Ranking Richmond's 10 best wins of the last decadeBy Andrew Slevison
SEN
23 April 2020This list looks completely different to what it may have been if writing about Richmond's 2000-2010 decade.
It has been a long and bumpy journey with little to get excited about prior to 2017 so it would come as no surprise that the majority of these games have taken place in more recent years.
This was a tricky task to undertake but one that was extremely therapeutic.
Without further ado, the 10 best Tiger wins since 2010:
Honourable mention - Round 10, 2010 v Port AdelaideVenue: Football Park
Result: 77-30
It would be remiss not to mention where this whole journey commenced under Damien Hardwick.
The Tigers were 0-9 in Dimma’s first season at the helm. They went to Adelaide to take on the Power on a wet day and were not expected to win.
It was a rout in the end. 47-point winners with Jack Riewoldt kicking four, Ben Nason three and Shane Tuck picking up 31 possessions.
That rendition of ‘Oh We’re From Tigerland’ was a beauty!
10. Round 8, 2016 v SydneyVenue: MCG
Result: 101-100
This was the one that every little boy or girl dreams of.
There wasn’t all that much on the line for the Tigers, apart from pride, as they went into the game with a 1-6 record against a Swans side that was 6-1.
When Sydney led by three goals at the final break, it looked like it might just be an honourable loss.
Despite the end result of that disastrous 2016 season, there was some belief in the Richmond camp, and it was on show in a seven-goal final term.
The Swans were 11 points ahead before Ben Griffiths nailed his fifth with a dribbler on the run and with 30 seconds left the Bloods were five points up with the ball deep in their own forward line.
Cue a Nick Vlastuin clearance out of defensive 50, a lucky bounce to Riewoldt, clever chip to Griffiths, little one over the top to Sam Lloyd.
Siren. Set shot. Goal. 1-point win. Wow!
9. Round 22, 2019 v West CoastVenue: MCG
Result: 88-82
There was a spot in the top four to be cemented when the third-placed Eagles came to town late last year.
The visitors got out of the blocks with seven goals in the first term. They were playing ridiculous football. Dribbling goals, taking hangers, kicking snaps and bananas and delivering pinpoint passes with consummate ease.
“They’re playing footy as good as it’s been played all year,” said Dwayne Russell.
It did not at all look good for the Tigers who had to win to avoid falling out of the four. They were outclassed early and fell five goals behind late in the opening term, but for all the skill of the Eagles, there was a lot more substance on the other side.
West Coast had led at every break before a remarkable last quarter of footy.
End to end, goal for goal, and the home side managed to deliver the most decisive blow with a late Riewoldt winner.
A result that enabled a tilt at a second flag in three seasons from a top-four position.
8. Round 23, 2014 v SydneyVenue: ANZ Stadium
Result: 68-65
After a loss to top side Sydney at the MCG in Round 14 of the 2014 season, Richmond went on a rampage.
They put together eight straight wins to move from third bottom to eighth.
The Tigers went into the final round of the home-and-away season, coincidentally against the Swans, in need of a ninth successive victory to secure finals footy.
West Coast were expected to account for the Suns on Sunday and with a superior percentage would have replaced the Tigers in the eight.
So this made the equation easy for Richmond. Win and you’re in.
It was a strong start by the yellow and black, kicking the first five goals against the premiers-elect, while finding themselves in front at every break.
But Sydney were in no mood to be knocked off by the barnstorming upstarts and managed to hit the front at one stage.
Enter Alex Rance. He was a man possessed in the final quarter. Absolutely enormous stopping almost everything that came his way.
The Tigers would get the job done by three points in what was a famous triumph.
7. Round 19, 2013 v HawthornVenue: MCG
Result: 107-66
Hawthorn had been the best team of 2012 only to lose the Grand Final to Sydney. By Round 19 of the 2013 season they were sitting pretty on top of the ladder.
The Tigers were three games clear of ninth and needed four points to guarantee a first finals berth in more than a decade.
Narrowly behind at half-time after a first quarter blitz, Richmond would boot 10 goals to three in a blustery and rainy second half to win comprehensively by 41 points. The result would put them 16 points and percentage clear in the eight and only a disastrous last four rounds would see them miss September action.
The win in itself was massive but to do it against the best team in the league was even more significant.
Dwayne Russell nailed it: “They haven’t just walked into the finals, they’ve kicked the door down with a win over the top team in the competition.”
6. Round 4, 2019 v Port AdelaideVenue: Adelaide Oval
Result: 99-92
For the first time since 2010, Richmond went into a game without their big four - Martin, Cotchin, Rance and Riewoldt.
It was backs against the wall kind of stuff at the Adelaide Oval. The Tigers were not expected to win.
Shane Edwards led the way as stand-in skipper, Tom Lynch announced himself to the Tiger faithful with a bag of six including the winner and Dylan Grimes showed that life without the injured Rance was not so bad.
The seesawing second half was full of massive moments and the will to win was colossal. The nail-biting seven-point victory also unearthed some exciting depth.
5. 2017 Preliminary Final v GWSVenue: MCG
Result: 103-67
From the view of a Richmond supporter, this was never going to go any other way. (Well, it’s easy to say that now).
But seriously. 90,000 Tigers watching the cub’s first prelim in 16 years. It was always going to be enough to get the players across the line.
From a crowd perspective, this was the most one-sided game you’ve seen. It was rabid. The late arvo slot gave the MCG an another-world feel, especially when the lights kicked in. It was about the same time when the Tigers went into overdrive. And the army was coming with them!
Daniel Rioli was utterly brilliant with four lovely goals but the first of the final quarter from Mr September Martin was the defining moment. “Dusty, Dusty, Dusty!”
Then the tricks came out.
Football purists (Tigers fans) weren’t worried about captain Cotchin’s hard-ball get when clobbering Dylan Shiel. He got the ball. Nothing to see here. A standing ovation in the last term would override any nervousness about his place in the Grand Final.
When the final siren sounded it was utter joy. The club was into the big dance for the first time since 1982.
As Richmond favourite Matthew Richardson so aptly put: “The Tiges are in the Grand Final. Can you believe it? I can't... but they are!”
4. 2019 Preliminary Final v GeelongVenue: MCG
Result: 85-66
Now this was some victory.
The Tigers found themselves trailing the minor premiers by 21 points at half-time and staring down the barrel of a second straight prelim defeat. The nerves had well and truly kicked in and the fear of another loss at the penultimate hurdle was real.
Add to that the dislocated shoulder suffered by Jack Graham, heavy leg knocks sustained by Dusty and Cotchin before Nathan Broad was concussed and out of the game by late in the third quarter.
The half-time break was filled with quiet concern.
But Cotchin to Dion Prestia to Tom Lynch for the first rapid-fire goal of the second half somewhat eased that anxiety. When Dusty roved Jack’s knock-down, the fears were alleviated.
There remained plenty of apprehension in the stands but as the minutes ticked over and those in the midnight black and vibrant yellow sash kept coming, the faith was restored. Geelong’s turnovers, and overall hand, were being forced.
Richmond will be forever grateful for the courage shown by Graham who used himself as a human battering ram despite having one working shoulder. He made his presence felt even in the dying moments. Hardwick righty lauded the act(s) as something that will go down in club history.
Prized pre-season recruit Lynch with five goals and 10 marks was immense, particularly in the second half.
It was a 40-point turnaround and subsequently, a shot at a second flag in two years. And a palpable sense of relief.
3. 2019 Grand Final v GWSVenue: MCG
Result: 114-25
If the 2017 decider was an afternoon laden with anxiety, then that one day in September 24 months later was a picture of unbridled jubilation.
A hot and tense first quarter was broken open late with two quick goals and from then on it was all fun and games for the Tigers. They ripped the heart out of the Giants and swiftly stomped on it for good measure. It was a pile-on.
Dutsy was at it again, so was Bachar Houli, while Jack (Riewoldt that is) helped himself to a bag of five.
The feature story of the Grand Final, however, was that of debutant Marlion Pickett. The former prison inmate had been thrown an AFL lifeline by the Tigers in the mid-season draft and just a week after claiming best on ground honours in the VFL Grand Final win, he picked up 22 touches on debut in the biggest game of his career.
His pirouette out of the centre is already iconic amongst the Tiger faithful. The noise when he kicked his maiden AFL goal was deafening. Spine tingling. Inspiring.
The 89-point end result is the third biggest Grand Final margin in history. Not a bad day at the office!
For pure party time, this was THE ultimate game.
2. 2017 Grand Final v AdelaideVenue: MCG
Result: 108-60
It was difficult not to put this game on top. It was symbolic and significant.
What a day it was. A premiership drought broken some 37 years after the last.
There was not as much expected from the Tigers as there was the Crows. In many ways, Richmond had nothing to lose. Just to be there was good enough.
Things felt a little treacherous after the visitors, who had been the most dominant team of 2017, kicked the first two goals. But it quickly became an arm wrestle played on the Tigers’ terms. Slowly and systemically they worked their way through the Crows and took a 10-point lead into the main break.
It remained a nervy day until the mathematicians and bean counters among us worked out the Crows had to kick more score just to get in front than they had mustered all day. The nerves were easing before Prestia’s snap made it 45 points and the final nail had been hammered into the coffin.
Dustin Martin was sublime, narrowly winning the Norm Smith Medal from Bachar Houli, while 19-year-old Jack Graham played the game of his life with three majors while tagging Rory Sloane.
“Can you believe he’s kicked three goals in a Grand Final. Jack Graham that is,” said Bruce McAvaney excitedly.
Jack Riewoldt was then best off ground belting out Mr Brightside with The Killers. A day and night full of moments that will never be forgotten.
The Richmond Football Club was back!
1. 2017 Qualifying Final v GeelongVenue: MCG
Result: 91-40
After three decades of pain, there was plenty riding on Richmond’s 2017 qualifying final meeting with Geelong.
It wasn’t just that there hadn’t been a finals win by a team in yellow and black since 2001. There was extra pressure in that there hadn’t been a win against the Cats in 13 attempts dating back to 2006. Fair to say that this one was big!
So to get two major monkeys off the back in one showing was monumental.
During the second part of the 2017 season, Damien Hardwick’s side had been making a habit of grinding teams into the ground for the first three quarters before kicking away. On this particular night, that was the exact blueprint.
The Cats kicked just five goals, the Tigers 13, including the crowning blind turn and left foot finish from captain Trent Cotchin to top it all off. The hopes and expectations of the Tiger Army grew exponentially before our very eyes.
This win made what was to follow possible. It undoubtedly enabled the dream to become a reality. This was the thoroughly enjoyable dress rehearsal for what was to come.
And boy didn't the Tiger Army enjoy it!
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/04/23/ranking-richmonds-10-best-wins-of-the-last-decade/
