Media articles - Tigers go down in Tassie

[one-eyed]

Tigers go down in Tassie
4:06:54 PM Sun 18 June, 2006
Jason Phelan
Exclusive to afl.com.au

Richmond has succumbed to Hawthorn in front of a record crowd at Aurora Stadium in Launceston 16.9 (105) to 8.16 (64).

The Hawks - who are now just one game outside the eight - led all day and were never seriously challenged after quarter-time by an out-of-sorts Tigers outfit.

Hawthorn was given excellent service from the midfield trio of Sam Mitchell (31 disposals), Rick Ladson (26 touches) and Tim Clarke (27 possessions), but perhaps the biggest positive to come out of the match for Hawk fans was the dominant performance of Lance Franklin who looked dangerous all match and booted six goals.

Conversely, there were few clear winners for the Tigers, but Troy Simmonds continued his stellar season with a 16-possession, 26-hitout effort and Kane Pettifer was Richmond's best forward with three goals and 21 disposals.
 
The game got off to a scrappy, error-riddled start, but of more concern to the Richmond coaching box was the sight of Mark Coughlan hobbling off the ground in the third minute heavily favouring his right leg. The Tiger dynamo came back on briefly later in the term, but quickly retreated back to the bench where he stayed for the rest of the match.

The opening goal of the match came from Hawk youngster Grant Birchall who slotted the first goal of his six-match old career with 13 minutes gone. Franklin had been prominent up forward for the Hawks right from the start and he bagged his first soon after to put his side two goals up.

The Tigers worked into the contest late and were rewarded for their efforts when Richard Tambling swooped on a loose ball and snapped truly to bring the deficit back to five points at the first break.

Greg Tivendale missed an opportunity to give his side the lead for the first time when he missed everything from inside the 50-metre arc early in the second quarter, while Ben Dixon converted soon after down the other end.

Danny Meyer provided a rare Tiger highlight when his right-foot snap took a nice off-break bounce for his only goal of the match, but the Hawks made their move with four unanswered goals blowing the game wide open. Mark Williams didn't have a good day, but he chipped in with the goal that sparked the surge and Franklin's nice left-foot snap in traffic brought it to an end with Hawthorn 29 points up.

Once again the Tigers finished the quarter well, but were wasteful in front of goal with Pettifer's long-range major not a good enough return for the team's efforts.

Hawthorn led by 21 points at half-time and the second half got under way in much the same as the first did with both sides struggling to find any sort of rhythm.

Nine minutes had elapsed without a score to either team before Nathan Brown missed to the left to break the drought, but Franklin's third after some excellent forward pressure from the Hawks finally gave the bemused Launceston crowd something to cheer about.

The Tigers kicked consecutive goals for the first time in the match with Pettifer and Simmonds giving their side a sniff, but 20 points was as close as they would get for the rest of the day.

Hawthorn closed out the quarter with three goals - including Franklin's fourth - to shut the door on Richmond and lead by 38 points at the last change.

The Tigers' bad day continued in the last when - despite their best efforts - the Hawks won the quarter by three points and the game by 41.


HAWTHORN: 2.3, 7.6, 12.7, 16.9 (105)
RICHMOND: 1.4, 3.9, 5.11, 8.16 (64)

GOALS – Hawthorn: Franklin 6, Dixon 3, Brennan 2, Campbell, Clarke, Birchall, Lewis, Williams
Richmond: Pettifer 3, Simmonds 2, Brown, Meyer, Tambling

BEST – Hawthorn: Ladson, Franklin, Mitchell, Clarke, Dixon, Young, Lewis, Ries, Brown
Richmond: Simmonds, Pettifer, P Bowden, Brown, Deledio

INJURIES – Hawthorn: tbc
Richmond: Coughlan (knee)

CHANGES - Nil
REPORTS - Nil

UMPIRES - Sully, Quigley, Schmitt
CROWD - 20,971 at Aurora Stadium in Launceston

http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=274525

[one-eyed]

Hawthorn trounces toothless Tigers
18 June 2006   Herald-Sun
AAP

HAWTHORN snapped a six-game AFL losing streak in style with a convincing 41-point victory over a dreadfully disappointing Richmond at Aurora Stadium today.

The Tigers, who would have moved into the eight for the first time this season had they won, were rarely in contention as they went down 16.9 (105) to 8.16 (64).

And to add to a forgettable day for Richmond, influential midfielder Mark Coughlan suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury in the opening quarter.

Rick Ladson (26 possessions) and Tim Clarke (27) were among a host of runners who ensured the Hawks held sway in the midfield for much of the day.

They also had the most potent forward on the ground in Lance Franklin, who finished with six goals.

The win capped a fine week for Hawthorn, which re-signed coach Alastair Clarkson for a further two years four days ago.

Although the match started in glorious sunny conditions, both teams found it almost comically difficult to score in the opening quarter.

Young Tasmanian Grant Birchall finally broke the deadlock with the first goal of his AFL career in the 14th minute.

The Hawks led by five points at the first change.

Hawthorn broke the game open by kicking five goals to two in the second term to extend its halftime advantage to 21 points.

Franklin, Ben Dixon and Mark Williams were providing the Hawks with several options in attack, while the Richmond forward set-up often looked a shambles in the absence through injury of Tasmania's favourite footballing son Matthew Richardson.

Richmond did cut the margin to 20 points midway through the third term following rare consecutive goals to Kayne Pettifer and Troy Simmonds, but that was as close as they got.

Simmonds won plenty of ball around the ground and kicked two goals to be Richmond's best player, while Pettifer finished with three goals.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,19508205%255E20322,00.html

[one-eyed]

Tigers squander top-eight shot
John Salvado, Launceston
June 19, 2006

LANCE Franklin took a giant step towards delivering on his enormous promise as Hawthorn snapped a six-match losing streak by drubbing Richmond at Aurora Stadium yesterday.

The Tigers should not have lacked for motivation with a spot in the top eight on offer, but once again they came up well short in a must-win game as Hawthorn extended its lead in every quarter before cruising home by 41 points.

In the absence of injured stars such as Peter Everitt, Trent Croad, Shane Crawford, Danny Jacobs and suspended skipper Richie Vandenberg, Hawthorn's lesser lights such as Rick Ladson (26 possessions) and Tim Clarke (27) rose to the occasion.

And Franklin, whose potential, as much as his performance, has earned him rave reviews, was the dominant forward, using his pace and athleticism to snare six — often spectacular — goals.

Richmond was extremely disappointing. Skipper Kane Johnson was one of the few Tigers who could hold his head high after he had the better of his duel with Luke Hodge.

Richmond ruck-forward Troy Simmonds and Kayne Pettifer (three goals) also had their moments, but the vast majority of the best players on the ground were wearing brown and gold jumpers.

Although the match started in glorious sunny conditions here, both teams found it almost comically difficult to score in the opening quarter. Young Tasmanian Grant Birchall finally broke the deadlock with the first goal of his career in the 14th minute, helping the Hawks to a five-point lead at the first change.

Hawthorn broke the game open by kicking five goals to two in the second term to extend its half-time advantage to 21 points.

Franklin, Ben Dixon and Mark Williams provided the options in attack, while the Richmond forward set-up often looked a shambles in the absence through injury of Tasmania's favourite footballing son, Matthew Richardson.

Richmond cut the margin to 20 points in the third term following rare consecutive goals to Pettifer and Simmonds, but that was as close as it got.

It completed a good week for Hawthorn, with coach Alastair Clarkson having his contract extended by two years.

The match was watched by a ground-record crowd of 20,971.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/06/18/1150569212438.html

[one-eyed]

Wounded Tigers lose Coughlan for season
Martin Boulton, Launceston
The Age
June 19, 2006

RICHMOND'S attempts to push into the top eight at the halfway mark of the season received a double blow yesterday — losing to Hawthorn by 41 points and losing Mark Coughlan for the season with a knee injury.

Coughlan seemed to injure his knee early in the match but returned to the field, before leaving for the final time after a marking contest. He will have tests today to determine the extent of the injury.

"We think it's an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament)," coach Terry Wallace said last night. "We won't know until he has tests done, but it looks likely he'll be out for 12 months, which makes it a very disappointing day."

Wallace was angered by his side's performance, locking everyone except players out of the dressing rooms after the game while he addressed the players. "There wasn't one stage in the game that I ever thought we got our game going and looked likely to win the match," he said. "We spoke about having the week's break and not going on holidays early, making sure (they) were ready for the game, (but) it made no difference."

With a record crowd of 20,971 people at Aurora Stadium, many of them Tigers' fans, Wallace said the game was an opportunity to show their supporters the group was "professional enough … to get the job done", but instead the team was flat.

"Not only did we not get it done, we never looked likely at any stage in the game to get it done," Wallace said. "We leave ourselves wide open to criticism. That's the fact. We've had our highs, our lows, we've had our shocking moments in the season (and) this goes down as one of them."

After a poor start to the game by both teams — only three goals were kicked in the opening term — Hawthorn took control in the second, kicking five goals to Richmond's three.

Lance "Buddy" Franklin was starting to look dangerous for the Hawks across half-forward and was well supported by Rick Ladson, who finished with 26 touches, and Ben Dixon, who kicked three goals.

Richmond's defence, a strong point in recent weeks, was developing holes and the Hawks started to run the ball well and find targets up forward.

While not wanting to take anything away from the Hawks' effort, Wallace said several Richmond players had gotten ahead of themselves. "If you want to get ahead of yourself, you'll come down with a thud."

Wallace said skipper Kane Johnson "had a red-hot crack … he was terrific (but) the rest of the group need to have a look at themselves".

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson, reappointed last week until the end of 2008, said his team came here with a plan to play "with a bit more free spirit" and to run with the ball.

"To get back to the strengths we've had over the last 18 months," he said. "The last four-to-six weeks, we haven't got out and run as much and when we got out and ran today, we were terrific.

"We needed to take stock (after last week's heavy loss to Port Adelaide) and come out with a much more competitive effort … release the shackles a little bit, run and do what our strengths are and that's carry the footy and move the ball quickly."

Clarkson praised the efforts of Ladson, Franklin, Robert Campbell, Thomas Murphy and Brad Sewell for stepping up in the absence of senior players such as Peter Everitt and Shane Crawford.

"For us to have a win, with a lot of what you'd call our marquee players missing, was the most pleasing part of the game for us," he said.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/06/18/1150569212417.html

[one-eyed]

Cocky Tigers told
to pull heads in
19 June 2006   Herald-Sun
Mark Robinson

RICHMOND'S season took a horror hit yesterday when it was beaten by struggling Hawthorn at Launceston and lost gun midfielder Mark Coughlan to yet another anterior cruciate ligament injury.
 
The Tigers arrived south with big heads and a chance to be in the top eight at the halfway mark of the season, and left with Coughlan out for 12 months, coach Terry Wallace seething, and their season again in uncertainty.

Coughlan's injury occurred in the first minutes of the game.

He limped from the field after a contest, returned to play several minutes later in the quarter, and then, at the 18th minute conceded serious damage had been done to his knee and left the ground. He sat out the rest of the match and will be officially assessed today. Wallace, however, is not hopeful.

``We think it's an ACL, we won't know until he has tests done, but it looks likely he'll be out for 12 months,'' Wallace said. ``It makes it a very disappointing day, obviously.''

Since winning the best-and-fairest in 2003, Coughlan has endured a devastating run of injuries, first osteitis pubis and then a crippling groin injury.

``He's one of those players that just doesn't seem to have any luck,'' Wallace said.

Coughlan aside, the Tigers stunned themselves and their supporters with a pathetic and mindless effort against a vastly-improved Hawks, who won by 41 points.

Wallace was visibly furious that a game many expected the Tigers to win was handed to Hawthorn so easily.

He said his players had got ``ahead of themselves'', believing positive publicity after a solid month of football.

``What this shows you ... is we are good enough to beat Adelaide when our disciplines are right when everybody is dotting the i's and crossing the t's, but if you want to get ahead of yourself anywhere along the line, you'll come back down to earth with a thud.''

He praised Kane Johnson's job on Luke Hodge, but said: ``The rest of the group needs to have a look at themselves.

``Just a little bit of publicity, it doesn't take much, there was just a few little sounds coming out of the rooms over the week. Perhaps just a couple were getting a little head of themselves. And you learn a very, very harsh lessons in this competition if that's the case.''

The Tigers turn at 6-6, in 10th position with the fourth-worst percentage in the competition at 79.4. A win would've meant seventh spot.

``Our supporters over a period of time would be worried to death about that type of match and we needed to be strong enough to say we're getting better,'' Wallace said.

``That was the biggest frustration, coming back from Perth we did that last week in what you would have thought was a dangerous game against the Kangaroos and we just had to back it up today and we weren't able to do it.''

``On most occasions since I've been here we've won the games we've been expected to win, Carlton last year we had a loss when we were in a situation to set ourselves up, and this game today.

``I'm not trying to take anything from Hawthorn, but ... if you step up with seven or eight of your key players out of the line-up, you ought to be able to get the job done.

``Not only did we not get it done, we never looked likely at any stage to get it done.

``We had some guys who I thought were more worried about what their numbers read at the end of the day ... than what they were worried about playing two-way footy.''

The Hawks, meanwhile, had little concern. Luke Hodge continues to be annoyed by a hand injury _ he needed it stitched yesterday _ while forward John Barker will have X-rays on his hand.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,19511590%255E20322,00.html

[one-eyed]

Franklin just getting started
19 June 2006   Herald-Sun
Mark Robinson

LANCE Franklin's star sparkled yesterday as brightly as it has in a season-and-a-half as his career-high six goals kicked Richmond back into reality in Launceston.

The tantalising Franklin, in just his fourth game this season, and Ben Dixon (three goals) booted nine of their team's 16 goals in a match that looked Hawthorn's for the taking from quarter-time.

The Hawks, with a rediscovered free spirit, took risks, ran hard and negated a Tigers group which, other than skipper Kane Johnson, Kane Pettifer and Troy Simmonds, seemingly waited for the footy to be delivered to them on a platter.

Instead, the platter was delivered to Dixon and to the prodigious talents of ``Buddy'' Franklin who, coach Al Clarkson hopes, will use the day to launch a superstar career.

Franklin beat three opponents _ Ray Hall mainly, then Andrew Kellaway and Joel Bowden _ and booted goals in each of the first two quarters, and two each in the third and fourth.

Unlike the league's other power forwards, Franklin's freakish mobility allows him to extricate the ball and himself from traffic and find the goals. Yesterday he was a giant running excitement machine that the Tigers couldn't contain.

``He was terrific, he seems to like playing against us, his best game early last year was against us as well, '' Tigers coach Terry Wallace said. ``We tried a couple on him, and he was too good for them.''

Clarkson says yesterday's performance might announce Franklin's revival, much the same way a match in 1999 signalled the arrival of a young Warren Tredrea.

``I can remember in 1999, Tredrea kicking eight goals against Carlton at Princes Park, he just showed he was going to emerge as a really important player for Port Adelaide,'' Clarkson said.

``What it (yesterday) does do is show our supporters, the rest of our players and shows us as a coaching group, that he is capable of doing it at senior level of AFL footy.

``He's got a long way to go, and he knows that, and he's going to probably draw a little more attention to himself over the next few weeks, but it's a really important step in his belief as an AFL footballer.

``That he's not just making up the numbers, that he can have enormous influence on the way games unfold.''

He did yesterday, not so much in a completely dominant performance, but more an audacious opportunist feasting on the strong work ethic of the midfield and a sometimes sloppy Tigers defence.

Sam Mitchell (31 touches), Tim Clarke (27), a blinder from Rick Ladson (26), and Jordan Lewis (24) made a mess of the Tigers, only Johnson's effort on Luke Hodge (12) robbing the Hawks of a lay-down misere in the middle.

In contrast, Mark Coughlan did a knee and was off in the first quarter, Shane Tuck was beaten badly, Greg Tivendale was OK but missed gettable goals, Brett Deledio tried to at least run, and Chris Hyde, Dean Polo, Andrew Krakouer, Danny Meyer, Richard Tambling and Nathan Foley were only so-so, although Polo and Chance Bateman had an even contest.

All of them, Johnson aside, were not nearly accountable or hungry enough for the pill.

A sub-standard first quarter gave way to Dixon's three goals in the second and Hawthorn's four unanswered goals from the ninth minute to the 19th opened up a 29-point lead.

The Tigers gathered, briefly, for a challenge midway through the third quarter, when they kicked two in a row, but the Hawks responded with three of their own.

Crucial to victory was forward Luke Brennan's shut-down job on defender Joel Bowden _ a huge tick for Clarkson and Brennan _ Brad Sewell on Nathan Brown (just one goal), Jarryd Roughead's ability to hold down full-back on the big boys _ Greg Stafford, Adam Pattison, Troy Simmonds _ and Campbell Brown's maturity to attack and defend at the right time.

Combine the four wins in the defensive 50, the dominant midfield, Franklin and Dixon up forward and a want to run, and you get the picture of how surprisingly inept the Tigers were against a team that hadn't won in six weeks.

Worse still, when the Tigers got into their forward 50m _ they did 48 times, the same as the Hawks _ they butchered the ball.

Wallace was perplexed post-match. ``Our blokes didn't come to play,'' he said. ``We never got our game going at all, the worst element was that we didn't put our head over the ball and win it.''

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,19510933%255E19771,00.html