Media articles & stats: Youngsters excel as Tigers lose to Pies

[one-eyed]

Youngsters excel as Tigers lose to Pies
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen 9:50 PM Thu 26 February, 2009


RICHMOND     1.1.5.20   2.1.9.33   2.3.12.48   2.3.15 (51)
COLLINGWOOD 4.2.26    5.4.34       9.5.59    1.13.10 (97)

GOALS
Richmond: Supergoals: Newman, White Goals: Brown, Vickery, Richardson

Collingwood: Supergoals: Didak Goals: McCarthy, Fraser, Pendlebury, Macaffer, Beams, Didak, Lockyer, Leigh Brown, Swan, Cloke, Toovey, Anthony, Nathan Brown.

BEST
Richmond: Foley, Brown, Cousins, Simmonds, Raines, Thomson, Rance
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Cloke, O’Bree, Beams, Cox, Toovey.

INJURIES
Richmond: Johnson (knee), Cousins (concussion)
Collingwood: Macaffer (concussion)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Stevic, Meredith, Ryan.

Crowd: 37,121 at Telstra Dome

---------------------------------------
COLLINGWOOD has progressed to the semi-finals of the 2009 NAB Cup, beating Richmond at Telstra Dome 1.13.10 (97) to 2.3.15 (51) on Thursday night in front of 37,121 fans.

Almost the entire focus pre-game was on the return to top-level football of former Eagle Ben Cousins, and the Brownlow medallist didn’t disappoint, racking up 21 touches despite still appearing to be not fully match fit.

The Magpies took over after half time and kicked the last eight goals to win by 46 points.

Both sides would have been heartened by the form of their youngsters or returning players.

In the yellow and black, Alex Rance was good across half-back, Daniel Jackson impressive on the wing, Robin Nahas showed good speed and nouse, former Port Adelaide player Adam Thompson got his hands on it a lot early, and Andrew Raines swept across half-back well.

The Tigers would also have been heartened by vice-captain Nathan Foley in the midfield, skipper Chris Newman in the backline, Brett Deledio in the midfield and forward Tom Hislop, who showed he can find the ball.
Troy Simmonds was also good in the ruck.

A couple of injuries came out of the game – former Tiger skipper Kane Johnson had a knee iced in the second term, while Magpie youngster Macaffer went up the race in the second term with concussion.

After the game, Richmond also cancelled a planned Ben Cousins press conference, saying their star recruit was suffering from concussion.

The Pies got off to a great start when John McCarthy took the spillage from a pack in the square and kicked truly. Josh Fraser accepted a handball from Scott Pendlebury and added another a minute later, and the Pies had the only goals until new Tiger skipper Newman booted a nine-pointer.

Fraser then returned the favour for Pendlebury to goal on the run from 45, but Nathan Brown marked and converted from close range, with youngster Nahas good in the buildup.

But Magpie youngster Macaffer marked close to goal and at the first break, and the Pies were up by a goal.

The second term was scrappy, with numerous skill errors from both sides, and nearly 14 minutes passed before Beams goaled for the Pies.

Matty White then replied with a supergoal less than two minutes later, but Travis Cloke provided the comedy.

He marked in the forward 50, kicked into the man on the mark, got it back, then missed to the left from 30, and the Pies led by that behind at the long break.

The Pies had the better of the third term – Didak kicked the first before Richmond’s No.8 pick from the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, Tyrone Vickery, was paid a downfield free and converted.

Soon after Matthew Richardson marked just inside the fifty and kicked truly to give the Tigers a five-point lead.

But then the Pies took over from that point – Tarkyn Lockyer was the recipient of some great work from Cloke, who flew, then gathered on the ground and fed the handpass.

Former Roo Leigh Brown goaled form a free kick and Dane Swan snapped form 20 and the Pies led at the last change by 11 points.

In the last it was still all Collingwood, the Magpies kicking all five majors of the term.

Collingwood will play the winner of Essendon and the Brisbane Lions in the semi finals, while Richmond head to Shepparton for a NAB Challenge fixture.

http://richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/72604/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Individual Stats

Code: [Select]

RICHMOND
PLAYER          K H P M HO T FF FA G B
N.Brown 9 7 16 8 0 1 0 0 1 1
B.Cousins 8 13 21 2 0 0 1 0 0 0
B.Deledio 13 12 25 6 0 0 1 1 0 1
S.Edwards 6 3 9 4 0 1 1 0 0 0
N.Foley 12 18 30 4 0 2 2 0 0 0
A.Graham 2 6 8 4 2 0 0 0 0 0
T.Hislop 5 3 8 3 0 1 1 0 0 1
D.Jackson 13 15 28 6 0 1 0 0 0 0
K.Johnson 4 10 14 3 0 2 0 0 0 1
J.King          2 2 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 0
J.McMahon 13 13 26 3 0 0 1 1 0 0
K.Moore 9 3 12 7 0 1 0 0 0 0
M.Morton 7 2 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 1
R.Nahas 3 2 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
C.Newman 10 4 14 2 0 2 0 0 1 0
D.Polo          5 15 20 5 0 1 1 0 0 0
A.Raines 9 14 23 2 0 2 1 0 0 0
A.Rance 9 7 16 2 0 2 1 1 0 0
M.Richardson 11 4 15 9 0 0 2 1 1 2
J.Riewoldt 8 2 10 5 0 0 3 0 0 3
T.Simmonds 5 4 9 4 15 1 2 0 0 2
R.Tambling 11 4 15 8 0 0 0 1 0 0
A.Thomson 2 13 15 1 0 3 3 0 0 0
W.Thursfield 5 6 11 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
T.Vickery 2 4 6 1 3 0 1 0 1 0
M.White 10 10 20 1 0 5 0 0 1 0
TOTAL        193 196 389 97 20 26 22 6 5 12

Top 5's

Rankings

Foley              119
O'Bree            102
Pendlebury        95
Raines              85
Newman           83

Contested Possies

Foley                8
Thomson           7
Deledio             6
O'Bree              6
O'Brien             6

Uncontested Possies

Jackson          24
Foley             22
McMahon        21
Raines            21
Pendlebury      19

Effective Kicks

Davis            14
Foley            10
McMahon       10
Deledio          10
Lockyer         10

Inside 50s

Didak              5
Reid                5
Pendlebury       4
Tambling          4
Rance             4

Rebound 50s

Cox              10
Deledio           5
Newman         5
Thursfield       4
McMahon       3

http://xml.afl.com.au/swf/live_stats.htm

[one-eyed]

Magpies push past Richmond
Michael Gleeson | The Age | February 27, 2009

FOR those of you not troubled how the bloke in Greg Tivendale's jumper went, the rest of the game between Collingwood and Richmond last night presented a window on a season of deep numbers played behind the ball and ambitious fast breaks forward. Sounds like basketball or soccer? That observation has been made.

The NAB Cup, practice matches by another name, showcased not just new recruits but the manner in which sides will seek to play this year. So far it has been a disturbing picture of deep full-press running and abandoned forward lines.

Both sides pushed numbers behind the ball, though Collingwood more often kept fewer at home than the Tigers. The result was a game of rebound and almost opportunist scoring which ended in a Collingwood victory by 46 points to advance to the semi-finals of the competition.

Collingwood suggested it will be a side of numbers back and hard running to load up and rebound from half-back. When it works in finding a forward on the end of the thrust it looks sharp. When no forward is left inside 50 and the opposition spreads four players across the vacancies it looks tedious and unimpressive. On one occasion Shane O'Bree ran towards the 50-metre arc on his left side and, acknowledging he is not a long kick of the ball, attempted a torpedo on his left foot on the run just to try and reach the goal.

Be it fatigue, superior disposal, or structuring its forward line better for the game plan, Collingwood broke open the final-quarter kicking five goals — including one supergoal — to just three points.

While structurally it looked better in the final term with John Anthony and Nathan Brown remaining closer to goal to help Travis Cloke, it will look the better when Anthony Rocca is in the goal square and Paul Medhurst in a pocket.

Ben Reid began key forward then shifted back, then went forward again and Brent Macaffer found a place in the forward line. He looked handy in the first quarter, handpassing a crumbed ball in the goal square to John McCarthy to goal. Unfortunately he injured a leg in the second term and was taken from the ground.

Of the debutants Richmond's Tyrone Vickery turned the tight-checking Simon Prestigiacomo inside out on the forward flank in the third term and then lifted a pass across to Jack Riewoldt. Given his age the surprise was as much that he did not look much as if he was a boy playing with men.

Likewise Collingwood's Dayne Beams, though that might have as much to do with the teenager's Dane Swan-like eye-catching full-sleeve tattoo as his strength and poise around the contest.

He impressed early with strong hands to hold his ground and mark as an opponent descended upon him.

BEST — Richmond: Richardson, Cousins, Newman, Raines, Foley, McMahon, Moore.


http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/magpies-push-past-richmond/2009/02/26/1235237840101.html

[one-eyed]

Bright start for Ben Cousins' comeback
Mark Stevens | February 27, 2009

COLLINGWOOD fans left Telstra Dome thrilled last night after a 46-point win as the Richmond faithful headed home knowing Ben Cousins was worth the trouble.

The Magpies took control of the NAB Cup quarter-final in the third term and managed to with Scott Pendlebury leading the way.

But although the Pies will now play a semi-final against either Essendon or Brisbane, it will be remembered as the night Cousins played his first match in 538 days.

The recovering drug addict was jeered by the crowd after winning possession of the ball for the first time courtesy of a free-kick for too high, but the frosty reception clearly did not put him off.

The old poise and dash was on display as he used the ball cleverly by hand and ran to position as if he had spent no time out of the game.

By half-time he had amassed 14 touches and by the final change, he had 19. He didn't have a touch in the final quarter.

At one stage he shaped up to Magpie Alan Didak after a heavy clash, showing he had lost none of his cheek.

Understandably the former Eagle tired late in the game, but it was a major positive after so long out.

He started on a half-forward flank and worked into the middle before spending stints on the bench.

There were other positives for the Tigers last night.

Jack Riewoldt is significantly fitter this year and looks likely to take a significant step this season. All he needs to sharpen up on his kicking after two reasonably easy misses in the third term.

Collingwood though looks to be the real deal this season after putting the foot to the medal for the second time in three weeks.

The Magpies' depth of talent was obvious, with Travis Cloke dominant, even if his wayward kicking was back on show.

Shane O'Bree finished with 24 disposals, including 18 handballs, and Didak showed the troubles of last year were behind him. History was also made last night when Jordan McMahon was penalised for deliberately rushing a behind.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25112508-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

Tigers fail to fire despite Ben Cousins' help
Mark Robinson | February 27, 2009

LEAVE the messiah tag at the door, please, despite Ben Cousins' successful return to football last night.

He had 21 touches in about three quarter, but the Tigers need more than Ben Cousins on the comeback trail to instil great faith in this team.

It was a case of same old, same old for the Tigers -- missed targets, missed goals, same perpetrators, key forward down -- although they were only 11 points behind at three-quarter time, which gives coach Terry Wallace plenty to work with.

Wallace has a couple of weeks to finetune his team -- in other words, eliminate the players not good enough.

No finetuning for Cousins, however.

Briefly, he had 14 touches to halftime, five in the third quarter and two in the last, battling concussion for sure and, from afar, exhaustion and oxygen deprivation.

The truth is he will get a lot better.

Not missing was ability to find the ball, evade opponents and largely pick the right options, and that he was gagging for breath every time he ran to the interchange bench was symbolic of his work rate, but that was never going to be in question.

Of course, the flow of the game, and the awareness of increased numbers around the ball and filling space, will be upgraded with every match.

To enormous anticipation, Cousins started at half-forward on Marty Clarke and quickly assumed the position made up for him in his best latter days at West Coast: half-forward all over.

He had seven possessions in the first quarter, equal highest for the Tiges with Nathan Brown, and 14 at the half. It made a mockery of the $1.90 offer by one sports betting agency, who had put up $1.90 that he would get 13 or more.

They would've lost money.

Wallace was highly complimentary of his first half and forgiving of his second.

To those who missed it, he had a minor clash with Alan Didak at the start of the third quarter.

The ball had gone on, Didak ruffled Cousins and Cousins shaped to throw a left. It was nothing spectacular, except that it was a couple of party boys in Didak and Cousins and indicative that Cousins wasn't going to take any crap, however insignificant.

For so many, last night was a success. So much has happened since Cousins' last match to last night -- close to 18 months. The journey has been a conflict of emotion; of sadness, vulnerability and accomplishment.

Even last night before the game, those closest to Cousins were collectively enthused the day had finally come.

Manager Ricky Nixon agreed that from being led to a Perth police car, shirtless and bedraggled in what forever will remain a compelling image at the end of 2007, to donning a Richmond jumper last night was, God willing, a miracle.

Nixon, on SEN Radio, said in December that Cousins was still a million to one to play again.

Tigers coach Terry Wallace, on the same station, said he had watched six minutes of the Cousins' documentary, and though he expected it to be confronting, was stunned by its contents. Unmissable, he said, for every parent firstly, and footballer secondly.

On 3AW, Cousins' father Bryan spoke for virtually the first time about the heartache on one hand and the understanding on the other of having a drug-addicted child.

Very few people would understand, he said. And he's right.

The letters of support, and from whom -- especially those with drug-addicted family members -- had opened his eyes to the "biggest social problem in Australia today".

For Cousins, last night ended with concussion.

In his previous-last hitout -- against Port Adelaide in a qualifying final at AAMI Stadium -- it ended with a nasty hamstring and with Cousins, it is said by witnesses, in the rooms straight afterwards, crying and banging his head against a brick wall.

Last night he couldn't talk to the media for he "wasn't making any sense", but found a minute or so for his documentary makers in the rooms.

Bloody doco. With every day it's more and more unmissable.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,23599,25113271-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

Ben Cousins' return to football pulls a crowd
AAP Mark Warner | February 26, 2009 10:22pm

BEN Cousins made a bittersweet return to AFL football tonight, suffering concussion in his comeback match at the Telstra Dome.

But the comeback kid showed that he had lost none of his class, amassing 21 possessions in a solid four-quarter performance.

Cousins received a knock to the head during the third quarter of last night's match and cancelled a a post-game press conference.

Richmond went down to Collingwood by 46 points in front of 37,121 fans.

The 30-year-old former Eagle started on a half-forward flank before moving to the midfield just three minutes into the game.

After the game, a red-faced Cousins emerged from the Richmond medical room but declined to speak to the media on his return match, instead seeking solace in a corner with friends.

It was his first competitive match since being sacked by his former club West Coast after the 2007 finals series.

But it came after a slow start for both the former Eagles skipper and Richmond.

The Magpies opened the match with quick goals to John McCarthy and Josh Fraser, both coming under little pressure.

By that stage, Cousins, who started on the half-forward line, was yet to touch the ball.

But the Richmond coaching staff threw him into the centre square and it was not long before he picked up his first possession in yellow and black, winning a free kick just outside his attacking 50m line.

His shot for goal landed in the goalsquare and soon afterwards he was sent to the bench for a 10-minute spell.

In the meantime, new Richmond skipper Chris Newman put his side back in the match with a nine-point goal.

Cousins returned late in the term and started to find his feet.

Helped by his teammates' willingness to provide him with the ball, he picked up four touches in as many minutes late in the quarter to make his mark on the game.

The Magpies still led by six points at the first break, with neither side able to change that margin much during a tight tussle for much of the second quarter.

First-gamer Dayne Beams capped an impressive start to his Magpies career when he goaled from just inside 50m to extend the break to 11 points.

Tigers stars Matthew Richardson and Brett Deledio both missed chances to peg a goal back, with poor set shots.

But young midfielder Matt White chimed in with a nine-pointer to level the scores, before a late behind from Collingwood's Travis Cloke gave Collingwood the narrowest of halftime leads.

Midfielders Scott Pendlebury and Shane O'Bree were both good in the first half for Collingwood, while Shannon Cox provided some good run off half-back.

For Richmond, Nathan Foley and Deledio performed well in the midfield, while Andrew Raines and Newman impressed in defence and Nathan Brown looked sharp at half-forward and in the midfield.

Before the game, many were left to watch the big screens outside the Telstra Dome, unable to get inside before the 7.10pm start.

Adam Smith, 18, said: "Ben is my hero.

"He will help us in the midfield - the delivery form Cousins to Richo is why I've come down tonight.

"At least with him we won't be rock bottom anymore."

Plenty of fans with West Coast scarves - and supporters from other Melbourne teams - were seen outside the ground.

Richmond members Chris Butler and Wendy Barton turned up to see Cousins return to football.

Mr Butler signed as a member the day the club signed the troubled star.

"We don't mind if we win or lose, we are just here to see the boys and particularly Cousins," he said.

Fans have been sending in their messages of support all day to the former Eagle.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25110985-19742,00.html