately, the fate of the Tigers' finals hopes.

Richmond hit back, as it had done all match, with two goals in three minutes to Shane Tuck (26 disposals, five clearances) to take the lead for the last time — one of 14 lead changes in one of the most entertaining games of the year.

But it was Petrie's fifth of the quarter that put the game out of the Tigers' reach.

The Roos produced arguably the "team" goal of the year when they carried the ball from their defensive back pocket — all with breathtaking run and handball — to their own goal line, where Petrie was waiting to slam home his seventh, for the second time in two weeks.

It was fitting that the play started with captain Andrew Swallow (29 disposals, 10 clearances), as he had been the Roos' most influential player in the first half, and then finished with Petrie, who took over late after having just eight disposals in the first half.

Petrie admitted he had done "not much" for three quarters, but denied it had anything to do with the groin injury he suffered last week.

"There is no strain in there, just a tiny bit of aggravation, but I felt great all week," he said after the game.

But this wasn't just about Petrie. It was about North, and where it might be headed this year.

Lindsay Thomas' desperate smother at half-back in the dying minutes of the last quarter stopped the Tigers when they looked capable of taking the ball the length of the field to pinch the game.

Then, with less than 20 seconds to go in the contest and the margin still just four points, midfielder Leigh Adams bravely slid into a contest and put his injured shoulder on the line to hold up another Richmond surge.

North controlled the game from the back half and had more composure when it counted.

MELEE HAS FINALS FEEL

The sun was shining, a decent crowd had turned up and spring was in the air. It had something of the feeling of a finals game, and it virtually was an eliminator for the Tigers. So what would be more natural in a finals-type match than a melee? Most players got involved as the siren sounded to end the first quarter. The winners? The AFL, of course, which will swell its coffers with the fines.

MEN IN WHITE ALWAYS RIGHT

They never change their mind, even if you could prove them wrong, and Brett Deledio was merely the latest player to forget this fact of player-umpire relations midway through the second quarter when he gave the man with the whistle a spray. The conclusion was a 50-metre penalty and a goal for Drew Petrie as North kicked the third of four unanswered goals. And Deledio? He was dragged.

DUSTIN OFF COBWEBS

Dustin Martin owed the faithful something on his return from a club suspension. He made some reparation in the third quarter when he muscled his way under the ball to kick a goal, then put his side narrowly in front with a long 55-metre bomb. It was good, but not quite enough. Full redemption must wait another week. - MICHAEL LYNCH

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tigers-beaten-by-the-bounce-20120722-22iaf.html#ixzz21NogmOLB

[one-eyed]

Young soldiers Trent Cotchin and Andrew Swallow play like generals

    Mark Robinson
    From: Herald Sun
    July 23, 2012

TWO players embody the spirit of North Melbourne and Richmond.

One is North captain Andrew Swallow and the other is Tigers captain-to-be, Trent Cotchin.

One is likely to play finals, the other almost certainly won't.

In an enthralling contest at the MCG, where every tackle, knock-on and possession counted to the final siren, these two young soldiers played like generals.

But there were bigger individual performances.

Drew Petrie kicked five goals in the final quarter and seven for the match, Jack Riewoldt threatened in the third quarter, Shane Tuck loomed as the unlikely hero as a forward in the final quarter and Ryan Bastinac was a footballer - not a footballer with potential.

But this was trench footy, where the commitment of bodies at contests counted as much as anything else.

Neither team could be faulted for its endeavour.

As an aside, you have to ask where Richmond misplaced their's against Gold Coast last week?

Cotchin and Swallow found themselves opposed to each other at several stoppages and centre bounces.

Commitment doesn't sufficiently describe how Swallow and Cotchin go about it.

As both players threw themselves under arms and legs, in the same vein as Joel Selwood, Jobe Watson and Keiren Jack among others, commentator Tim Watson almost was lost for words.

"Gee, Cotchin," he said.

"Look at Swallow (below)," he oohed.

Cotchin had 24 touches, six clearances, five tackles and 35 wrecking-ball attempts at winning the ball.

He would be disappointed, though. With minutes to play, he tried a short kick out of the goal square, it was cut off and North Melbourne's Matty Campbell gathered and goaled.

It was a rare mistake from the Tiger dynamo. It didn't lose the game, but it certainly didn't help.

His other 40 endeavors well and truly tip the ledger his way.

As expected, his next involvement was hard at it in the contest.

On the flip side, with six minutes to play and the Kangaroos under siege deep in defence, Swallow gathered the loose ball. He didn't panic. He took on two Richmond players, one of them Tuck, and broke both tackles.

In an arm wrestle, it was a significant shift in the battle for supremacy.

Swallow finished with 29 touches, 10 clearances and five tackles.

Their numbers aren't as mind-numbing as, say, Dane Swan's 49 touches, or Gary Ablett in a customary 40-plus game, but football is not solely about the numbers.

In one of the games of the season, and with both teams bringing the necessary attitude, Swallow and Cotchin showed why they will be leaders at their clubs for many a game to come.

They weren't alone. Of note were Lindsay Thomas' smother on Luke McGuane in the final quarter, Leigh Adams' smother on Chris Newman in the third - and defender Scott McMahon doesn't get enough accolades, either.

Alex Rance might have been turned over by Petrie early in the final quarter, but he was valiant.

His 11 inside-50s is indication of his standing as a footballer.

The Kangaroos play Melbourne and Western Bulldogs in the next two weeks - and two wins would make them odds-on to play finals.

If they do, it is kudos to coach Brad Scott and his players.

Not so long ago, the Kangas were questioned about desire. Yesterday, they won a high stakes game.

The Tigers, however, will miss September. They've lost five games by fewer than 12 points this season, but more experience will help change that.

In the end yesterday, they did not have a player to stand Petrie, the Kangaroos were more influential in the midfield and the Tigers missed too many gettable shots at goal.

At the very end, if Shaun Grigg had been able to nail his shot at goal with a minute play, the Tigers would be alive for the finals.

It would seem that "if" and the Tigers are bedfellows for another season.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/expert-opinion/young-soldiers-trent-cotchin-and-andrew-swallow-play-like-generals/story-fn5937w8-1226432274192

[one-eyed]

Five talking points: Richmond v North Melbourne
By Paul Daffey
Sun 22 Jul, 2012

1. Barney brings friends
It doesn't happen so often these days, but every player rushed in for a melee after the quarter-time siren. Feeling was high in the minutes leading up to the barney. It began when Richmond ruckman Ivan Maric wrestled Michael Firrito after a Roos goal. Then, after the quarter-time siren, Richmond defender Steven Morris tackled North forward Lachie Hansen to the ground. Two North players rushed in, and it was on. Maric had attention from plenty of North players during the dust-up, which dissolved after a minute or so.

2. Both teams boast a coast-to-coast
This match featured two dashing runs that resulted in goals. During the second quarter North Melbourne half-forward Kieran Harper broke free on the members' wing and took a few bounces while accelerating away from Richmond defenders. His shot from just outside the 50 looked set to wobble through for a behind before seemingly catching a gust of wind that pushed it through for goal. During the third quarter Richmond defender Steven Morris took a few bounces from the last line of defence before booting long to Jack Riewoldt on the wing. The resultant kick landed with Martin for a coast-to-coast goal.

3. Ramadan at Richmond
Islam's holy month of Ramadan started on Friday, which means Richmond half-back Bachar Houli must now field endless questions about his energy levels. It must be said that Houli's output was diminished early, although he did kick a running goal from 40m early in the second quarter. He finished the match with 10 disposals, which was half his usual output.

4. Dusting off the cobwebs
Dustin Martin lacked a bit of touch early in his first game back after a two-match club-imposed suspension for arriving late to training. But he showed signs of bouncing back early in the third quarter when he held out Scott McMahon to take a strong on-on-one mark in the goalsquare. Late in the third quarter he booted a booming goal from 55m. Both goals brought huge cheers from Richmond fans. Martin finished with 22 disposals, which was a reasonable return in his first game back.

5. Drew's dramatic finish
Drew Petrie was quiet early but, boy, did he finish with a head of steam. His five goals in the opening 20 minutes of the last quarter put the Roos 10 points ahead, which proved to be a match-winning lead. Petrie took most of his seven marks in the last-quarter spurt that forced Richmond to move Alex Rance and put Luke McGuane on him. He finished with seven goals and was the difference between the teams.

http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=142265