Tigers are on the goMartin Fanagan
May 14, 2011BEST Richmond win in years. I rang a Richmond supporter to say as much but before I could speak, he took the words from my mouth. Best win in years. It was a game with great goals, great courage and great resolution. The Dockers were men on a mission. They came to win at the MCG and establish their credentials as a finals contender, but, in the words of the Scottish anthem, Flower of Scotland, they were sent home "to think again".
For periods, Richmond actually outplayed Freo, these moments being accompanied by the increasing vocal support of the Tiger Army. Richmond is an old Catholic club with strong pagan overtones. It has a Catholic philosophy that accepts suffering is part of life, but is wild in its celebrations when it's not. I don't know how far this Richmond team will go - what I know is that it's going. The Tigers have that meshing of talent and raw energy that gives football teams traction. They've also got personality, although some would say they've never lacked for that.
I watched the match with an old bloke called George who became a Richmond supporter as an eight-year-old in 1938 - that is, the era of Jack "Captain Blood" Dyer. Richmond has changed a lot since then. George hasn't. At the first bounce, with Freo's impossibly tall ruckman Aaron Sandilands circling, George declared authoritatively: "Only way to play him is to jump straight into him and give him a corkie." Modern football theory doesn't impress him: "They're frigging about with the ball on the back line; they should go up the guts." And, when the Tigers trail, he believes in traditional remedies: "Hit someone. Put some fire into 'er."
The match was called by former players Wayne Schwass, Jason Dunstall and Mark "Roo" Ricciuto. I like all three and think Dunstall is particularly good. I reckon he has one of the quickest, clearest minds in footy. Unlike a couple of former coaches who call matches, he doesn't say too much. He's quick, incisive. His quote from this game I'll remember is that courage without skill is stupidity.
Roo is one of the game's personalities, the country boy with the Italian name nothing's going to change. He's also a minimalist in commentary. When Roo punctuates the play with the single word, "Handball!", or Dunstall says "Kick!", I replay the action in my mind and invariably see a nuance in the play I hadn't noticed before.
The three commentators agree it's a great game of footy. Not only that, it's a great game the Tigers win. In defence, they've got Bachar Houli. His ability to stream out of defence and kick long low passes that travel more than 50 or 60 metres recalls a great Richmond defender of the past, Dick Clay.
And watch how many options Dustin Martin checks out before using the ball. This kid has a knowledge of the game built in him that no coach can impart and, as a matter of course, he casually kicks the ball 60 metres - accurately. Also in defence is Brett Deledio. Deledio is the gem of a talent that has now, after five seasons, been cut and polished - he brings class to his every endeavour.
The Tigers have a small armoured vehicle patrolling the forward line called Jake King while Robin Nahas buzzes up and down the ground like a runaway lawnmower. Chris Newman's a good captain, solid and reliable, Trent Cotchin's the sort of young man who brings substance to a football club and, up forward, the Tigers have Jack. No surname is required because Jack's a star. Jack's what every club needs and secretly desires - a sparkling talent with personality. He kicks his legs in leaping like a dancer. On Saturday, he attempted a mark that defied all attempts by the commentators to describe it.
Basically, Jack flew through a pack at a height of two metres or more on his back after clipping an opponent shortly after take-off and having his lower body deflected. The commentators' response was a mixture of laughter and awe. Dunstall said Jack was trying to kill himself. George said: "The bastard should get a job in Wirth's circus."
Freo was valiant to the end, but something left them during the final quarter. "If they get beat from here," declared George of the Tigers, "they want knackering." I asked George, the traditional Tiger, where he expected his team to finish this year and he said sixth. I think he might be right.
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