Media articles & stats: Dusty dominates in Tiger triumph over Blues

[one-eyed]

New year, same story: Dusty dominates in Tiger triumph

Richmond opened the 2021 season with a gritty win over a gallant Carlton

By Riley Beveridge
afl.com.au
19 March 2021

RICHMOND     3.3      8.5      10.8      15.15 (105)
CARLTON         3.2      6.6      8.12       11.14 (80)

GOALS
Richmond: Riewoldt 4, Castagna 2, Martin 2, Rioli 2, Aarts 2, Lynch, Caddy, Bolton
Carlton: McDonald 2, McKay 2, Gibbons 2, Casboult, O'Brien, Dow, Silvagni, Plowman

BEST
Richmond: Martin, Balta, Graham, Short, Prestia, Edwards, Riewoldt
Carlton: Walsh, Cripps, Saad, Plowman, Newnes, Setterfield

INJURIES
Richmond: Cotchin (illness) replaced in selected side by Pickett, Vlastuin (knee)
Carlton: Silvagni (shoulder)

SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Ross (replaced Vlastuin)
Carlton: McDonald (replaced Silvagni)

Crowd: 49,218 at the MCG

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THE ROAR of 'Yellow and Black' has been louder, but maybe never quite as satisfying.

A total of 537 days had passed between when Richmond last played in front of its home fans and Thursday night's 2021 season-opener, but the reigning premiers made the arduous wait worth their while with a gritty and determined 25-point victory over Carlton.

The Tigers, who stretched their round one winning streak over the Blues to a remarkable eight matches, were never at their best in the 15.15 (105) to 11.14 (80) slog. But good enough was more than enough as they outlasted a tiring opponent in the dying stages.

Dustin Martin (31 disposals, two goals, four goal assists) was simply sensational, stamping his authority on the match every time it was required like only he can and confirming the summer whispers that the triple Norm Smith Medallist can somehow get even better this season.

But he was ably supported by Jack Riewoldt's four-goal haul in attack and Noah Balta's blanketing performance down back, as Richmond picked up where it left off at the Gabba on that memorable October night last season.

Patrick Cripps (28 disposals, five clearances) had provided the benchmark for Carlton's vastly improved performance with his physicality at the contest, winning the footy at will in a strong display.

His brutal fend-off on Liam Baker in the second quarter set up Michael Gibbons and had come moments after Paddy Dow stood up in a tackle leading to a Jack Silvagni major, as the Blues shot into a surprise 11-point lead in the game's opening stages.

It was to be one of Silvagni's last actions before sustaining a shoulder injury, deemed severe enough by the Carlton officials for the forward to become the first AFL player ever medically substituted out of a game in place of Oscar McDonald.

But while that was a first in the game's history, Martin lighting up the contest through his brilliance certainly wasn't. His scintillating effort on the stroke of half-time handed Richmond an 11-point lead at the main break, galvanising the Tiger faithful.

But still an inspired Blues side fought. McDonald provided an injection of energy from the bench, while Lachie Plowman converted after he was caught high by a stray elbow from David Astbury that landed the Tigers defender on report for striking.

It was a sign of the growing Richmond frustration, but typically the side had key pillars at either end that held up the fort. Balta was exceptional in thwarting a foray of Carlton attacks, while Riewoldt kicked the side's only two goals of the third term.

It lifted the Tigers into an eight-point lead at the final change, one that stretched to 16 after another Martin major early in the last quarter. But it wasn't the end of the Blues, as successive goals edged the margin to within a kick as the game ticked into time-on.

Martin, sensing his moment again, was the man to end the fightback. His slick move into space enabled Shai Bolton the room to kick truly, before Riewoldt's fourth put the dagger in any hopes of an unlikely Blues upset.

Tempers flare after Harry's hit
Carlton set the tempo for its valiant performance with its physicality on Thursday night, but flirted with crossing the line when Harry McKay collected Nick Vlastuin in the game's opening stages. The play had been blown dead for a Blues free kick when McKay left the ground to bump Vlastuin in an aerial contest, leading to a series of spot fires breaking out around the ground. If Tiger fans weren't already aggrieved that the free kick wasn't reversed, the fact Levi Casboult kicked the game's opening goal from the resulting passage of play certainly left them feeling hard done by. Vlastuin played out the game, while contact wasn't made to the head, meaning McKay shouldn't have any Match Review concerns on Friday.

Martin's moment of magic lights up Tigers
When the Tigers need a spark, they've always got the man to provide it. Most of the time, that man is Dustin Martin. With the scores level nearing half-time, a moment of sheer brilliance from 'Dusty' handed the reigning premiers the ascendency and split a scrappy and even contest wide open. Martin smothered Liam Jones' kick, collected the ball in the same motion, produced a signature fend-off to evade the tackle of Lochie O'Brien and snapped truly on the run. It was pure, unfiltered quality and helped Richmond into a crucial 11-point lead at the main break. It also, crucially, wasn't his last moment of genius in a scrappy win. He has claimed three Norm Smith Medals for a reason.

Blues make unfortunate and unwanted history
Carlton was forced to make the AFL's first 'medical substitution' at half-time on Thursday night, when Jack Silvagni was withdrawn due to a shoulder injury. Silvagni, who endured awful luck last year after he was restricted to just three games due to rib and knee injuries, appeared to hurt his shoulder during a chase-down tackle on Kamdyn McIntosh. He played on momentarily, but left and the field and was forced out of the game at the main break. Oscar McDonald, who completed warms-ups during the interval, then joined the game as the medical substitute. It was a decent birthday present for the 25-year-old, who went forward in the absence of Silvagni and kicked a goal with his first kick for his new club. Richmond was also forced into a medical substitution later in the game, with Jack Ross replacing Nick Vlastuin after the defender hurt his knee in the third term.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/563556/new-year-same-story-dusty-dominates-in-tiger-triumph

[one-eyed]

Dust off the old playbook: Martin unbelievable as Tigers topple Blues

Daniel Cherny
The Age
March 19, 2021

BEST:
Richmond Martin, Graham, Short, Edwards, Balta, Bolton, Riewoldt
Carlton Walsh, Newnes, Cripps, Weitering, Saad, McDonald

VOTES:
D. Martin (Rich) 9
S. Walsh (Carl) 8
J. Graham (Rich) 7
J. Short (Rich) 7
S. Edwards (Rich) 7

For all that had changed in the world since footy fans last attended a game at the MCG, two truths still stood up by 10.15pm on Thursday night: Carlton still can’t beat Richmond, and Dustin Martin is still incomparable.

The Blues huffed and puffed and threatened to blow the Tigers’ house down, but Richmond – as they almost always have over the past four years – showed their fortress is made of very sturdy brick. Several times throughout the night Carlton looked half a chance of kicking away, but they never did. Instead, they kicked themselves out of the game, with their 2.6 in the third term proving costly as Richmond steadied to record their 11th straight win over the Blues.

Martin’s status as a Tiger immortal is already secure and this showing only enhanced his already ridiculously high reputation. The three-time Norm Smith Medallist won a heap of the ball but it was a handful of small yet telling contributions that turned the game.

There was a trademark fend-off goal during the second term, an ingenious tap to the advantage of Jake Aarts which set up a Jack Riewoldt goal in the third quarter, a strong mark and goal early in the last, and then another involvement to set up a second goal for Aarts after Carlton closed to within a goal deep into the final term.

Still, he wasn’t done, leading the Blues on a merry dance to dish off to Shai Bolton who put icing on the cake in the dying minutes and then taking another incredible mark after that. Back able to shout en masse in person, the Tiger Army roared “Dusty, Dusty.”

“His ball use across the arcs was very good,” Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said after the match.

“He’s a wonderful player, we’re lucky to have him and he’s a pleasure to coach really.”

Sam Walsh was outstanding for the Blues but Richmond won more of the key moments, with a desperate Jayden Short effort to stop a Harry McKay goal in the third term among the most important.

“There was a lot of positive signs that came out of the game. I think the one that jumped out at the coaching group was probably Richmond’s ability to handle the moments,” Blues coach David Teague said.

Sub-liminal messaging
There was enormous intrigue as to how the new medical substitute rule – implemented at the 11th hour – would play out. Things changed further on game day when the Tigers lost captain Trent Cotchin to injury, replaced in the 22 by Marlion Pickett, which led to Jack Ross being named as the designated 23rd man. It was former Melbourne defender Oscar McDonald however who made history, replacing the injured Jack Silvagni (shoulder) at half-time.

McDonald, playing forward, made an almost immediate impact, matching his career goals tally in 81 games with the Demons inside four minutes on the ground as a Blue. So recently was McDonald added to Carlton’s list, they didn’t have his headshot on file to use on the ’G big screen.

Remarkably a player who didn’t have a list spot as recently as last week took advantage of a rule that didn’t exist until this week. Ross was introduced late in the third quarter after Nick Vlastuin hurt his knee.

Hardwick said Vlastuin would go for scans to determine the severity of the issue, while a round two return for Bachar Houli (calf) has not been ruled out.

Teague said after the match that Silvagni’s injury was a sublux. Jack Martin (calf tightness) should be available next week according to the coach, while Eddie Betts impressed in a VFL practice match earlier on Thursday. Zac Williams will be available next week following his suspension.

Stand by your man
It was always going to be a talking point, and unfortunately for Blue Sam Petrevski-Seton, he is now the answer to a footy trivia question. It was deep in the second quarter when a bouncy Petrevski-Seton strayed from his position on the mark to become the first premiership season victim of the new “stand” rule. Tiger Josh Caddy took full toll from the ensuing 50-metre penalty.

It was the culmination of a frustrating period in the game for Carlton, with Ed Curnow entering into the protected area earlier in the quarter and conceding 50 metres to Jack Riewoldt, who duly slotted his first major of the season. Blues fans had also been left aggrieved after a brilliant chase-down tackle from Silvagni on Kamdyn McIntosh went unrewarded.

Like a Mac truck
The first moment to reignite the senses came early in the first term when a late-arriving McKay came in to flatten Vlastuin in an aerial contest.

Vlastuin thankfully bounced back up but the overwhelmingly pro-Tigers crowd made its displeasure clearly known. Nature was healing. The fans weren’t the only ones who remonstrated, with the blow to Vlastuin triggering scuffles which are likely to provide a welcome boost to the league’s coffers.

Richmond backman David Astbury had his number taken midway through the third term for a crude elbow to Lachie Plowman, who converted the resultant set shot for his first AFL goal since 2013.

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/afl/dust-off-the-old-playbook-martin-unbelievable-as-tigers-topple-blues-20210318-p57c03.html

[one-eyed]

Footy’s back where it belongs, and so are the Tigers

Greg Baum
The Age
March 19, 2021

So, where were we again?

Oh, that’s right. The MCG, brilliant, mild autumn evening, Richmond v Carlton. Make that Richmond d Carlton. It was just like last year, which is to say, the year before. Everything that was, was the year before, you might have noticed.

The night finished as it always does, with a win for Richmond. But the margin flattered them; they kicked the last three goals of the match to win it by four. It’s what they’ve been doing for four years, more or less.

There was a footy season last year, and the Tigers won it, of course. But it all happened behind closed doors and far away. Flat screen footy, flat footy feeling. By the time last night came around, it had been 537 days since there had been a footy match with spectators at the MCG. If the year taught us anything, it was that the crowd are at least half the show.

So everyone came in a buoyant mood. You could feel it on the streets and in the carpark and on the trams and trains, and it pooled in the great stadium. Real people, dressed in real footy regalia, making real noise: Melbourne had its game face on again. Footy was off mute at last.

A flag for the Tigers to unfurl, two for luck. With them came a puff of fireworks, the surest sign of all that footy was back. There’s no show without kitsch.

Actually, we weren’t all there again. COVID, like Richmond, is hard to beat. So the crowd was only half a crowd. Social distancing is anathema at the footy, really. It’s where we go to come together. But Victorians have learned their lessons well.

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin was required to stay indoors this night, but that was merely because of a bout of gastro. Footy was getting its innocence back.

This game last year, there was all the space in the world in the stands and none on the ground. This night, there was a bit more space than usual on both sides of the fence. In the stands, it was because of a limit that the AFL and the MCC desperately hope to be able to lift, and soon.

On the ground, it was because of rule changes. Kicking in, a defender has more space. All over the ground, the man on the mark is required to stand stock still, like a children’s game of statues; Carlton’s Sam Petrevski-Seton had the dubious honour of becoming the first man to be penalised for twitching sideways on the mark. And quarters are quarters again. It turns out a quarter is quite a long time.

The impact this night was subtle, but discernible. There were fewer stoppages, less mess, more run, more room. Running players excelled. Much of the newly claimed space was in the centre corridor, for many teams a no-man’s-land in recent years.

The good players were better still, but a generation of defenders won’t thank the AFL for a rule that obliges Dustin Martin to spend more time at full-forward.

Freedom became something of a theme, freedom to play, freedom to watch. It was all worth celebrating.

That’s not to say that the contest was not willing in the game’s timeless way. Richmond’s Nick Vlastuin and Carlton’s Levi Casboult both fell into harm’s crunching way and will know on Friday morning they have been in a game of footy.

And sometimes, it felt as if there was a two-man competition between Martin and Patrick Cripps as to who could break the most tackles. Score it to the Richmond man, but narrowly.

The balance was a freer flowing game. The upside was a sometimes exhilarating spectacle. The downside was a noticeable tiring by all players as the quarters wore on, and a commensurate fraying of skills. The whole ground became a red zone. This may yet become an issue for the AFL, who doubtlessly will think it’s nothing that a quick rule change can’t fix.

As for the game, yes, we were once again in a familiar place. Carlton led by two goals mid-way through the second quarter until a run of four Richmond goals straightened the ledger. The Blues persisted, and were about to nudge into the lead again in the third quarter when Jayden Short ran down Harry Mackay in the goal square.

The Blues never did reclaim the lead. But they gave enough cheek to embolden Blues’ hearts. Of course, Carlton teasing and decieving is also a regular feature of this fixture. But altogether, it made for a thoroughly enjoyable piece of deja viewing.

So that’s where we were again: round one, Tigers away, the status quo that we wondered if we’d ever know again restored. It was a good place to be.

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/afl/footy-s-back-where-it-belongs-and-so-are-the-tigers-20210318-p57c2u.html