Media articles and stats: Tiger run halted by Bombers

[one-eyed]

Tiger run halted by Bombers
By Nathan Schmook
10:27pm AEST Saturday, May 25, 2013


RICHMOND                 2.2     4.5       6.5         9.8 (62)
ESSENDON                 2.3     7.7      11.9      13.13 (91)

GOALS
Richmond: Riewoldt 2, Cotchin, Edwards, King, Martin, McGuane, Nahas, Vlastuin
Essendon: Crameri 3, Watson 3, Zaharakis 2, Hibberd, Howlett, Melksham, Stanton, Winderlich

BEST

Richmond: Rance, Grigg, Chaplin, Vlastuin, Newman, Jackson
Essendon: Watson, Zaharakis, Stanton, Goddard, Hibberd, Hocking, Carlisle

INJURIES

Richmond: Ellis (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Nahas
Essendon: Hurley (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES

Richmond: Matt White replaced Tyrone Vickery in the third quarter   
Essendon: Jake Melksham replaced Michael Hurley in the third quarter   

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Rosebury, Findlay
Official crowd: 84, 234 at the MCG

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Richmond has failed in its bid to record three consecutive wins, falling to Essendon by 29 points in the Dreamtime at the 'G match.

In front of an electric, finals-like crowd of 84,234, the Tigers went down 13.13 (91) to 9.8 (62). 

Essendon had to hang on without Michael Hurley in the second half, with the key forward substituted out at the main break after he rolled his left ankle late in the second quarter.

Hurley, who briefly returned to the ground in an attempt to play on, sat out the second half nursing the same ankle that sidelined him for the Anzac Day clash against Collingwood one month ago.

It was a significant win for the 7-2 Bombers, who had lost back-to-back matches against Geelong and the Brisbane Lions but are now firmly entrenched in the top four.

Richmond, which now has its spot in the top eight under threat at 5-4, was left to ponder another loss on the big stage against top opposition.

Watson was brilliant for the victors, finishing with 28 possessions and three goals in a best-on-ground performance.

David Zaharakis (18 and two) and Brent Stanton (38 and one) were also at the forefront for the Bombers, while half-back Michael Hibberd (29 and one) continued his strong season.   

Heath Hocking was deployed to Richmond game-breaker Brett Deledio and kept the dangerous Tiger to 17 touches.

The Bombers, who won the midfield battled convincingly, made their break in the second term after a careful start that saw both teams determined to hang on to possession.

Zaharakis kick-started a run of five unanswered goals, converting twice from long range, while Watson pushed forward and tormented the Tigers. 

The Bombers' tackling pressure was frenetic and by half time they converted their defensive efforts into scoreboard pressure, taking  20-point lead into the main break.

The Tigers attempted to spark their midfield early in the third term by injecting substitute Matt White into the game for tall forward Ty Vickery, but it was to no avail.

With Brandon Ellis, who had 39 possessions last week, withdrawn pre-game with hamstring soreness, the Richmond midfield was already handicapped and there were few winners in the yellow and black.

Alex Rance and Troy Chaplin battled hard in defence, while Shaun Grigg ran all night to finish with 27 disposals.   

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2013-05-25/tigers-fall-to-bombers

[one-eyed]

Jobe slaughters Tigers

    Jake Niall
    The Age
    May 26, 2013


ESSENDON 2.3 7.7 11.9 13.13 (91)
RICHMOND 2.2 4.5   6.5   9.8 (62)

GOALS
Essendon: Watson 3, Crameri 3, Zaharakis 2, Howlett, Stanton, Melksham, Winderlich, Hibberd.
Richmond: Riewoldt 2, Martin, King, McGuane, Vlastuin, Nahas, Edwards, Cotchin.

BEST
Essendon: Watson, Dempsey, Hibberd, Goddard, Heppell, Stanton, Zaharakis.
Richmond: Chaplin, Newman, Cotchin, Rance.

INJURIES Essendon: Hurley (ankle).
UMPIRES Donlon, Findlay, Rosebury.
CROWD 84,234 at MCG.

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Two questions arose from this game. The first is whether the Tigers have improved much, given that they appear further from Essendon than 12 months ago. Maybe the Dons have simply made a quantum leap, Richmond a more incremental gain.

The second question was posed often in the course of the game, particularly at important moments - ''Who's on Jobe Watson?''

We believe that for the first 2½ quarters, the answer was - notionally - Nathan Foley, but we can't be sure, since Watson was given unusual latitude for an incumbent Brownlow medallist.

Eventually, Damien Hardwick sent his alleged tagger, Daniel Jackson, to Jobe - a finger in the dyke after the deluge of Watson possessions. Jobe was Black Caviar distance ahead of the field in this game. Breeding counts in footy, too.

The man who finished behind him in the voting last year, Trent Cotchin, was being chased by Essendon's relentless tagger Heath Hocking, as was Brett Deledio at times. Cotchin had his moments, as a player of his class does, but he wasn't anywhere near Watson, who had a knack for losing his opponent and finding the ball whenever Essendon needed it.

Watson had three goals on the board and 15 contested balls to three-quarter-time, by which stage the Tigers were slain, despite a belated rally that saw the margin - 34 points at three-quarter-time - reduced to 20 points with just under six minutes left.

The Tigers were slaughtered by Essendon's superior ball usage and defensive skills, rather than effort or capacity to win contested balls. Both sides won the ball. Essendon could keep it. Richmond couldn't.

Basically, Essendon's better players exerted far more influence than Richmond's. In addition to Watson, Dons such as David Zaharakis, Dyson Heppell, Brendon Goddard, Courtenay Dempsey and the improved Michael Hibberd were productive. Cotchin was reasonable, Deledio relatively subdued, while Dustin Martin played in spurts.

Jack Riewoldt was smothered, for the most part, by the combination of Jake Carlisle and Richmond's sloppy delivery. As the game progressed, Carlisle gained confidence in the contests, perhaps knowing that the ball would seldom be kicked to Jack's advantage.

If Dan Jackson has the most touches for the Tigers, followed by Shaun Grigg and Troy Chaplin is near enough to their best, the Tigers aren't likely to be victors. The decisive period came in the second quarter when, after trailing following a Jake King goal, the Bombers grabbed hold of the match with six unanswered goals.

Zaharakis contributed two from highly skilled and balanced shots on the fly, his long shot matched by defender Hibberd.

Watson, enjoying the absence of any hard tag, slotted one from the edge of the 50-metre mark, as did Stuart Crameri, who was providing the mobile target to complement tall targets Paddy Ryder and Michael Hurley.

Just as Watson entered the play at key times, the Tiger talent for turnovers was exemplified at important moments, such as when featherweight forward Robin Nahas lost his footing and went to ground, turning a promising possession into Zaharakis' second goal in the second term.

Hurley left the field late in the second quarter with a rolled ankle, leading to some animated boundary line conversations involving the Dons' doctor - compelling him to be subbed out. Ben Howlett, meanwhile, had been crunched when he stood bravely under a high ball.

But the Tigers had a potentially more troubling moment when Deledio emerged from a ground ball contest with a sore knee. He left the field limping, then returned. Perhaps this had a detrimental effect - 17 disposals, eight by foot, is hardly Deledio's standard.

The opening quarter was like sparring before the bout and was relatively uneventful. With neither side keen to kick to contests unless sending the ball deep into attack, there were many meaningless backwards and sideways kicks - almost slow-hand clapping stuff.

The scores reflected the lack of blows landed by either side. The most interesting moment was a belated video intervention in which a Hurley snap was found to have been touched by Jake Batchelor. Most ominous was the touch of Watson when left unmolested at a stoppage and allowed to boot Essendon's second goal from a classic front-and-centre crumb.

Riewoldt, matched to Essendon's enormously promising Carlisle, was threatening only in the opening minutes, marking twice for a goal and then missing from an angle. Carlisle, at that point, seemed unsettled for the first time in his breakout season.

Watson would finish with the Yiooken Medal for the player judged best afield in this game that celebrates indigenous football. ''Yiooken'' is a word from the Woiwurrung language meaning ''dreaming'', as Richmond was again.

THE DUEL

The contest between Jake Carlisle and Jack Riewoldt was probably the game's most intriguing. Carlisle has been arguably the form key defender of the competition to date. In the first few contests he seemed a touch unsettled as Riewoldt scored an early goal. But in the course of the match, due in part to Richmond's shabby delivery, Carlisle gained the upper hand and managed to negate and, on occasions, outmark, demonstrating his emergence as a quality player. Riewoldt still contributed, but as with most of the better Tiger players it wasn't his night.

THE CROWD

The attendance of 84,000+ was a super result and further demonstration of this game's hold on the public imagination. However, it would be nice if a sellout could be the ultimate result.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/jobe-slaughters-tigers-20130525-2n4fn.html#ixzz2UK8vJWCs

[one-eyed]

Dons take limelight on special night

    Greg Baum
    The Age
    May 26, 2013

The prelude to indigenous round had been turbulent. It was supposed to be about Winmar, Long and Krakouer. Instead, Franklin and Lovett-Murray made unfortunate headlines, and then on Friday night, Adam Goodes. That had left a sour taste in the mouths of all at the MCG, and still by dusk on Saturday it had not entirely washed away. More than previously, football needed the magic of Dreamtime.

The pre-match ceremony began the healing. Once folksy, it is now big, like a continent. Flaming torches and a swooping flock of white birds identified the MCG as land. They were seagulls, actually, but in the low light might as easily have been cockatoos. Long and Winmar appeared, Archie Roach and Christine Anu, too.

Aunty Joy Murphy, evergreen as a gum, welcomed all to country, but also leaders of the five indigenous nations of Melbourne and central Victoria, claimed to be the first such gathering of the clans for 170 years. Murphy, with a script, but ad libbing, said: ''Goodesy, we share your hurt, and we will help to heal all wounds.'' In one way, it was joyfully chaotic, as always. But when it was time for the flaming torches to exit, they properly left through the interchange gate.

Here, in the metaphor, was the indigenous game, so madcap to the untrained eye, yet so deceptively, highly choreographed, full of traditional dos and don'ts. The match showed it. At first, it was sleepy time. Essendon filled up its defence. Richmond, rather than kick into that lair, kept the ball to itself while searching for a way through.
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Mostly, it was as if both sides were trying to solve a puzzle, perhaps Rubik's cube, poking one way, prodding another. For minutes at a time, nothing happened. As nothing continued to happen, the premium grew, for this had become for both teams a bit of a crossroads match.

Essendon broke the deadlock with a simple expedient. It moved its defensive line up, with two effects, to deny Richmond room for its keepings off, and to shift the whole game closer to the Bombers' goals. They took over, kicking eight goals to one in a decisive burst.

The Tigers, having engineered the inertia, could not break out of it. Even when the game took on a more orthodox form, they struggled to find a route to goal; it was a like a rite into which they had not been initiated.

The Bombers played like a team that has been this way before. Leading the way was an elder, not of the Koori nation, but the Essendon tribe. Jobe Watson, a Bombers leader by birthright, now leads like he was born to it.

Somehow when the ball is in his hands, everything seems so pre-destined, so reassured. He looks and is as solid as redgum. Richmond might as well have tried to burn him as curtail him.

In truth, a football match lends itself imperfectly to dreamtime analogies. Two narratives entwined, but only one could be fulfilled. For Richmond, it was generations of yearning to be hunting with the big boys again; still there seems psychological barrier it cannot cross. For Essendon, it was the journey out of the wilderness. If it had become lost because of its own carelessness, this night the Bombers showed again that they have resourcefulness to find their way back. Richmond ran out to the sound of didgeridoos, but it was Essendon which ended up chanting.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dons-take-limelight-on-special-night-20130525-2n4fp.html#ixzz2UK9hACq0

[one-eyed]

Essendon proves too classy for young Richmond outfit in Dreamtime at the G

    Matt Windley
    From: Herald Sun
    May 25, 2013 10:52PM

MANY an Essendon supporter would have walked in to the MCG last night questioning themselves and their team.

They've had to ask themselves a lot of uncomfortable questions this year, Bombers fans. Another, after last week's effort, was lingering.

Is it happening again?

The answer, based on last night's evidence, is clearly no.

The it we refer to of course is the club's propensity in past couple of years to fade after making barnstorming starts to the season.

After two disappointing losses in a row a match-up with an up-and-coming Richmond side smacked of danger.

Dreamtime at the 'G has given footy fans some thrilling contests over the years.

This wasn't one of those.

But try find one Essendon fan this morning that cares about that.

After the week the Bombers have had the four points were as comforting as the warm embrace of the doona on a cold weekend morning.

This was real backs to the wall stuff - especially considering Michael Hurley went down with a left ankle injury in the second quarter - epitomised by Michael Hibberd's determination across the Bombers' backline for much of the night.

It felt like a 10-goal game when Jack Riewoldt lined up the big sticks late in the third term.

But his second major brought the margin back to 23 points.

The Tigers cleared out of the middle and Riewoldt loomed large again only for Hibberd to jump back in to the pack to take a crunch mark.

No Tiger touched the ball before Ben Howlett goalled from 45m on the run about 30 seconds later.

It effectively iced the contest, unless one considers Richmond's brief fourth quarter comeback that came well and truly too late.

If Essendon's triumph over Fremantle in Round 3 is the measuring stick for wins to be proud of, then last night slots in just beneath that.

Leave the off-field dramas to one side for a second, the turnaround in fortunes from last week's meek effort against the Brisbane Lions was extraordinary.

The Bombers had a disposal efficiency of less than 70 per cent against the Lions, it was pushing 80 per cent for much of last night.

The Bombers laid 49 tackles last week, last night they laid 60.

Last week Brent Stanton had 20 possessions, last night he had 37.

Jobe Watson (28), Brendon Goddard (32) and Hibberd (29) each had similar amounts, but were so much more damaging.

An interesting passage of play in the first quarter seemed to epitomise a new, mature, Tigers outfit.

The defenders switched the play four times in their back line.

They possessed the ball for two and a half minutes, had more than 25 possessions in a row.

The fans were booing, but it was OK. They played the patience game, waited for the corridor to open up and when it did Troy Chaplin took the game on and found Riewoldt on the lead.

Riewoldt played on and missed, but the build up appeared promising.

On reflection maybe it summed up the game. The Tigers rarely took the game on and when they did they were let down by some poor disposal by foot.

They're improving year on year the Tigers, there is no doubt about that.

But after a 2012 season in which they did not suffer a defeat that wasn't competitive, last night was the second stinky loss - Geelong being the other - the club has suffered inside a month.

Disinterested is probably too strong a word, but there was a lack of endeavour last night that was also evident at times against lowly Melbourne a week ago.

Richmond now sits at 5-4. So does West Coast.

That sets up a huge, potentially season-defining, clash with the Eagles at Patersons Stadium next Monday night.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-proves-too-classy-for-young-richmond-outfit-in-dreamtime-at-the-g/story-fndv8gad-1226650599949#mm-breached

[one-eyed]

Richmond left to rue poor ball use against Essendon

    Glenn McFarlane
    From: Herald Sun
    May 25, 2013 11:04PM

CLEAN use and not-so clean use of the Sherrin - by hand and by foot - still defines this Richmond side.

When they are clean, the Tigers are very good.

When they are not, as was the case against Essendon last night, they can look a mere shadow of their capabilities.

Until they can tilt that ledger into the positive, there is little doubt this talented but sometimes frustrating team still has a way to go in terms of pushing through the barriers that their fans - and coach Damien Hardwick - are demanding of them.

Last night the long-time bugbear that seemingly has been there for the best part of a generation - poor use of the ball at critical times - came back to bite them.

There is little doubt that the Tigers have improved. That's a given, but they still have a fair amount of work to do to handle the pressure and the occasion of using the ball cleanly when the stakes are high.

It would be unfair to Essendon to say that it cost Richmond a win. It didn't. But it certainly didn't help.

The Bombers use of the ball was so much cleaner and smoother than the Tigers and that reflected the 29-point final margin.

You could see the start of the problems early, even if some of those chip kicks in defence - the sort of zig-zagging play that frustrates but somehow maintains possession - looked as if it was patient play to try to slice through the opposition.

It wasn't. It had more to do with the Bombers' ability to harass, coral and cut off space, eliciting mistakes.

If the Tigers' use of the ball was ordinary in the opening term, then the second quarter set the scene for the rest of the game.

It wasn't purely stats, as Essendon had more than its fair share of ineffective passages and clangers, but it was the manner in which Richmond just chose the wrong option at the most inappropriate times that stood out.

The overall ineffective disposals were Richmond 82 and Essendon 77, but it was where those mistakes happened that hurt most.

Robin Nahas, a last-minute replacement for Brandon Ellis, was guilty of it twice in the second term. On one of those occasions, when he slipped in the middle, it cost a goal. With the other, with poor disposal in the middle, it should have but didn't.

Still, he wasn't alone. Dustin Martin's second term saw him going at 17 per cent in terms of effective disposals. Shane Edwards was worse in that term as the Tigers went into halftime with a 20-point deficit and a 42-26 ineffective differential.

Too often coming out of defence the Tigers chose the wrong option. Too often going into attack, they kicked either to empty space or to a loose Bombers player in plenty of space.

And it meant that Richmond's big forwards didn't have much of a hope.

It was elementary stuff for a team that could have - and should have - done better.

They now sit 5-4 and remain a strong chance to push for that elusive finals berth. But they need to sharpen up those skills under pressure if they want to make that happen.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-left-to-rue-poor-ball-use-against-essendon/story-fndv8t7m-1226650605973#mm-breached

[Chuck17]

Jack Riewoldt was smothered, for the most part, by the combination of Jake Carlisle and Richmond's sloppy delivery. As the game progressed, Carlisle gained confidence in the contests, perhaps knowing that the ball would seldom be kicked to Jack's advantage

Our F50 delivery is a disgrace