Media articles and Stats: Wayward Cats keep determined Tigers at bay

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Wayward Cats keep determined Tigers at bay
Adam McNicol
afl.com.au
May 4, 2014 5:56 PM


GEELONG        3.3   7.8     8.10   11.15   (81)                 
RICHMOND      0.1   4.3      8.3     12.4    (76)         
 
GOALS
Geelong: Duncan 2, Murdoch 2, Hunt 2, Bartel, Varcoe, McIntosh, Johnson, Selwood
Richmond: Lloyd 3, Edwards 2, Vickery 2, Riewoldt 2, Deledio, Martin, Cotchin
 
BEST
Geelong: Taylor, Duncan, Enright, Bartel, Guthrie, Selwood, Murdoch
Richmond: Rance, Hampson, Conca, Vlastuin, Astbury, Deledio, Jackson
 
INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Richmond: Chris Newman (calf)
 
SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Mark Blicavs replaced Dawson Simpson in the third quarter
Richmond: Shane Edwards replaced Nathan Gordon at half-time
 
Reports: Nil
 
Umpires: Heath Ryan, Shane McInerney, Scott Jeffery
 
Official crowd: 34,377 at the MCG

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GEELONG has scored its 10th straight win over Richmond, defeating the Tigers by five points in a scrappy but heated clash at the MCG on Sunday.

On a wet and cold afternoon, in front of a poor crowd of less than 35,000, the Cats dominated the early stages, opening a 35-point lead at the 20-minute mark of the second quarter.

The Tigers then rediscovered the play-on style of footy that was so successful last year, closing to within six points early in the last term, before Chris Scott's men weathered the storm and held on to win 11.15 (81) to 12.4 (76).

Richmond had its chances in the dying stages but never really looked like winning, with the Tigers' last goal coming on the final siren.

It was the Cats' sixth win from seven matches this season and ensures they keep pace with ladder leaders Hawthorn and Port Adelaide.

Star defender Harry Taylor, who did a great job on Ty Vickery, was among Geelong's heroes in a pressure-packed finish.

Youngster Jordan Murdoch also rose to the occasion, snapping a brilliant goal that brought Richmond's charge to a halt.

Taylor, Jimmy Bartel, Steve Johnson and Corey Enright were the Cats' best performers, while Murdoch and fellow midfielders Mitch Duncan and Taylor Hunt booted two goals each.

Joel Selwood was held to just 10 disposals in the first three quarters by Shaun Grigg and Brett Deledio, but he lifted when it mattered most, gathering nine touches and kicking a goal in the final term.

Dashing half-forward Steven Motlop gathered 16 disposals in his first game for the season, while big man Tom Hawkins was well held by David Asbury, with the big Cat managing only three behinds on a day when the conditions didn't help his cause.

Astbury's job was made much easier by the return of fellow key defender Alex Rance, who was playing his first game since round one.

Rance was used as a loose man for much of the evening and produced a performance that was full of courage and endeavour.

But a high bump that he laid on Selwood during the third quarter is likely to attract the attention of the Match Review Panel.

Ruckman Shaun Hampson was another solid performer for the Tigers, while Reece Conca played his best game for the season and Brett Deledio, back in the side after a month on the sidelines with an Achilles injury, provided some much-needed dash.

But for all that, Richmond, who hasn't beaten Geelong since 2006, is now 2-5 and its finals prospects look shot.

Both the Tigers and Cats have a bye next weekend.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-05-04/Cats-keep-determined-Tigers-at-bay

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Gallant Tigers shaded by Cats
Kristian Pisano 
May 4, 2014 7:15 PM


Richmond has fallen five points short of premiership contender Geelong, in a spirited performance on a wet Sunday afternoon at the MCG.

The Cats lead by as many as 35 points late in the second quarter, but the Tigers kicked four quick goals after being held goalless for most of the first half, setting up an enthralling finish.

Richmond kicked eight goals to Geelong’s four in the second half, but the Cats shut down the game in the last ten minutes, making it difficult for the Tigers to penetrate forward, with Harry Taylor controlling the backline with seven intercept marks.

Two late goals to the Tigers from Jack Riewoldt and Sam Lloyd brought the margin within one kick, but the siren sounded as Lloyd’s goal went through.

Richmond controlled the ball on the outside for much of the day, finishing with 44 more disposals, but the Cats proved too dangerous going forward, making the most of their inside 50 entries.

Richmond’s run from half-back was the main catalyst for the comeback, as they utilised the spare man to great advantage. The returns of Alex Rance (18 disposals, six rebound 50s) and Brett Deledio (23 disposals, five inside 50s) proved vital to the ball movement.

Shane Edwards provided some spark when he came on as the substitute for Nathan Gordon at half-time, with nine disposals and two third-quarter goals, including a brilliant chase-down tackle inside forward 50 which resulted in his first major.

David Astbury collected another scalp, keeping Tom Hawkins goalless, while collecting 18 disposals and six rebound 50s on the attack.

Reece Conca was one of the best players on the ground, providing brilliant run all day through the midfield. He collected 28 disposals, seven inside 50s, nine tackles, four clearances and two goal assists.

Cameron Guthrie had the run-with role with Trent Cotchin, but the Tigers’ captain worked hard all day and finished with 23 disposals, seven clearances, five tackles and a vital goal in the last term from a brilliant individual effort.

Sam Lloyd kicked three goals for the second time in his four-game career, providing the Tigers with some class around goals. He was also excellent defensively, laying four tackles.

Daniel Jackson continued his brilliant season since his return to the side, collecting 34 disposals (18 contested), five clearances and five tackles. He relished the conditions, winning the first possession for the Tigers on countless occasions.

Richmond has the bye next week, before facing Melbourne at the MCG in Round 9.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2014-05-04/gallant-tigers-shaded-by-cats

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Five talking points: Geelong v Richmond

Peter Ryan 
afl.com.au
May 4, 2014 6:20 PM

1. Brett Deledio and Alex Rance make a big difference to Richmond
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick copped some stuff last week when he bemoaned the fact three of his best six had been missing most of the season. But he was proven right, with both Brett Deledio and Alex Rance having an immediate impact. Within the first five minutes, Deledio, in his comeback game, had a running bounce. It was a sign the key playmaker was determined to take the game on. He then kicked the Tigers' second goal, providing Richmond with some momentum. Rance was brilliant in defence, attacking the ball with fierce intent and marking the ball when in space. Even when he unluckily conceded a free kick in the third quarter with a desperate spoil, his intent lifted the team.

2. Turnovers and kicking short to 50-50s hurt Richmond
Geelong kicked just one goal in the third quarter and it was a direct result from a turnover. Shaun Grigg chipped a kick that fell short of a teammate. Any Tiger who was streaming forward was suddenly caught out and the Cats managed to kick the ball forward where Mitch Duncan won a free kick. When Duncan kicked the major, Richmond had conceded six goals to turnovers. Richmond also picked out 50-50 contests with short kicks when the right decision would have been to go long.  This was the difference between a win and a loss in the end. Kicking was a problem that used to bedevil Richmond and unfortunately for the Tigers it returned on a day they were desperate to win.
 
3. Joel Selwood is one of the game's greats and Harry Taylor is close
Entering the final quarter, Joel Selwood looked spent. He had managed just 10 disposals and been well held by Shaun Grigg and Deledio. However, just two minutes into the final quarter, with the Tigers charging and with a cut to his face, Selwood emerged from a stoppage inside 50, broke a tackle and kicked a long goal to give his team some breathing space. It was an inspirational reminder that four points were up for grabs. He went on to have nine disposals in the last quarter. Harry Taylor just marked everything in defence and was impassable. Selwood, along with his teammates, will benefit from the bye after an interrupted pre-season and a tough start. They looked a sore mob at times. His teammate Steven Motlop made a comeback but had little impact. He will benefit from the run and could be an x-factor late in the season.

4. Brave Tigers record their 100th loss to Geelong
Richmond was lacking confidence and out of form and most expected Geelong to win. After all, the Cats had defeated the Tigers in 38 of their past 46 meetings. Richmond supporters arrived hoping to see some signs of a turnaround and, after a shocking start, they did. Richmond was 35 points behind 20 minutes into second quarter and had not kicked a goal. However, four and a half minutes after it broke the duck, it had four on the scoreboard. Richmond suddenly began to run the ball through the middle and get first hands on the ball. In the third quarter that run continued and Richmond was all over Geelong. It kicked four goals to one in the third quarter and then a captain's goal from Cotchin brought the Tigers within a goal midway through the last quarter. Eventually, Geelong's champions allowed the Cats to steady and just hang on.
 
5. Forceful contact below the knees is still difficult to adjudicate
One of the game's newest rules – and most difficult to adjudicate – seemed to be forgotten during the third quarter when the umpires let three opportunities to pay a free kick to Geelong pass. On wet days, the umpires do try to let play flow and forgive players for mistakes but they are also the type of conditions where players often slide into opponents who are trying to keep his feet. It was lucky that no-one was injured but the Geelong players keeping their feet should have been rewarded.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-05-04/five-talking-points-cats-v-tigers

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Geelong's leaders claw Tigers

  Peter Hanlon
    The Age
    May 5, 2014

GEELONG     3.3   7.8    8.10     11.15 (81)
RICHMOND   0.1    4.3    8.3       12.4 (76)

Goals:
Geelong: J Murdoch 2 M Duncan 2 T Hunt 2 H McIntosh J Bartel J Selwood S Johnson T Varcoe.
Richmond: S Lloyd 3 J Riewoldt 2 S Edwards 2 T Vickery 2 B Deledio D Martin T Cotchin.

BEST
Geelong: Bartel, Taylor, Duncan, Johnson, Stokes, Enright, Murdoch.
Richmond: Jackson, Deledio, Rance, Conca, Grigg, Lloyd, Hampson.

Umpires: Scott Jeffery, Shane McInerney, Heath Ryan.
Official Crowd: 34,377 at MCG.

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Grey and miserable is a mood as much as a weather report when it comes to Richmond playing Geelong, and before Sunday’s rain had flattened hairdos, it seemed the latest instalment in this meeting of unequals would follow a familiar course.

Thirty-five points up in sight of half-time in conditions that accentuated the margin, a 10th straight win against a team that has bettered the Cats only twice this century and once in their past 18 encounters seemed as inevitable as rain on the radar. At length it came, but with faces streaked as much with sweat as rain.

Richmond had more of the ball all day but didn’t hit the scoreboard until the 22nd minute of the second quarter. Building from the back, the Tigers rolled the dice and kicked eight of the next 11, were within six points with most of the last term to play, and finished that frustrating single kick behind as the siren drowned out the cheers for Sam Lloyd’s third.

The afternoon left Harry Taylor looking forward to a break on the Gold Coast and giving thanks that he plays with some incredible leaders whose calling is to find something when mere mortals have nothing left to give.

‘‘Sel kicked that really important goal for us, won a few crucial clearances that seemed to spark us,’’ Taylor said of captain Joel Selwood, who was beaten by Brett Deledio for much of the game, but not when it mattered most.

‘‘[He’s] getting tagged really heavily at the moment but still finding a way to have an influence on games, win crucial one-on-one contests and outnumbered contests at the right time. We’re very lucky to have him.’’

Ditto Jimmy Bartel, who relishes soggy conditions. But the spoilt faithful were heartened that youth stood up too, evidenced by Jordan Murdoch’s run-down and tackle of Nick Vlastuin and clinical finish that was a dagger to the heart of Richmond’s revival.

‘‘He’s making that a bit of a habit of his play now, kicking important goals for us,’’ Taylor said, recalling Murdoch’s long, late Easter Monday goal against Hawthorn. ‘‘We expect that tackling pressure from him, and he’s starting to really blossom and feel like he’s a great AFL player.’’

Murdoch has plenty of role models. Taylor is assuredly among them, and his effort in taking five contested marks in conditions where the eight uncontested he hauled in was feat enough moved Richmond coach Damien Hardwick to say this was a performance that highlighted what an incredible player he is.

Taylor thought the Cats moved away from ‘‘that real team care for each other, particularly around the ball’’ as Richmond came at them in waves in the third quarter, a rally launched by Alex Rance and carried with game-breaking run by the likes of Reece Conca and Shaun Grigg. ‘‘I thought they played with a lot of freedom,’’ Taylor noted, recalling the discomfort of being a defender isolated in what felt like 150 metres of space, so swiftly did the Tigers attack.

They had been as jittery early as the rain was steady, sticking to a short-kicking, dry-weather game when a more mundane approach was demanded. By quarter-time there was a familiar feel to more than just the sight of Bartel goaling from a long range in long sleeves.

When Richmond did go long, Taylor invariably stood in the way, and in Steve Johnson the Cats had the epitome of the adage that wintry conditions bring out the best in the very best. Johnson had 13 first-quarter possessions, the best of them a kicked screwed inboard to Bartel from the boundary at half-back.

Daniel Jackson’s job on him from that point was manful, his game-high 34 possessions adding punch going the other way. Deledio was likewise a welcome addition in yellow and black, and after waiting so long for a single goal, the Tigers peeled off four in seven minutes in the shadows of half-time.

Four straight in the third gave genuine rise to thoughts of an upset, but as it almost always does, Geelong found a way.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-report/geelongs-leaders-claw-tigers-20140504-zr4ew.html

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The competitive Richmond came to play against Geelong at the MCG, but Tigers still fall five points short.

Scott Gullan
Herald-Sun
May 05, 2014


THERE is always plenty of mystery about Richmond. That’s why so many love them.

Never knowing what they’re going to dish up is both depressing and exciting.

The great mystery which Damien Hardwick will have sleepless nights over is where was his team for the first 45 minutes of yesterday’s game.

Given their season was on the line the logical assumption would be that they’d come out firing from the opening bounce. Not Richmond.

Instead they wandered around like it was Round 22 and the season was long gone. While they did that Geelong did what they do best and clinically built a 35-point lead.

That meant that when Richmond woke up — which they did in super impressive fashion — that mountain they knew they had to climb at the start was looking like Mount Everest.

The fact the Tigers were easily the best team in the second half is going to hurt Hardwick even more with the margin a heartbreaking five points in the end.

After Steve Johnson put on a clinic in the first quarter, the best players on the ground were wearing yellow and black.

Daniel Jackson moved onto Johnson in the second quarter and not only quietened him but got plenty of the ball while Brett Deledio showed why he has been so badly missed by beating Geelong skipper Joel Selwood.

The run which has been missing from half-back arrived in a hurry with Dustin Martin, Reece Conca and Brandon Ellis instrumental in the third term which saw the Tigers kick four of the five goals to get the margin back to seven points.

Alex Rance lifted in defence and showed why he has also been sorely missed while substitute Shane Edwards came on in the third quarter and kicked his side’s opening two goals.

It was all set up to be a season-changing victory but just as Richmond fans started fantasising the Geelong machine found a way.

Selwood had touched the ball just 10 times in the opening three quarters but at the two-minute mark of the final quarter he willed himself through two tacklers and then drove home a brilliant goal from 55m.

Trent Cotchin watched that and then five minutes later the Richmond skipper did the same. He has also been below his best but a clever goal after playing on from a stuff brought his team back into the contest.

For the next few minutes the game hung on a knife edge before Cats youngster Jordan Murdoch produced the play of the day.

He ran down Tiger Nick Vlastuin which caused the ball to spill and then snapped a brilliant left-foot goal over his shoulder from 30m.

It was the icebreaker and when Jimmy Bartel, who had been brilliant all day, got the ball to Taylor Hunt who kicked his second goal from 45m the Cats were back out to 19-points.

Ty Vickery, who’d struggled against Harry Taylor, got the immediate reply but then the experience of the Cats kicked in and they slowed the game down, determined to wrestle their way to a hard-fought victory.

The fact the Tigers kicked the last two goals through Jack Riewoldt and the impressive Sam Lloyd, who kicked three, only adds further confusion for Hardwick as he tries to solve the mystery of this team.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/the-competitive-richmond-came-to-play-against-geelong-at-the-mcg-but-tigers-still-fall-five-points-short/story-fndv8t7m-1226905046825