Media articles and stats: Tigers close on top-four finish with win over Hawks

[one-eyed]

Match report: Tigers close on top-four finish

afl.com.au
6 August 2017

RICHMOND          5.4          6.8          9.10        13.15 (93)
HAWTHORN        1.3          2.5          4.8          9.10 (64)

GOALS
Richmond: Caddy 4, C.Ellis 2, Martin 2, Rioli, Cotchin, Soldo, Prestia, Nankervis
Hawthorn: Miles 2, Breust 2, Schoenmakers 2, Roughead 2, Mitchell

BEST
Richmond: Caddy, Prestia, Martin, Lambert, Nankervis, Rance, Grimes
Hawthorn: Sicily, Mitchell, Smith, Howe, Roughead, Gunston

INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Hawthorn: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Fisher, Schmitt, Findlay

Official crowd: 58,342 at the MCG

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RICHMOND looks destined for a top-four finish and a double September chance after a 29-point win at the MCG on Sunday that all but ended Hawthorn's late finals surge.

The Tigers passed another significant test on their way to their fourth straight win, producing one of the most even performances of their season against the in-form Hawks to win 13.15 (93) to 9.10 (64) and move clear in third spot.

The win sets up a mouthwatering top-four showdown against Geelong next Saturday, which could see the Tigers – who have won five of their past six – all but cement their first double chance since 2001.

Hawthorn, meanwhile, looks set to miss the finals for the first time since 2009 and just the second time in 11 years, with the Hawks falling to 13th on the ladder with three rounds to play. 

The loss soured captain Jarryd Roughead's 250th match in what has been a triumphant return to the game in 2017, with the champion forward chaired off the ground through a guard of honour.

The absence of Jack Riewoldt in an already undersized forward line could have proved too much for the Tigers on Sunday, but it was just another hurdle they leapt over in a season that is building nicely.

Josh Caddy was brilliant with a career-best four goals, holding down a deep forward role and finishing with 28 possessions, six inside 50s and nine marks in his best game for the club.

Fellow recruit Dion Prestia also played the best game of his season after a one-week rest, winning a game-high eight clearances and 31 possessions, showing how valuable he could be at the pointy end of the season.

Dustin Martin (32 possessions and two goals) spent long periods forward, particularly after he was dumped in a heavy tackle in the third quarter, with Prestia becoming the midfield architect.

He was well supported by Kane Lambert (30 and eight inside 50s), while the typically rock solid backline hardly faltered, keeping the Hawks to 4.8 in the first three quarters before the Hawks rattled on five goals in the final term.

"I was happy our boys started well. We knew they were a fast-starting side, and our guys came to play early," coach Damien Hardwick said.

"There are a lot of sides thankful for us beating them, because they were coming and playing those guys in September is a bit of a concern, so it was a good win."

The Hawks were well-served by prolific midfielder Tom Mitchell (35 possessions) and James Sicily, who controlled the airwaves in defence with 29 possessions, 10 marks and seven rebounds.

Coach Alastair Clarkson said his team simply lacked "the polish and hardness" of the Tigers, who repeatedly punished them on the turnover, with fumbles and errors by hand proving costly.

"They're as good as any side in the competition at making you pay on the turnover and getting open goals," the coach said.

"I think of their 13 goals, nearly seven or eight of them were goalsquare goals and that's a reflection of just how easily the ball moves from one end of the ground to the other.

"Our goals were so hard to come by. We worked hard through the course of the game, but we just didn't have that polish and hardness in close that Richmond demonstrated tonight and it probably cost us the game."

Richmond made sure nothing was easy for the Hawks, bringing swarming tackle pressure in the first quarter and feasting on their opponents' turnovers with quick counter-attack football. 

Bombing the ball inside 50 was going to be a recipe for disaster without Riewoldt, but it was clear from the start the Tigers had a plan and they picked apart a Hawthorn backline that was in disarray without suspended champion Luke Hodge.

They dominated for long periods without getting reward, kicking just one goal in the second quarter from nine inside 50s, but they put their foot down in the third, kicking four goals to one in a match-winning burst.

Percentage will be crucial for the Tigers in the run to September and conceding five goals in the final term was the only sour note as they moved level on points with second-placed Greater Western Sydney.

MEDICAL ROOM

Richmond: Corey Ellis copped a knock to the nose and was patched up in the rooms post-match, but the Tigers suffered no significant injuries. Martin was put down in a heavy tackle in the third quarter and took some time to shake it off, but was fine to play on and kicked two quick goals soon after.

Hawthorn: Jack Gunston came to the bench in the third quarter to have his left pinky finger attended to but played on with it taped. The Hawks had no other concerns.

NEXT UP

Richmond has an opportunity to stamp its premiership credentials against a Geelong team next Saturday that will be missing injured captain Joel Selwood. The Tigers haven't played at Simonds Stadium since 2012, with their last win at the venue coming in 2006. Hawthorn faces North Melbourne in Launceston in the final match in Tasmania for the season.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-08-06/match-report-tigers-close-on-top-four-finish

[one-eyed]

Tigers show 12 months is a long time in football by shutting out Hawks

Daniel Cherny
The Age
6 August 2017

RICHMOND
5.4  6.8  9.10 13.15 (93)
HAWTHORN
1.3  2.5   4.8   9.10  (64)

GOALS -
Richmond: Caddy 4, Ellis 2, Martin 2, Prestia, Rioli, Soldo, Cotchin, Nankervis.
Hawthorn:  Roughead 2, Breust 2, Schoenmakers 2, Miles 2, Mitchell.

BEST -
Richmond: Caddy, Prestia, Martin, Lambert, Astbury, Rioli, C Ellis, Rance
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Sicily, Breust, Roughead, Burton

UMPIRES: Schmitt,  Findlay,  Fisher.
CROWD: 58,342 at MCG.

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A little over a year ago, 13th-placed Richmond conceded nine final-quarter goals in a 70-point loss to Hawthorn at the MCG. The Hawks - having celebrated veteran Sam Mitchell's 300th game in style - had their eyes on a record-equalling fourth straight premiership, and the Tigers were hurtling towards crisis, with coach Damien Hardwick condemning some of his side's defensive efforts late in the game as 'nothing short of shameful'.

Fast forward 12 months. The Tigers again played the Hawks in a Sunday afternoon game at the MCG, but Mitchell, soon to be a former West Coast player, was across town at Etihad Stadium in action for the Eagles, while Hardwick, having survived a football department review at Punt Road, led his Tigers - now a defensive juggernaut and bona fide premiership contender - to a comfortable victory over a Hawks' side whose improbable charge to the finals is surely now done.

Things could barely be rosier at Richmond, who with this win are the highest-placed Victorian club in the AFL. A home qualifying final is a distinct possibility after the Hawks - in inspirational captain Jarryd Roughead's 250th game - were repeatedly thwarted by Richmond's backline pillars, of course including superstar Alex Rance, but on this day led by David Astbury.

Having already been favouring the use of small forwards, Richmond again went in without Jack Riewoldt, who lost his race against time to make it back from a freak eye injury. That might have spelt trouble against a Hawthorn side that hadn't conceded a triple-figure score for more than three months, but these Tigers continue to challenge conventional wisdom about how to win football matches. Again it was Richmond's now customary fanatical pressure that underpinned their game.

In the absence of the suspended Luke Hodge, Hawthorn's inexperienced defence struggled to cope. With his father's cousin Cyril watching on from the stands rather than down the other end, Daniel Rioli buzzed about, while playing just his fifth senior game this season, Corey Ellis once more displayed his abundant class, slotting a pair of first term majors to be the only multiple goalkicker on the ground at half-time. Richmond's lead was 25 at quarter-time, and while the Hawks had their moments in the second term, the Tigers kept the ball down their end for extended periods too, working their way to a 27-point half-time break following the first goal of Ivan Soldo's AFL career.

The Hawks had an opportunity to make the perfect start to the second half when Shaun Burgoyne streamed from the middle and found Ryan Schoenmakers, but the forward missed a regulation chance. The Hawks were soon made to pay as Dustin Martin got on the end of consecutive Tiger chains to all but shut the gate on Hawthorn within 10 minutes of the resumption.

Martin was again a strong contributor, but perhaps pleasingly for Richmond, neither he nor captain Trent Cotchin were their side's best on the day. That mantle was instead a flip of the coin between Josh Caddy and Dion Prestia. Both recruited last October, the former Gold Coast teammates have arguably been underwhelming in their first season at the Tigers, but if they can play like they did on Sunday in September then their first years in yellow and black will have been unqualified successes. Caddy spent much of the day forward and finished as the leading goalkicker on the ground while still amassing 28 disposals, while Prestia - running with Hawks star Tom Mitchell - found a heap of the ball himself. Kane Lambert also had a terrific day, as Hawthorn, one of the form teams of the competition, were made to look second-rate.

The Hawks had entered the match as one of the form teams of the competition, and a win would have remarkably left them just half a game out of the eight. Now the September action looks out of reach. At least for a year.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-report/richmond-v-hawthorn-tigers-show-12-months-is-a-long-time-in-football-by-shutting-out-hawks-20170806-gxqdh9.html

[one-eyed]

Richmond small forwards set up win over Hawthorn to cement place in top four

Richmond v Hawthorn match report

Matt Windley
Herald Sun
7 August 2017

THEY say Richmond is on the lookout for a second key forward.

On Sunday the Tigers didn’t even need one as they gave further legitimacy to their top four charge with a 29-point win over Hawthorn at the MCG.

Defeating lowly Gold Coast without Jack Riewoldt last week was one thing, but beating an in-form Hawthorn would be an all together different task, particularly in light of the fact that the Hawks, off the back of a stunning win over Sydney, needed the four points to keep its finals flame flickering.

But that flame needed air to breathe, something Richmond’s smalls such as Dan Butler, Corey Ellis, Jason Costagna, Daniel Rioli, Anthony Miles and Josh Caddy refused to give Hawthorn defenders.

No jumping Jack to kick at? No problem. The Tigers just refused to let it out of their attacking 50m without hitting the scoreboard first.

There were times when that made for ugly viewing.

The second quarter seemed as if it was played exclusively at the City End of the ground, but the Tigers just could not convert their territorial advantage on to the scoreboard, with only a goal apiece in that term.

But for the most part it was effective.

Like the start to the third quarter when Dustin Martin got forward and pinched the first two goals of the term, followed by another to Caddy in quick succession.

Game over.

It was an early glimpse into life without Luke Hodge for the Hawks, with the suspended veteran’s absence proving telling at times on the organisational front.

But take nothing away from the Tigers, who refused to give an inch all day.

Lauding the Tiger smalls should not discredit the work of talls Toby Nankervis or Ivan Soldo either, who were also a presence when situated forward.

The pair even linked up for the first score of the day - albeit a behind.

But when the first goal came from forward pressure - the result of a Nankervis tackle mind you - and the third goal came after a Hawthorn kick was partially smothered coming out of defence, it was clear what Richmond’s modus operandi was to be.

It meant Jarryd Roughead’s 250th would not be celebrated with gusto.

The forward battled hard, but was guilty - like many in the difficult conditions - of going askew in front of goal.

Down his end was Alex Rance, who, aside from the returning Dion Prestia and probably Caddy, was up there with Richmond’s best.

So with three games to go the Tigers are three games and percentage clear of ninth.

They won’t miss finals from here. For the Hawks, however, the September dream is gone.

All of a sudden Damien Hardwick’s men are also in third and breathing down the neck of GWS in second - which has a tricky encounter with the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

And Saturday’s mouth-watering clash with a Joel Selwood-less Geelong at Simonds Stadium could be a clash for a top two spot.

MATT WINDLEY’S VOTES

3. Josh Caddy (Rich)

2. Dion Prestia (Rich)

1. Alex Rance (Rich)

WINDLEY’S BEST

Richmond: J.Caddy, D.Prestia, A.Rance, D.Martin, K.Lambert, D.Rioli, A.Miles.

Hawthorn: T.Mitchell, L.Shiels, J.Sicily, J.Gunston, T.Miles.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/richmond-small-forwards-set-up-win-over-hawthorn-cement-place-in-top-four/news-story/726e79eec324d7dcc63e14044015864d

[Tigeritis™©®]

So where were all the so called dawks supporters yesterday. Do they even exist?

What a bunch of charlatans.

[tdy]

Dawks suck

[Owl]

Yeah watch their fickle fair weather fan base dissolve with a flat spell.  If they are down for a quarter of the time we have been they will fold.

[Diocletian]

Most clubs would....

[Yeahright]

That's why we deserved the short cut rebuild

[Owl]

dunno bout that but we are certainly due some fair winds after bobbing adrift in the sea of misery for so long