RICHMOND ‘MOSSIES’ RUIN DONS
By Lou Richards with Greg Baum
The Sun, Tuesday April 13, 1982
ESSENDON was overrun by Richmond’s mosquito fleet and nosedived to its first defeat of the season at the MCG yesterday.
The tiny Tigers led by Robert Wiley, Dale Weightman, Geoff Raines and that remarkable man, Kevin Bartlett, shredded Essendon's defence in the second half.
Their onslaught cleared the path for Richmond to kick 10 goals to two in the final quarter, and romp away to a 62-point win.
Until then, it had been a great game, with little separating the two teams.
But I felt that just before three-quartertime, the Tigers were starting to wear down the Bombers, who were looking tired.
Raines, who had been reasonably quiet in the first half, dominated after the break, providing his
team with that extra sting, which enabled the Tigers finally to take over the game.
I was rather amazed that Neville Fields was taken from the ground, because he had contained Raines until then.
Essendon's Justin Madden dominated the centre bounces, with 47 knockouts to 17, but they were to no avail.
The Richmond little men successfully sharked so many of the big Bomber's taps that the centre of the MCG resembled Byron Bay!
Carlton boasts of its talented small men, but if they are any better than
Richmond's, I'm a monkey's uncle (No smart re-marks, if you don't mind).
Wiley had 27 kicks and seven handballs, and capped off a great game with seven goals, Weightman had seven kicks and 19 handpasses, all perfectly delivered, as usual.
And it was Barry Rowlings who kept the Tigers in the game in the first half with his determined play.
But it was the old bloke, Kevin "Hungry" Bartlett, who amazed me, again. Playing his 365th game, he kicked four fine goals and seemed to move quicker than ever.
I wish I could get hold of whatever pills he is taking and I'll bet some of those foot-weary Essendon defenders do, too.
Bartlett often left them clutching at the air or gazing at each other in wonderment as he whisked the ball away from under their noses.
When a team wins as convincingly as Richmond did yesterday, it's the forwards who cop all the praise.
But Tiger defenders, Mervyn Keane, Jim Jess, Mick Malthouse and Greg Strachan can take bow too, without any embarrassment.
They were superb. They did not allow high-flying Bombers Paul Van Der Haar, Crow and Simon Madden anywhere near the ball, and used their bodies to perfection to prevent their opponents from getting a run for the big marks.
The Bombers were disorganised, up forward all day, and it was only the tireless efforts of Glen
Hawker, Tim Watson and Wayne Otway that kept them afloat in attack.
But on Richmond's forward line, David Cloke was dominant, using his bulk and strength to mark cleverly or tap the ball on to his Tiger cubs.
There was little doubt that Essendon missed the imposing presence of Ron Andrews, particularly when the real pressure was applied late in the third quarter and throughout the final terms.
