Media articles and Stats: Tigers bare teeth but lose to Cats by 20

[one-eyed]

Tigers bare teeth but lose by 20
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen  Sat 04 April, 2009


Geelong     5.3   8.9   11.11   15.15 (105)
Richmond    1.1   4.2   12.6   13.7 (85)

GOALS
Geelong: S.Johnson 4, Hawkins 2, Chapman 2, Ablett, Varcoe, Gamble, Enright, Rooke, Mooney, Corey
Richmond: Richardson 2, Brown 2, Morton 2, Foley, Schulz, Riewoldt, Deledio, Edwards, Hislop, Bowden

BEST
Geelong: S. Johnson, Corey, Ablett, Bartel, Milburn, Ling, Taylor, Selwood
Richmond: Richardson, Brown, Deledio, Bowden, Jackson, Tuck, Simmonds

INJURIES
Geelong: Brad Ottens (knee)
Richmond: Richard Tambling (hamstring tightness) replaced in selected side by Dean Polo

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stevic, Sully, Nicholls

Official crowd: 22,288 at Skilled Stadium

-------------------------------------
DESPITE an almighty scare, Geelong has responded accordingly to beat a gallant Richmond by 20 points at Skilled Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers kicked eight goals to the Cats' three to lead by one point at three-quarter time, but the home side found the late answers it required to win 15.15 (105) to 13.7 (85).

Steve Johnson ensured the Cats' 44th victory from its last 47 games, kicking three of his four goals in the final quarter after utility Joel Bowden threatened to put Richmond in a winning position.

Paul Chapman was the only other goalkicker of a never-wracking last term.

However, Geelong has to wait on the outcome of scans for chief ruckman Brad Ottens, who was helped from the ground late in the first term with an injury to his right knee.

Ottens' absence allowed the Tigers to fight their way back from a 31-point deficit at half time, with Troy Simmonds handing back-up ruckman Mark Blake an onball lesson.

Richmond, thrashed by Carlton by 83 points in last week's season opener, looked a vastly different side, particularly in a third term encouraged by Brett Deledio (30 possessions), Nathan Brown (29) Nathan Foley (20), captain Chris Newman and veteran Matthew Richardson.

However, early signs suggested only minor progress with the endeavour of the midfield and backline showing up deficiencies in attack.

While the Tigers were able to get the ball into the forward 50, the lack of a genuine target allowed the Cats to bring it out with ease.

But when Richardson was used there, teammates seemed to feed off his confidence and they looked a much better structure.

Defender Alex Rance was very good on debut while Daniel Jackson saw out an effective tagging role on Geelong dangerman Joel Selwood.

For the Cats, Harry Taylor continued his emergence as a key defender, Andrew Mackie kept Mitch Morton to two goals, though both crucial to the Tigers' third-quarter fight-back, and Gary Ablett (29 touches) lifted at the most important stages.

Usual suspects Joel Corey (25), Jimmy Bartel (25) and Cameron Ling (21) played key midfield roles in Geelong's half-time lead and starved Richmond's productive ball-winners in the run home.

After Tom Hawkins and Foley traded the game's opening goals, Geelong countered any early resistance from the determined Tigers to slam on four goals without reply.

Most of those efforts were created by the Cats' clean run and carry further up the field.

Wherever Geelong sent the ball, there was a plethora of options and Chapman, Travis Varcoe, Gary Ablett and Ryan Gamble simply polished those advances off.

Twenty-six points down, the Tigers showed a much higher work-rate in the second and, even though Brown kicked the first goal, the new intensity was worn down by the Cats en route to the main break.

It came late though, with Johnson and Max Rooke converting after Richardson and Jay Schulz sliced the margin to 15.

When Jack Riewoldt kicked the first goal of the third term, spirits were lifted but the Tigers were still well out of the contest.

Richardson, ever the motivator, kicked his second and Brown snapped another from just outside the goal square it was clear that momentum had shifted.

Cameron Mooney provided a quick reply and Tom Hawkins gave it further meaning when he kicked his second; Tiger defender Kelvin Moore penalised for punching Mooney's ball into the stands.

But the Tigers stuck at it – dominating possession, dominating the contested ball and dominating forays into 50.

Although Deledio’s goal was answered by another from Corey, the Tigers kicked the last four of the term – Morton curled one home, Shane Edwards slotted form a tight angle and Morton found another from a contested mark.

When former Bomber Tom Hislop kicked his goal from a free kick just before the siren, Richmond was in front.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/74366/default.aspx

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Team stats

Disposals:       370 - 372
Efficiency%:      75 - 78
Kicks:             215 - 206
Handballs:       155 - 166
Con. Marks:       14 - 9
Uncon.Marks:   100 - 102
Tackles:             51 - 55
Clearances:        31 - 31
Clangers            46 - 51
Hitouts:             37 - 32
Frees:                31 - 21
Con. Possies:    118 - 105
Uncon.Possies:  254 - 268
Inside 50s:         51 - 54
Assists:              13 - 21


Individual Stats

player              D     EFF%     K     H     G     B     CM     UM     T     CL     C     SC     SCA
      
Deledio, B            30    83    15    15    1    0    1    7    1    5    2    113    87
Brown, N            29    83    21    8    2    0    0    10    4    0    3    132    94
Richardson, M    28    71    19    9    2    2    8    6    0    1    3    156    128
Jackson, D         25    68    13    12    0    0    1    4    5    5    4    75    58
Newman, C        25    88    15    10    0    0    0    6    2    0    3    107    106
Tuck, S             24    71    11    13    0    0    0    2    1    6    2    98    82
Foley, N             20    75    8    12    1    0    0    3    3    6    1    79    81
Bowden, J            19    58    18    1    1    0    0    9    4    0    3    78    66
Rance, A           18    67    8    10    0    0    0    6    2    0    0    81    81
Polo, D              15    87    8    7    0    0    1    2    3    0    1    82    82
White, M           15    73    6    9    0    0    0    1    5    3    2    62    76
King, J              14    86    7    7    0    0    0    4    2    0    4    30    30
McGuane, L        14    86    8    6    0    0    0    8    1    0    3    47    53
Moore, K           14    64    12    2    0    1    1    5    3    0    3    76    73
Riewoldt, J         12    50    9    3    1    0    0    7    4    0    5    38    50
Edwards, S        11    55    6    5    1    0    0    4    1    0    2    36    44
Morton, M            11    91    6    5    2    1    1    2    2    0    1    75    93
Simmonds, T     11    91    4    7    0    0    0    1    2    0    1    63    79
Hislop, T           10    90    5    5    1    0    0    2    4    3    0    85    85
Graham, A          9    89    4    5    0    0    0    3    0    2    1    34    34
Nahas, R            9    56    6    3    0    1    0    4    1    0    1    29    29
Schulz, J            7    57    6    1    1    2    1    4    1    0    1    38    60


player            FF     FA     CP     UP     I50     A      
         
Deledio, B          1    0    5    24    5    1    
Brown, N           1    1    5    22    3    2    
Richardson, M    0    2    13    15    4    3    
Jackson, D         1    2    9    17    5    0    
Newman, C        1    2    7    15    3    0    
Tuck, S             2    2    9    15    4    1    
Foley, N            4    0    8    13    5    1    
Bowden, J         1    0    3    16    5    0    
Rance, A           3    0    6    13    4    0    
Polo, D              4    0    8    9    0    0    
White, M           0    2    7    7    3    1    
King, J              2    1    3    11    0    0    
McGuane, L        0    2    2    13    1    1    
Moore, K           2    1    5    8    0    0    
Riewoldt, J         1    1    4    9    4    0    
Edwards, S        0    1    3    8    1    0    
Morton, M            0    1    3    8    0    1    
Simmonds, T     1    1    2    9    1    0    
Hislop, T            3    0    6    5    2    1    
Graham, A         3    1    4    5    0    0    
Nahas, R           0    0    3    7    1    0    
Schulz, J            1    1    3    5    0    1

http://superstats.heraldsun.com.au/gamestatslive/5015468.html

[one-eyed]

Geelong beat Richmond by 20 points
Rod Nicholson | April 04, 2009 04:50pm

THE toothless Tigers gave an unexpected roar to scare 2009 premiership favourites Geelong at Skilled Stadium.

Richmond, trailling by 31 points at the major interval, booted eight goals in the third term to snatch a one point lead.

They then fought gallantly but succumbed to the experience of the competition's benchmark team - and the magic of Steve Johnson - to go down by 20 points.

The Cats, who had won 14 of their previous 16 matches at home by an average of 48 points, limped away with the four points but little more.

Geelong's premier ruckman Brad Ottens is likely to be out for the season after injuring his right knee in a ruck contest at the 24 minute mark of the second quarter.

And several of their key players performed with mediocrity, lacking initiative and vigour until it counted in the final term.

Richmond, which was ridiculed after a thumping by Carlton in the opening round, responded to coach Terry Wallace's call for a determined and spirited effort by playing exciting and rugged football in the second half.

If anything, on occasions their eagerness to apply pressure backfired in the opening half as it conceded needless free kicks.

Yet when they concentrated on the ball, Richmond enjoyed passages of play that enabled them to control play and to kick four and five goals without reply.

The performance was a fillip for Wallace, who has been under intense pressure to guarantee his position in his fifth season as coach.

He predicted that the Tigers should not be branded on only the opening match, and that he had confidence in his plan and his players' desire.

The third quarter was the perfect example. Richmond kicked three goals in five minutes to get back into the contest, and then the final four goals of the quarter _ and the first of the final term to take a six point lead.

This was free-flowing football that rattled the Cats. They were tough in the clinches, willing to run and to chase and to take the initiative.

Inspired by Brett Deledio in midfield, Richmond jumped the blocks in the third term with goals to Jack Riewoldt, Matthew Richardson and Nathan Brown in the opening five minutes.

But inexperience and lack of discipline curtailed that surge, as is the problem with any developing side.

They undid much of that good work and suffered a double blow after Cam Mooney marked and goaled from an errand short pass out of defence.

Luke McGuane then punched the ball after it had crossed the line and he was penalised, giving Tom Hawkins a free kick in the square.

The consecutive goals returned the margin from 13 to 26 points, but the tenacity of the Tigers was not to be denied.

Deledio's goal was answered by Joel Corey but then Richmond surged again with the last four goals of the term.

Mitch Morton scored twice, along with Shane Edwards and finally Tom Hislop's free that put the visitors in front for the first time in the match.

Geelong clearly was harrassed and under pressure. Dependable full-back Matthew Scarlett was having an off day and gave away several free kicks that were costly.

The loss of Ottens had a huge impact on the centre bounce contests - Mooney had to chip in (inneffectively) to assist Mark Blake and Richmond took control from the centre and boundary throw-ins.

As well, the usually prolific Joel Selwood was subdued. Perhaps it was a legacy of a heavy head knock in the opening round, but whatever, he was unused in midfield and had little impact.

Geelong looked in control in the opening half, kicking five goals to one in the opening term and then extending the lead to 31 points by the major break.

The Tigers showed their intent despite the deficit. Even before play started, Jake King ruffled Gary Ablett - and virtually every time the Geelong star went near play he was met heavily.

That, however, did not stop him scoring on the run from 50 metres in one of tghe better passages of the day.

Richmond worked hard through Richardson on a wing. He was pitted against Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel and eventually won the contest.

The 34-year-old could not run with the more agile Bartel, but he used his height effectively to win any air battles.

While Richardson did well with 16 disposals in the opening half, it was not until he moved forward than he put real pressure on Geelong by way of the scoreboard. Andrew Mackie then replaced Bartel.

In the past four meetings Geelong has thrashed Richmond by an average of 80 points, so the 20 point margin was a vast improvement.

The Cats can put it down to an "off" day following their NAB Cup victory and their solid win against premiers Hawthorn in the opening round.

The Hawks match, which was extremely physical in hot conditions, may have taken much more out of them than they believed.

Or maybe the dropped their standards after half time believing the match was in hand. Whatever, they have now won two from two games, but by margins of only eight points and 20 points.

There is much improvement, but a new ruckman will be needed to spark initiatives from midfield.

Richmond, meanwhile, can take heart that they have the scope - with spirit - to improve and push top teams to the limit.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25288930-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

Geelong slips clear of tough Tigers
Jesse Hogan | April 5, 2009

RICHMOND did not do quite enough to beat premiership favourite Geelong, fading late to lose by 20 points, but its sterling second-half fightback should be enough to appease its baying supporters.

Going into the last quarter with his team having somehow fallen behind the Tigers, Geelong talisman Steve Johnson made up for the lack of impact from his forward-line teammates to kick three of his four goals for the match, snuffing out Richmond's charge.

The Cats coasted through the first half at Skilled Stadium, thanks largely to their usual suspects in the midfield: Gary Ablett, Corey Enright, Joel Corey and Cameron Ling. Only their now typically wayward goalkicking restricted their half-time lead to 31 points, instead of the match-winning lead it should have been. The Cats' other first-quarter blot, however, was no fault of their own, with ruckman Brad Ottens helped off the ground by trainers late in the term after receiving a knee injury in a ruck duel.

Geelong's fluent transition of the ball through midfield was in stark contrast to its opponent, who seemed pre-occupied with trying to use handball to move the ball forward as slowly as possible. It did not work, forcing key Tigers forward duo Matthew Richardson and Nathan Brown to camp in defence in a bid to repel attacks.

The home side's five goals and three behinds in the opening quarter looked a respectable return. But all three misses should have been buried. Richmond was also hampered by a lack of intensity, with Matthew White (four) the only Tiger to get more than one tackle.

Richmond won the second quarter by five points but this was not reflected in general play, with the Cats still on top in the middle but still spraying too many shots in front of goal, kicking six behinds for the quarter.

It was not proving to be a fruitful day for forwards. By half-time, Geelong's main attacking trio — Tom Hawkins, Cameron Mooney and Ryan Gamble — had only 16 possessions and two goals between them. The Tigers fared worse, with Jack Riewoldt, Jay Schulz and Mitch Morton notching only 14 possessions and a single goal between them.

Until that point the Tigers looked too feeble to make the Cats pay for their inaccuracy.

Then, out of nowhere, came a dashing third quarter to show why — at least before the first-round capitulation against Carlton — they had been so fancied to make the final eight. Riewoldt took only 25 seconds to peg back the Cats' lead, dribbling through a goal from deep in the forward pocket, and by the five-minute mark the Tigers had two more goals courtesy of their veteran forwards, Richardson and Brown. Both had been statistically busy in the first half but, finally, were getting kicks within range of their own goals.

Richmond's growing momentum was halted a few minutes later when Geelong kicked two goals in 30 seconds — the second without the ball going back to the centre.

The teams traded goals before Morton did his best to inspire Richmond with a superb snap. Running towards the boundary line with Andrew Mackie on his tail, Morton collected the ball and deftly ducked the tackle before turning back in and slotting through the goal just inside the boundary line on his right foot. He followed it with another three minutes later.

With the quarter dragging on beyond 32 minutes, Geelong looked to be heading to the last break with a slender lead, until Tom Hislop gave the Tigers a one-point lead.

Mooney squandered an early set-shot in the last to level the scores, but when Joel Bowden threaded a set shot from outside the boundary line, giving Richmond a six-point lead, the improbable looked possible.

Johnson's first goal brought parity, with the Cats finally regaining the lead after Travis Varcoe intelligently slapped a loose ball into the path of Paul Chapman, who ran into an open goal. By the half-way mark of the quarter Geelong's penetrative kicks from midfield had returned, and Johnson took centre stage, first by characteristically dribbling a ball along the ground along the forward-pocket boundary for a goal, and then by converting a late set-shot from 25 metres out. His kicking, unlike that of many of his teammates, could be relied upon when it mattered.

GEELONG  5.3 8.9 11.11 15.15 (105)
RICHMOND 1.1 4.2 12.6 13.7 (85)

GOALS:Geelong: S Johnson 4, Chapman 2, Hawkins 2, Enright, Mooney, Ablett, Corey, Rooke, Gamble, Varcoe. Richmond: Morton 2, Richardson 2, Brown 2, Deledio, Bowden, Riewoldt, Schulz, Foley, Edwards, Hislop.

BEST: Geelong: Johnson, Corey, Ablett, Bartel, Milburn, Ling, Selwood. Richmond: Richardson, Deledio, Brown, Bowden, Jackson, Tuck.

INJURIES: Geelong: Ottens (knee). Richmond: Tambling (hamstring tightness) replaced in selected side by Polo.

CROWD: 22,288 at Skilled Stadium.

UMPIRES: Matt Stevic, Mathew Nicholls, Damien Sully.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/rfmatchreport/geelong-slips-clear-of-tough-tigers/2009/04/04/1238833226124.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[one-eyed]

Richmond rues loss but give Cats a contest
Jake Niall | April 5, 2009

BRAD Ottens was off the ground, nursing what might be the competition's most important knee. Richmond was winning the ball in the middle, and seemed capable of scoring whenever it went forward.

Richo was marking the ball everywhere and from anywhere — from behind, in front and the side. Brett Deledio and Jack Riewoldt were slicing through a shaky Geelong defence. Daniel Jackson, sooled on to Joel Selwood, was winning more contested balls than Geelong's flint-hard emerging young champion.

Jupiter was aligning with Mars, and at three-quarter-time, incredibly, Richmond — the same team that had offered perhaps the limpest performance against the largest audience in round-one history — was in front.

At this point, the Tigers had managed two highly improbable feats: they had disposed of the football more times than Geelong, and they'd put the footy in their forward 50-metre arc more often than the Cats. These are statistical events as infrequent as Halley's Comet or admissions of failure by a senior coach. Geelong usually dominates possession and the inside 50s.

By game's end, the Tigers had beaten Geelong in the contested sphere of the game (118 to 105), which is a marvellous achievement. But they hadn't slain Goliath, because the Cats — who'd been asleep at the wheel in that third quarter — snapped out of their slumber and Stevie Johnson slotted three slick goals when it was on the line.

No matter how noble they'd been, Terry Wallace and his boys knew this was not a moment for excessive self-congratulation. The upshot remained, as Nathan Brown observed, that they were still without a win from two games, when they might have had one.

"A lot of blokes were embarrassed last week," said Brown, who had a strong second half yesterday. "I was one of them. I was terrible last week and had to make amends. So, but we can't walk away and be happy with losing, and the game was there to be taken and we didn't take it, and we find ourselves 0 and 2. It could have been 1 and 1."

Wallace said he felt "flatter" than after the Carlton game, which he viewed as an aberration. This was a lost opportunity, and he "wasn't too heartened" by the improvement. "The game's about winning," he said.

Well, to a point, yes. But the game is also about competing, which had been the theme among the playing group after the embarrassment of round one. "We got smashed in the clearances and the contested footy last week and pride ourselves on that," said Brown. "I guess the theme of the week was just to crack in hard and have a dip."

Hence the five changes to the team, the inclusion of two debutants, Alex Rance and Robin Nahas, the dumping of Jordan McMahon and the willingness to physically engage that had been absent nine days earlier.

Richmond had been committed even in the first quarter, when it won a reasonable share of the ball, but couldn't use it. "I think both sides had gone in 12 times in the first quarter and we'd scored twice or three times in our 12 times and they'd scored nine times with theirs," said Wallace. "They had just done it neater and we gifted them a couple of goals early, early in the match."

The injury to Ottens was significant in shifting the balance of power at the stoppages. But the Tigers didn't click until the third, when their intensity was suddenly backed up by some finesse, and functioning forwards, as Richardson, Riewoldt, Brown and Mitch Morton all had their moments.

"I think we showed what we can produce and we'll win more games than we lose if we play that way," said Brown. "Geelong are a good side, but last week we let ourselves down. We've got to take this as a norm."

Wallace was more or less suggesting that we saw the real Richmond yesterday, that the outfit that froze before 87,000 misrepresented his team's capabilities and character. For his own sake, he must hope he's right.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/rfnews/richmond-rues-loss-but-give-cats-a-contest/2009/04/04/1238833226115.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1