Richmond AFL player makes ‘worst mistake in footy’News Corp/Herald-Sun
19 June 2017EVEN the most one-eyed, parochial and possibly even heartless AFL supporters have to feel sorry for Richmond fans.
The Tigers dropped from fourth to sixth after a horrendous loss to Sydney at the MCG on Saturday afternoon. The home side completely dominated the first half, enjoying a 36-point buffer at one stage in the second term but surrendered to lose 12.8 (80) to 10.11 (71).
It was yet another case of Richmond doing a — well — a Richmond.
Damien Hardwick’s men have an unwanted reputation of choking when games are there to be won. It happened in Round Nine when GWS stormed home to kick a goal in the dying seconds and win by three points, and the week prior Fremantle slotted a major after the siren to secure a two-point victory.
The defeat to Sydney is the fourth time this year the Tigers have lost by less than 10 points, and three-time premiership winner Jonathan Brown says a lack of belief is killing them.
“Geez, they should be on top of the ladder,” Brown said on Nova 100’s Chrissie, Sam and Browny. “They are infected with a disease that is hard to drop and that is the disease of a lack of belief late in games when sides are coming for you, and it can paralyse you.”
Melbourne legend Garry Lyon said poor decision making was cruelling the Tigers as games wore on.
“Every one of these blokes involved in these passages of play (last quarter turnovers) would love their time again. We’re talking about composure when the game matters most,” Lyon said on afl.com.au’s Access All Areas.
“The first quarter they were sensational. They were picking the right options, they were hitting targets, they were making Sydney accountable.”
Midway through the final quarter when Richmond was up 64-49 an errant kick on half-back inside defensive 50 went across the face of goal and was scooped up by Sydney forward Sam Reid, who goaled and reduced the margin to nine.
“That is nearly the worst mistake you can make in footy. As a freewheeling half-back flanker who doesn’t have accountability your job then is to distribute the ball and he didn’t,” Lyon said.
Former Essendon sharpshooter Matthew Lloyd said what everyone was thinking.
“They’ve done everything right to win these games and they just panic, the pressure gets to them,” he said.
A highlight of Richmond’s clash against Sydney was the match-up between gun Tigers defender Alex Rance and Swans superstar Buddy Franklin.
The Sydney forward had 16 possessions, took six marks, kicked one goal and was involved in several heated scuffles with Rance, who gathered 21 disposals and took five marks.
“I thought Rance was outstanding ... but Buddy certainly had some (good) periods,” Damien Hardwick said.
“It was interesting in that last quarter they moved him up the ground to get him into the game but Rance was having a significant impact at various stages.
“The fact of the matter is you can look at individual achievements or you can look at who won the four points — Sydney walk away happy and we walk away disappointed.”
Hardwick was reluctant to lay into his side after yet another demoralising loss, but said he knew taking control of tight games is something it needs to improve on.
“I think that’s what our side has to get used to,” he said when asked if the close losses could become an issue in tight games in the back end of the season.
“We’re very competitive, we’ll keep games close but we’re not going to win games by 10 goals and we’re not going to lose games (hopefully) by 10 goals either ... It’s always going to be an arm wrestle.
“You look at the Bulldogs last year and we’re probably similar. We’re probably undersized up forward so we compete hard — that’s what’s going to win us games and that’s what’s going to keep it close in games as well.”
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