Richmond VFL coach Tim Clarke's summary of the AFL-listed players:
Matt McDonough30 disposals, seven clearances, three goals
Played his best game for the year, picking up 30 disposals and kicking three goals. Was very competitive inside the contest, but got plenty of ball outside as well, which is something we have been focusing on with him. Is pushing hard for another opportunity at senior level.
Matt Thomas28 disposals, 16 tackles, seven clearances
Set the scene early with his aggression at the man and at the ball. His overall output for the match was fantastic – 28 touches, including seven clearances, along with 16 tackles. Really led by example. Was unlucky the previous week to miss three quarters of the game after being stepped on by an opponent. Is in extremely good form and should be pushing for senior selection in the next few weeks if he can gain promotion off the rookie list.
Matt Arnot26 disposals, four tackles, four clearances
Had no problems finding the ball as per usual, but his kicking efficiency let him down at times. Also was a little messy with his hands. Apart from that, he played a capable VFL game, however we expect more from him, given he’s recently returned from playing at AFL level.
Reece Conca21 disposals, six clearances, six contested possessions
Continued his comeback from injury, playing across half-back and through the midfield. Provided some dynamic run, which we know he is capable of, but we need him to be more consistent throughout the game. Played only 68 per cent game time, so we’re looking for him to increase that this week, whether it is at VFL or AFL level.
Sam Lloyd20 disposals, two goals, five clearances
Produced a very consistent effort up forward. The best part about his game is his ability to win critical contests, and he showed that again on the weekend. Kicked two goals, but could have finished with four or five, if he had held on to some more marks inside 50. It was more difficult for him, with our forward structure lacking a couple of key targets, but he filled the void well.
Jayden Short18 disposals, one goal
Showed further impressive signs, playing through the midfield and up forward. Was very lively in patches, but is another player who needs to consistently find the ball throughout the entire match. What he did, he did really well, and that’s something we’re really excited about with him. Every time he finds the ball, something happens. He ended up hitting the scoreboard two or three times and had nearly 20 possessions, so, overall, his output was very good.
Ben Lennon17 disposals, one goal
Took a while to get involved in the contest, but had a much better second half. Showed his class, when delivering the ball by foot inside 50. Every time he touched the footy, it seemed to result in a shot at goal for us. We expect him to dominate this level of football. Hopefully this week, he can do the same thing, and start really pushing for senior selection.
Matt Dea14 disposals, three contested marks
Didn’t get as much of the ball as he did the previous match, but was very good defensively. Consistently helped to set up our back six. Chop-out marks again were a feature of his game. He took three or four to thwart Collingwood attacking moves. Continues to push hard for senior selection.
Nathan Gordon12 disposals, two goals
Another player who took a little while to get going in the game. He really started to come through in the third quarter, when we started to gather momentum. But he’s got to keep working on his critical-contest work, and get his tackle numbers up, to create the energy we want in our forward line. We need an overall better performance from him at VFL level.
Shaun Hampson9 disposals, 56 hit-outs, one goal
Was very dominant in his ruck role. Provided our midfielders with first use of the ball all game. His ruckwork has been AFL standard now for the past three or four weeks, and he’s ready if called upon to play AFL football again. Still looking to get more involvement around the ground, but to hit the scoreboard twice, and have almost 10 possessions, along with his ruck dominance, was a very good performance from him.
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2015-05-19/the-vfl-report-round-5
