Media articles & stats: Tigers fall to Power

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Tigers fall to Power

richmondfc.com.au
2 July 2016

Richmond suffered a 38-point loss at the hands of Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Friday night. The Tigers started strongly as Sam Lloyd booted two early goals, but were ultimately out-ran by the Power.

Power skipper Travis Boak (26 disposals, 11 tackles, two goals) was best afield, while Matthew Broadbent (two goals, four clearances), Ollie Wines (10 clearances) and Brad Ebert (eight clearances) were forces on the inside and Kane Mitchell (24 disposals, one goal) curbed the influence of Tigers captain Trent Cotchin (14 possessions).

Anthony Miles (28 disposals, six clearances) did all he could for Richmond, as did Alex Rance and Jack Riewoldt (four goals).

A stray boot flung by Justin Westhoff in a marking contest somehow delivered Port its first goal, but there was nothing lucky about Lloyd’s two replies at the other end, pushing the Tigers to an early, albeit narrow lead.

Cotchin didn’t take kindly to Mitchell’s close attention and the resulting physicality showcased just how much was on the line as the opening term drew to a close.

The scuffle sparked the Power into a rampage; seven goals later the game was theirs to lose.

Broadbent was sensational for Port on the inside, winning four clearances for the quarter - two of which resulted in goals.

Heavy rain may have improved the value of each Power major but did nothing to take the heat out of the contest, with niggle between Mitchell and Cotchin again bubbling over before Martin and Ebert turned their backs on a nearby stoppage to lock horns.

Down by 23 points at the main break on a saturated oval, Richmond required a monumental effort to pull itself back into the contest in the second half and Jack Riewoldt loomed a man capable of leading the Tigers out of the depths.

His powerful left-foot snap breathed a little life into his side, but any hope of a comeback was cracked early in the final term when Chad Wingard slammed home his second from the goalsquare, and it was long shattered by the time Mitchell capped a terrific return to senior football by snapping truly from under Adelaide Oval’s historic scoreboard.

PORT ADELAIDE     2.2   9.2   11.5   14.10 (94)
RICHMOND             3.2   5.3     7.6     8.8 (56) 

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Broadbent 2, Boak 2, Wingard 2, Westhoff, Young, Dixon, Impey, Trengove, R.Gray, Amon, Mitchell
Richmond: Riewoldt 4, Lloyd 2, Vickery, Short

BEST
Port Adelaide: Boak, Trengove, Wines, Broadbent, Mitchell, Ebert, Neade
Richmond: Ellis, Miles, Riewoldt, Rance, Deledio

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Richmond: Nil 

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Nicholls, Hay, Harris, Ryan

Official crowd: 37,848 at the Adelaide Oval

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2016-07-01/round-15-match-report

[one-eyed]

Power surge slays Tigers

Ashley Porter
The Age
July 2, 2016

It took just 16 minutes to tell us what we already knew. Richmond have reverted to being an unworthy potential finalist.

With their seasons on the line – both are 6-7 though the Tigers have an inferior percentage – Port Adelaide was able to unmercifully stun Richmond with seven goals straight during a defining second quarter to win this crucial contest at Adelaide Oval by 38 points.

Season 2016 is all but over for Richmond, and a lot of failed politicians will find out within 24 hours what it's like to be one of them – not being able to deliver on months of selection promises.

Port's gritty and definitely not pretty win leaves them two wins plus hefty percentage behind the top eight, and with eight rounds remaining their finals chances remain tough, but at least they are a chance. They did whatever it took to win this game; they were bullies and they bulldozed through packs, they intimidated and forced their opponents into countless mistakes under pressure.

Kane Mitchell seemed to be elevated from the rookie list mid-week with a clear mission to aggravate Trent Cotchin, and Brad Ebert wasn't afraid to "mix it" with Dustin Martin, and it had impact. But these consistently brilliant Tigers should have been too smart for that.

Yet, for all this second-quarter dominance – 7.0 to 2.0, which was remarkable accuracy in steady rain – the incredibly loyal, drenched and loud Power fans among the relatively excellent crowd of 37,848 must have surely pondered what if their team had played with such ferocity all season?

Conversely, for Richmond to fold when tenacity was a pre-requisite in this battle was unforgiving. Given the early conditions, no one expected a high level of skills, and significantly for most part Port's disposal efficiency was lower, but through determination they were able to muster quality link-play and forced the ball forward.

Both teams struggled across their half-forward lines, particularly the first half, and there were times when Richmond set up well expecting the ball to slip out of hands at the contested marks, but then wasted their opportunities with turnovers and poor disposals even allowing for the conditions.

Significantly, Ivan Maric, earning only his third game this season, dominated Port's Jackson Trengove 34-11 with the taps up to three-quarter time, but Maric had not recorded a disposal while Trengove had far greater impact with contested possessions and clearances. Importantly, the makeshift ruckman brought Port's midfielders well into the game, including Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Ollie Wines and Ebert, who combined well and had strong influence as a unit for one of the few times this season.

Despite setting up the win with a great seven-goal second term in the rain, Port left the gate to September open with only a 23-point lead. The rain eased and there was belief Richmond could only lift its work ethic. But it was not enough.

There was no doubt Richmond responded to the urgent call, but they lacked accuracy and faltered under great pressure from Port's defence, which was a credit considering Jack Hombsch (quad) was a late withdrawal and replaced by Tom Clurey playing jut his 10th AFL game in four seasons at the club.

Good on the Tigers for battling to the end; credit to Jack Riewoldt for his two terrific goals to get his side within 17 points late in the third term. But it's not what their fans need to hear. The fact is their loyalists have sat at home six Thursday or Friday nights this season and watched them lose five of these national audience TV games. Another message the Tigers still can't perform on the big stage.

Port's performance was sound, clearly based on good old fashioned effort in testing, slippery conditions. However, the polls clearly show the top-eight opposition have the necessary numbers. The next three weeks will test Port against Hawthorn at home, North Melbourne (Etihad) and GWS Giants (home). Later, the Power play Sydney away and the Crows.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-report/afl-2016-port-adelaide-power-surge-slays-richmond-tigers-20160701-gpwu7h.html

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Season alive as Boak leads in Power-ful win

Andrew Capel
The Advertiser/Herald-Sun
July 2, 2016

PORT Adelaide has a heartbeat.

With its season on the line and after a pre-game declaration from president David Koch that it should have been a top-four side and had “underachieved’’ this season, the Power staved off early finals elimination by getting down and dirty to tackle Richmond into submission at Adelaide Oval.

Playing with the mongrel that Koch claimed had been missing for most of the year, Port — with Brad Ebert and Kane Mitchell roughing up Tigers playmakers Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin — overcame a poor first quarter to win convincingly by 38 points to remain within two wins of the top eight with eight rounds to play.

The victory, which snapped a two-game losing streak, was built on a blue-collar, tough tackling display and a devastating, seven-goal unanswered burst in the second quarter when the Power defied the wet conditions to quickly turn a six-point deficit into an unassailable 36-point lead.

Captain Travis Boak, who has endured his toughest captaincy year, led from the front.

When the going got tough, Boak rose to the occasion, laying a game-high 11 of Port’s 106 tackles — 43 more than Richmond — kicking two brilliant goals and having 26 disposals.

Ruckman Jackson Trengove was a tower of strength in the ruck, midfielders Robbie Gray and Ollie Wines were influential and tall utility Justin Westhoff was important at both ends of the ground.

Ebert conceded 32 disposals to Richmond star Martin but he reduced his impact with his close checking while Mitchell — elevated from the rookie list to play his first game of the season — stuck to Cotchin like glue while winning 10 more disposals (24 to 14) and kicking a goal.

Richmond’s loss saw it slump to a 6-8 record and almost certainly ended its finals hopes after three consecutive years of making the top eight.

Port suffered a blow before the game when key defender Jack Hombsch was a late withdrawal with quad soreness after he had missed the previous three matches with a strained hamstring.

Tom Clurey came into the side for his first game of the year and was given the task of blanketing star Tigers key Jack Riewoldt, who was one of the Tigers’ best with four goals.

Port got the start it needed when Westhoff flew for a pack mark on the edge of the goalsquare and the ball went through his hands and remarkably landed on his left boot and rolled through for a goal.

With Martin breaking free of Ebert’s tag and having a big influence the Tigers quickly hit back with two goals in two minutes from clever small forward Sam Lloyd — one from a snap shot and the other from a mark — giving them the lead.

Martin had 11 disposals for the term as Richmond’s strong contested work in the rain — it led contested possessions 43-36 — gave it a slender six-point lead at the first change.

A melee broke out at quarter-time after a scuffle between Mitchell and Cotchin that will likely result in the match review panel handing out fines.

With its season slipping away, it took just seven minutes of the second term for Port to take a stranglehold of the game.

Aaron Young’s snap shot after 20 seconds sparked a blistering four-goal burst in seven minutes that also saw Charlie Dixon, Chad Wingard and Matthew Broadbent hit the scoreboard.

The goal spree — built on dominant clearance numbers — extended to seven as the Power had the first 14 inside 50s of the quarter.

Richmond did not go inside its 50m arc until 18:22 into the term — the longest it has taken any team in any quarter this year — and its first score came via a rushed behind after 26 minutes.

By that time Port had romped to a six-goal lead and it was game over.

PORT 2.2 9.2 11.5 14.10 (94)

RICHMOND 3.2 5.3 7.6 8.8 (56)

BEST —
Port: Boak, R. Gray, Wines, Trengove, Mitchell, Westhoff, Broadbent, Ebert.
Richmond: Rance, Riewoldt, Ellis, Martin, Miles, Lloyd.

GOALS —
Port: Boak, Broadbent, Wingard 2, R. Gray, Trengove, Dixon, Impey, Westhoff, Young, Mitchell, Amon.
Richmond: Riewoldt 4, Lloyd 2, Vickery, Short.

INJURIES — Port: Hombsch (quad) replaced in selected side by Clurey.

UMPIRES — M. Nicholls, S. Hay, D. Harris.

CROWD — 37,848 at Adelaide Oval.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/port-adelaide/port-adelaide-too-good-for-richmond-at-the-adelaide-oval-winning-by-38-points-in-round-15/news-story/350ad04700f43f3a3ad28fe417d9bf23