Giants the joker in the pack after upsetting Tigers in thrillerAndrew Wu
The Age
15 July 2018Greater Western Sydney sent a warning to the rest of the competition they are not done with yet after posting a thrilling victory over Richmond that raised further questions about the reigning premiers' form on the road.
The Giants not only remain firmly in the finals race, but they are fast becoming the joker in the pack, a side with the star power to challenge the Tigers' quest for back-to-back flags.
Gallant in defeat last week in Perth against West Coast, the Giants showed tremendous character to hold off a desperate final challenge from the Tigers to prevail by two points.
Truth be told they should have run down the clock in more clinical fashion but there are no "what ifs" in victory.
The Giants set up their win with bursts in the first and third quarters but could not shake off a Tigers side that, as its song suggests, does not weaken until the final siren sounds.
"We knew they would come in the last quarter," Giants coach Leon Cameron said. "And we were coming back from Perth on a six-day break . I was really proud our guys found a way when it got really, really close."
Richmond trimmed what had been a four-goal margin to just one point with 26 seconds left. Had the final clearance gone their way, they may well have pinched the points and left the Giants wondering what may have been.
Instead it was the Tigers rueing their inaccurate kicking, of which Jason Castagna was the worst offender with five behinds, including a shot which hit the post nearing time on in the last.
"He'd be a little distraught about his zero five but I thought his game was terrific," Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said.
"He gave himself ample opportunities to play the game and that's what we want him to do. He'll go back to the drawing board with his process and get a better result next week but the pleasing thing for me was he kept lining up to take those shots on goal."
The loss was the Tigers' fourth on the road from as many trips interstate but it may be a weakness their rivals do not get to expose if they, as expected, hold on to a top-two finish and play their finals at their beloved MCG fortress.
The Giants enjoyed stellar performances from Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio and Lachie Whitfield, while Heath Shaw played his finest game of the year, amassing 30 touches on top of several desperate defensive acts that saved scores.
Dion Prestia and Dustin Martin were important for the Tigers but this was not the even contribution one has come to expect from the premiership favourite.
There were two notable phases in the first quarter. The first 20 or so minutes belonged to the Giants, who were playing as if on fast forward.
It was not so much their running power that was exposing the Tigers like few have in the past 12 months, but their clean disposal.
Pressure forces errors but the Giants' play was characterised by one-touch gathers, handballs that released teammates into space and kicks to their forwards' advantage. They had four goals by time-on, including one to a pure snap by Josh Kelly on his non-preferred side.
The Tigers had not been allowed to play. Their trademark pressure was non-existent, illustrated by just four tackles in 24 minutes. That tally was doubled in the next six minutes, during which the ball lived inside the Tigers' forward 50. They were in the game, a point reaffirmed by a late goal to Daniel Rioli.
With the match played on more desirable terms, the Tigers went to work. Chains of quick Giants handball were replaced by dump kicks, which found yellow and black jumpers set up for such panic plays.
Martin won some important touches, Jack Riewoldt took a hanger and by midway through the term they were in front. This was the type of scenario where the Giants would have been blown away during their form slump in May but since regaining key personnel, they have shown more starch.
They held their ground until half-time then dug in their heels and pushed back hard. At one point the contested possession count in the third quarter read 26-12 in favour of the Giants.
Their reward came in a five-minute burst during which they piled on three goals against a Richmond side that was struggling to get their hands on the ball let alone string together any meaningful passages of play.
Though held goalless for the quarter, the Tigers were still large enough in the Giants' rearview mirror to cause them concern.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
4.3 7.6 10.10 11.13 (79)
RICHMOND
2.3 6.10 6.15 10.17 (77)
GOALS - Greater Western Sydney: Langdon 3, Kelly 2, Taranto 2, Greene 2, Griffen, Coniglio
Richmond: Rioli 3, Riewoldt 2, Caddy, Martin, Prestia, Nankervis, Short
BEST - Greater Western Sydney: Ward, Coniglio, Whitfield, Shiel, Taranto, Langdon
Richmond: Martin, Lambert, Rioli, Grimes, Prestia, Short
Umpires: Findlay, Hosking, Margetts
Official crowd: 14,456 at Spotless Stadium
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/giants-the-joker-in-the-pack-after-upsetting-tigers-in-thriller-20180714-p4zri7.html
