Media articles and Stats: Tigers crash to Blues

[one-eyed]

Richmond     3.4     6.7   8.10     9.13 (67)
Carlton         8.4   13.5   18.9   23.12 (150)

GOALS
Richmond: Morton 4, Richardson, Riewoldt, Schulz, Simmonds, Tambling
Carlton: Betts 5, Robinson 3, Waite 3, Fevola 2, Judd 2, Murphy 2, Wiggins 2, Russell, Garlett, Kreuzer, Hadley

BEST
Richmond: Morton, Raines, Foley, Tambling
Carlton: Waite, Judd, Murphy, Wiggins, Robinson, Kreuzer, Betts, Gibbs, Houlihan

INJURIES
Richmond: Cousins (hamstring), Raines (knee)
Carlton: Nil

Reports: Simpson (Carlton) reported by field umpire Vozzo for making forceful front-on contact on Jackson (Richmond) in the first quarter

Umpires: Donlon, Vozzo, McLaren

Official crowd: 86,972 at the MCG

-----------------------------------------------------------

Team Stats

Disposals         348 - 390
Efficiency%        71 - 76
Kicks               175 - 227
Handballs         173 - 163
Con. Marks         11 - 10
Uncon.Marks       82 - 100
Tackles               54 - 82
Clearances          27 - 42
Clangers             59 - 45
Frees                  15 - 23
Con. Possies      109 - 123
Uncon.Possies    233 - 265
Inside 50s            36 - 62
Assists                17 - 18

Individual Stats

player                D EFF% K H G B CM UM T CL C
   
41 Foley, N          31 61 10 21 0 0 0   1 6 4 9
12 Richardson, M 25 64 16   9 1 2 1 12 1 1 3
21 Tuck, S          24 46   9 15 0 1 0   4 3 6 3 
17 Newman, C     23 87 18   5 0 1 0   6 2 0 2 
4   Raines, A        23 78 10 13 0 0 0   2 3 0 5
3   Deledio, B       21 81 12   9 0 1 1   6 2 2 3 
5   Simmonds, T   20 70   7 13 1 1 1   6 2 2 4 
35 White, M         19 79 11   8 0 1 0   3 5 1 0 
7   Brown, N        18 56 12   6 0 1 0   2 1 1 4
11 Bowden, J       15 80   7   8 0 0 0   4 1 2 3 
20 Morton, M       15 60 13   2 4 1 3   5 1 0 2 
30 Tambling, R     15 73   9   6 1 0 1   6 2 1 1 
16 McGuane, L     14 79   5   9 0 0 2   5 2 0 4 
25 Schulz, J         14 64   7   7 1 1 0   5 3 0 0 
32 Cousins, B      12 92   6   6 0 0 0   3 2 4 1
13 McMahon, J     11 73   4   7 0 0 0   1 4 0 2 
8   Riewoldt, J      11 45   7   4 1 2 2   5 1 1 1 
23 Jackson, D      10 80   5   5 0 0 0   2 3 1 4 
10 Edwards, S       9 78   3   6 0 0 0   1 2 0 1
40 Moore, K        9 100   3   6 0 0 0    3 4 0 1   
2  Thursfield, W    5 80   1   4 0 0 0    0 3 1 4   
43 Browne, A     4 100   0   4 0 0 0    0 1 0 2 


player                FF FA CP UP I50 A       
     
41 Foley, N          1 2 12 20 2 3     
12 Richardson, M 0 1   5 20 2 0     
21 Tuck, S          0 1 12 11 1 0       
17 Newman, C     0 2   4 15 1 0       
4 Raines, A         0 2   2 20 2 1       
3 Deledio, B        1 0   7 13 1 0     
5 Simmonds, T    3 1   8 11 0 1       
35 White, M        1 0   5 12 4 2   
7 Brown, N         1 1   6 13 1 1       
11 Bowden, J      0 1   4 12 0 2     
20 Morton, M      1 0   6   9 3 1       
30 Tambling, R    0 0   4 11 8 0       
16 McGuane, L    2 2   5   9 2 0       
25 Schulz, J        0 0   4   9 2 3       
32 Cousins, B     1 1   5   8 3 0     
13 McMahon, J    0 1   2   9 1 1   
8 Riewoldt, J       2 0   7   5 0 1     
23 Jackson, D     1 4   4   6 1 0     
10 Edwards, S    1 0   4   7 1 1       
40 Moore, K       0 1   1   6 0 0     
2 Thursfield, W   0 2   1   4 1 0       
43 Browne, A     0 1   1   3 0 0

http://superstats.heraldsun.com.au/gamestatslive/5015445.html

[one-eyed]

Tigers crash to Blues, Cuz injured
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen 10:15 PM Thu 26 March, 2009

A TORN hamstring for new recruit Ben Cousins and a knee injury to defender Andrew Raines have further soured Richmond's 83-point loss to Carlton at the MCG on Thursday night.

The Blues marched out to a 30-point lead at the first change and steadily built from there to win 23.12 (150) to 9.13 (67) in front of 86,972 fans – a record attendance for a home-and-away match between the teams.

With Carlton forward Brendan Fevola chasing hard, Cousins was running the ball out of defence six minutes into the last quarter when his left leg gave way.

He had only returned to the field moments earlier after receiving significant treatment to his hamstrings at the final break.

The Brownlow Medallist's first official game since West Coast's 2007 qualifying final loss to Port Adelaide, it was a cruel blow.

Raines also hobbled from the ground in the last but word from the club is that it's not the same injury that sidelined him last year. Scans on Friday will determine the severity.

It was a shattering night for the Tigers, who only got the better of the Blues in turnovers.

Among the few shining lights were Raines' return until his injury, Mitch Morton's four goals, Nathan Foley's hard work through the midfield to finish with 31 touches and Richard Tambling's preparedness to put his body on the line.

Eighteen-year-old Andrew Browne also got his first senior opportunity after being elevated from the rookie list during the week.

Cousins, the Tigers' other debutant following his decorated 238-game career with the Eagles, worked hard but didn’t have a great impact on the game before his injury.

Carlton coach Brett Ratten unveiled the future of his club, with Mitch Robinson, Jefferey Garlett, Sam Jacobs and Aaron Joseph all making their AFL debuts, while former Demon Chris Johnson played his first game in navy blue.

Robinson's game was stellar but he was shaded for best-on-ground by Jarrad Waite (three goals), captain Chris Judd (23 touches) and midfielder Marc Murphy (28).

The first quarter started as expected – open and attractive – but both teams made significant skill errors.

It was the Tigers who committed the most sins, particularly in defence, and the Blues capitalised to lead by 30 points at the first break.

Morton had kicked the Tigers' first goal of 2009 and added a second less than three minutes later, but two in a minute for the Blues handed the momentum straight back.

Richardson then took advantage of a great block from Schulz to kick his first, but the last four of the term went to the Blues.

The second term looked worse for the Tigers, but in reality it wasn’t because the Blues added just 10 points to their lead.

Terry Wallace's full-field press was taking effect, even though Fevola, with a volley on the line, and Waite added the first majors to stretch the lead to 42.

Almost 30 minutes had passed when Schulz ended the Blues' steak of six, dribbling through a forward 50 entry from Cousins.

But Robinson's second – from a free and 50m penalty – extended the lead again.

Troy Simmonds, who had a reasonable night in the ruck, then kicked truly from 50 and Morton goaled from the square to get it back to 28 points, but the Blues converted through Wiggins and Judd in the last couple of minutes.

Tambling kicked a major for the Tigers in the last, making it three for the Tigers for the half, but, as had been the case for most of the night, Carlton just kept pouring them on.

Eddie Betts (five goals) did the most damage.

Richmond will look to regroup before meeting Geelong at Skilled Stadium next week.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/73804/default.aspx

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Tigers already in world of pain
Mike Sheahan | March 27, 2009

HOW early in a season can a club be deemed to be in serious trouble?

Try the three-minute mark of the second quarter of the opening game of the season.

After leading Carlton by three points early in last night's season opener at the MCG, Richmond trailed by 42 points at the three-minute mark of the second quarter.

The Blues had delivered an eight-goal first term and then the first two goals of the second; the contest effectively over.

Carlton, which finished two spots below Richmond last year, powered away to win by 83 points.

On top of the humiliating loss, Ben Cousins left the field early in the last quarter with a hamstring problem.

You might well ask what he was doing on the field with his team 10 goals down after he had indicated a concern with his notorious tendon at the three-quarter-time huddle.

The Tigers have a month to ponder that one.

The lively Andrew Raines also finished with a suspected knee problem.

It was a pathetic performance by a team tipped by many, including me, to finish in the final eight this year.

It was classic Richmond: lazy, sloppy, dysfunctional, generally incompetent.

Why does a team with such poor skills persist with the possession game?

Only Terry Wallace knows the answer to that one.

Richmond's notoriously fickle supporters were departing the MCG at halftime.

Frustrated, angry, despondent yet again. Is there no end to the misery for long-suffering Tiger fans?

Carlton warned the football world late last year "we're coming", and backed up the boast last night with a highly efficient display.

The Blues worked harder, and far more effectively.

Apart from the margin, the most damning statistic was the fact Carlton fielded a team with seven players with no more than 25 games to their name; Richmond had one.

The Tigers have Trent Cotchin and Kane Johnson to resume (although Cotchin is a worry), while Carlton will regain Nick Stevens, Andrew Carrazzo, Brad Fisher and Andrew Walker.

What an anti-climax.

After the biggest build-up in years, one club came to play, the other turned up to perpetuate what has been inadequate, maybe even rotten, for so long.

Apart from Cousins and young Mitch Morton, there was little to enthuse about while the game was a contest.

Daniel Jackson did a serviceable job on Chris Judd, while Nathan Foley and Raines worked hard to provide a spark, but it was a generally uninspiring unit.

Coach Wallace must ask hard questions of Brett Deledio, Nathan Brown, Joel Bowden, Jordan McMahon, Troy Simmonds, Jay Schulz and Richard Tambling.

Not good enough from any of them. Not by a long chalk.

Wallace also must ask himself a few questions.

Why, oh why, does he allow his players to kick short and handball so often when the finishing skills in this team are as sophisticated as a safari suit?

Teams lose badly every opening round - North Melbourne last year - yet this one will cut deeper than most.

Richmond faces Geelong (at Skilled Stadium) and the Western Bulldogs in the next two rounds.

Wallace's worst nightmare was a 0-3 start.

It is hard to fathom how the Tigers could be so bad last night.

Even allowing for Carlton's obvious maturity, it should have been a far better contest.

On last night's performance, you wonder whether this club has made much ground at all since Wallace took over in 2005.

It is going to be a week from hell for everyone at Punt Rd.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25249319-19742,00.html

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Tattered and torn
Jon Ralph | March 27, 2009

RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace last night defended the club's decision to recruit 30-year-old Ben Cousins after the former Eagle dramatically tore his hamstring in the Tigers' 83-point loss to Carlton.

The Tigers' season looks in dire trouble just one game into the year after Cousins limped off in the last term, Andrew Raines injured his left knee and the team capitulated.

Wallace conceded the spotlight would descend on himself and his players, who take on Geelong at Skilled Stadium next week, then the Western Bulldogs.

Cousins' injury will distract from Richmond's performance, but the Tigers were truly deplorable after what Wallace said was a build-up to equal a Grand Final.

But he said the club had done its "due diligence" on Cousins, who tore his left hamstring badly in his last game for West Coast in the 2007 finals series.

While Wallace said the injury would force a three to four-week spell on the sidelines for the Brownlow medallist, the Tigers will treat him cautiously.

It would not surprise if he missed five to six matches.

"We knew there were a multitude of risks going for a player who had been out of the game for that period of time. We believe that risk was worth taking," Wallace said.

"You do all your due diligence. (Essendon's) Matthew Lloyd had his (hamstring) torn off the bone and came back to play good footy.

"It's a three to four-week hamstring, it's a normal hamstring (injury). We won't know until tomorrow, but it's not the damage that was done the last time he did it."

Raines started impressively but clutched his knee after a collision in the last term and hobbled off the ground.

"It's lateral, outside of his knee, so we will have to wait to find out if there is any cartilage damage or just a strain," Wallace said.

"It's nothing related to the dislocation (last year). It's on the same knee but it's not related."

Cousins had struggled to find his touch, amassing only 12 touches before his injury.

He grabbed at his hamstring in the third quarter and was worked on by medicos in the last break, but Wallace said he had been cleared to go back on.

"We discussed that with the medical staff," Wallace said.

"The information I was given at three-quarter time was that he was sore behind the back of the knee. Once he was given the all-clear and his knee was OK, there was no reason not to put him back on."

Wallace said he was well aware he would be put under scrutiny after the loss.

"Everything that could have gone wrong tonight, including Ben, everything that could have possibly gone wrong went wrong," he said.

"We understand that it puts us squarely in the spotlight, whether that be myself, whether it be the playing group, whether it be the football club itself."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25249403-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

Blues pump up pressure
Bruce Matthews | March 27, 2009

COACH Brett Ratten pledged it in the pre-season, his assistant Mark Riley reiterated it during the week and Carlton players delivered it by the bucket-load last night.

Pressure, that seemingly basic football act applied to an opponent, literally spooked Richmond last night.

While the Tigers didn't exactly jump at shadows cast by the MCG floodlights, many of them were afflicted by bad cases of the fumbles under intense attention from the committed Blues.

Clanger turnovers by Richmond defenders conceded Carlton its first four goals in an awful start to the season for the Punt Road boys.

The woes only deepened as the night wore on and the Tigers inevitably lurched towards an embarrassing 83-point drubbing.

A capacity crowd, loaded with massive yellow-and-black support, emitted frustrated oohs and aahs as Tiger miskicks and miscues coughed up the ball.

On the Blues' wish-list in the off-season was more assistance for Brendan Fevola up forward. And a renewed fierce desire to trap the ball inside the forward 50.

Early signs are they have found it with new boys like Mitch Robinson and Jeff Garlett. Not only did they pose enormous problems in attack, equally admirable was their work to tackle and harass when they did not have possession.

In the end, the tackle count was a lopsided 82-54 in Carlton's favour. Richard Hadley led the harassment with 12, Simon Wiggins had eight and young Robinson and Ryan Houlihan contributed six each.

Whether it was the attention focused on these new boys or the wake-up call from their arrival, lively little Blue Eddie Betts responded with his most productive performance for Carlton.

Betts delivered the killer blow to the disjointed and dispirited Tigers with three goals from that innate crumbing forward's ability to be in the right place at the right time in the third quarter.

When he limped off to the plaudits of fans late in the final term, he had bagged five from a tidy night's work.

While Carlton's attack on the ball-carrier was admirable on every line, it was most telling inside the forward 50.

It started almost from the opening bounce and a Fevola tackle on Tiger ruckman Troy Simmonds caused the turnover that gifted Jarrad Waite the first goal after two minutes.

Waite could not believe his good fortune despite being assigned the tough task on key Richmond playmaker Matthew Richardson.

Richmond's decision to play Richo across the midfield in the first half allowed the athletic Waite to hurt it on the rebound with three goals to help Carlton set up a significant scoreboard buffer.

Sadly, it was too often the same old Richmond with skill errors playing into the cleaner hands of Blues Chris Judd, Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs.

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for Richmond. Joel Bowden was even the victim of the new rule when he scragged Robinson after the new Blue had handballed to Cameron Cloke midway through the second quarter.

The resultant free kick and 50m penalty allowed Robinson to kick the second of his three goals that capped an impressive debut.

Three goals either side of that footy first edged the Tigers back into the contest to a reachable 28 points deficit. But it was to be the last gasp.

More Richmond errors when Betts' pressure forced another turnover and the ball ricocheted out of bounds off a Tiger defender's leg enabled Wiggins and Judd to post crucial goals deep in time-on before the main break.

Any hope of a Tiger second-half revival was quickly snuffed out when a 50m penalty from another undisciplined act presented Robinson with a shot from the goalline in the opening minute of the third term.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25249224-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

Still lazy, sloppy and incompetent
Mark Stevens | March 27, 2009

CARLTON coach Brett Ratten last night praised defender Jarrad Waite for delivering a massive psychological blow to Richmond.

The Blues savaged the Tigers by 83 points and the tone was set by Waite, who ran off opponent Matthew Richardson to kick three early goals.

"I think that was the thing that swayed it," Ratten said.

Ratten said Waite's daring dash, and ability to make it pay on the scoreboard, left the Tigers "deflated".

"Waite got on top of Richardson, hitting the scoreboard, and I think that maybe really affected their group a little bit."

The Tigers made several errors as the pressure mounted and never recovered.

Carlton kicked eight goals in the first term and stretched its lead to 40 points at halftime.

From there, it became an extension of the practice match series for the slick Blues, who toyed with the opposition.

Carlton's final score of 23.12 (150) was its highest since Round 13, 2001 - and it came with the help of only two goals from Brendan Fevola.

With the Brisbane Lions (Etihad Stadium) and Essendon (MCG) to come in the next fortnight, the Blues would like their chances of making a 3-0 start.

The aggressive marketing slogan "They know we're coming" is already starting to ring true.

The only concern for Carlton was the report of midfielder Kade Simpson for rough conduct. Simpson was booked in the first term for a heavy hit on Richmond's Daniel Jackson.

Replays showed Simpson making high contact and he will need luck to escape a penalty when the match review panel meets on Monday.

Ratten praised the blue-collar work ethic of his young team, which included four first-gamers.

"I think it was just the way we played the game . . . our tackling and our pressure," Ratten said.

Ratten was thrilled his team managed 82 tackles and a whopping 20 inside the forward 50.

"It's Round 1 and the challenge now will be to do that week in week out," he said.

Eddie Betts kicked five goals and Chris Judd led a dominant Carlton midfield.

Nick Stevens and Andrew Carrazzo are still to return to the midfield mix for the Blues.

Ratten said he had slight reservations about unleashing so many debutants, but praised the maturity of the new boys.

"Try telling Mitch Robinson he's only 19 and he'd probably laugh at you," Ratten said.

"He's on the front foot. He's an extrovert. He plays the game like he's been around a bit longer."

Fevola only played a bit-part last night, but managed a brilliant volley goal from the goalsquare. He looked to be hampered by a bruised heel, but Ratten is confident he will be in far better shape for Round 2.

"He'll be right for next week. We had to assist him with some help to get him out there tonight, but I think with the nine days (before the next game) he will be fully fit and ready to go," Ratten said.

Ratten said there had been less reliance on Fevola in the pre-season and the trend carried on last night.

Judd copped a heavy knock at the end of the first term and was in the hands of trainers for several minutes, but returned to start the second term.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25249340-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

Sorry start to the year for Tigers of old
Martin Blake | March 27, 2009

FOR Richmond, autumn's optimism has gone before the leaves on the trees around the MCG even began to turn.

Sadly for the thousands of delusional Tiger faithful who gave the club a record membership tally, it is an all-too familiar feeling.

Carlton spent the week or so leading up to last night's season-opener in a sort of bunker mentality.

Delirious to know that the focus was upon Richmond and its redemption-seeker, Ben Cousins, the Blues went about their business methodically, as befitting a team coached by Brett Ratten. Media were kept at bay, and plans were hatched.

So when it came to the crunch, Carlton was ready; Richmond was inept.

The Blues smashed the Tigers by 83 points at the MCG before 86,972, in the process blooding four new players who stood up under pressure, and Cousins ripped his hamstring in the final quarter.

Fifteen clubs who overlooked him in the pre-season draft raised their collective eyebrows, and possibly sighed a little.

It was a command performance by a Carlton team that threatens to play finals for the first time in years. Captain Chris Judd, Kade Simpson, Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy, Heath Scotland and Matthew Kreuzer dominated in the clinches, and Eddie Betts snatched five goals.

Cousins took precisely 11 seconds to get his hands on the football in his first game for 18 months, gathering the Sherrin on the members' wing and feeding off a handball to a teammate. But the Brownlow medallist was mostly subdued on the night, and he had plenty of mates in that department.

Inside the first minute of a new season, Matthew Richardson had pulled in a contested mark and his shot hit the post halfway up as the Tigers' favourite son indulged himself in a celebratory fist-pump that proved to be premature.

Soon his opponent Jarrad Waite would add insult by running down the ground to kick a goal himself after Troy Simmonds dropped a regulation mark. Richardson tried hard all night but managed only one goal; Waite had three of his own.

The first quarter told the tale. Of eight goals scored by Carlton, half were from blatant, ham-fisted errors by Richmond in the defensive 50-metre zone. First-gamer Mitch Robinson, sure to be a crowd favourite at Carlton, booted a brilliant goal from an angle after a kick-in error by Brett Deledio. Robinson would finish with three goals in an outstanding debut.

Another debutant, teenager Jeff Garlett, kicked a goal with his first touch. Like Robinson, he was prominent all night. By the time Waite booted his second goal from 60 metres, with nary a Richmond player bothering to chase him down from the back half, the Blues had a five-goal lead to contemplate at the first break.

The second quarter began with a piece of Brendan Fevola theatre. After Chris Judd's snap at goal from an angle fell short, the Carlton full-forward volleyed the ball out of mid-air with an extended right boot for a goal. Carlton had a 40-point buffer at half-time and did not relent.

When the second half came around, it was showtime. Simon Wiggins stuck a knee on Simmonds' shoulder and took the mark of the night. Marc Murphy's sublime handball under pressure in the forward pocket found Betts for a goal. Murphy threaded one from a tight angle; Jordan Russell looped one through from the boundary.

Richmond's appetite for the contest was not immediately obvious, an indictment on a team that has not made it to September in recent memory.

The Tigers made virtually no commitment to defensive pressure and did not hit in hard enough with the notable exception of Nathan Foley, who had more than 30 disposals and a cluster of centre clearances. Half-forward Mitch Morton was another to avoid the malaise, causing problems for Carlton all night and booting four goals. But senior players like Deledio and Nathan Brown struggled.


MAIN MEN: Carlton's Eddie Betts looked impressive up forward while Mitch Robinson made an outstanding debut with three goals. Chris Judd netted 23 possessions and two goals. Tigers forward Mitch Morton slotted four goals and was one of the few Richmond players to show some positive signs in a dismal team performance.

TURNING POINT: At the 15-minute mark of the first quarter, Matthew Richardson kicked a goal and Richmond was only three points down. But Carlton then kicked the last four goals of the quarter and the first two of the second quarter and was never threatened thereafter.

THE UPSHOT: Disastrous game for the Tigers made worse by the fact their star recruit, Ben Cousins, did his left hamstring late in the last quarter. Richmond has a tough run ahead with Geelong next week followed by the Bulldogs. Carlton goes up against Brisbane next week full of confidence.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfmatchreport/tigers-of-old/2009/03/26/1237657079390.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[one-eyed]

Early hopes turn to horror night
Rohan Connolly | March 27, 2009

LAST night started brilliantly for Richmond. Well, at least the first 60 seconds. Ben Cousins won his first possession in yellow and black within 20 seconds. Matthew Richardson took his first big grab after just 45. That first minute was pretty heady stuff. Unfortunately for the Tigers, there was still 119-odd to go. And they were bloody awful.

Is there anything more calculated to break supporters' hearts than six months of preparation accompanied by not a little amount of hype, only to be followed by a performance which has so much deja vu about it you can practically hear the Twilight Zone theme music playing in the background?

The first notes of which started ringing out when that subsequent Richardson shot at goal cannoned into the post. The refrain became familiar after about two minutes, once Richo's man Jarrad Waite had followed the Tiger super athlete all the way down the other end of the ground, watched him tackled by teammate Brendan Fevola after Troy Simmonds had dropped a sitter, then pounced on the spoils for the first goal of the new season.

And the big chorus struck up about six minutes in, when Brett Deledio's kick-in after a behind sailed right over Luke McGuane's head, was gleefully pounced on by debutant Mitch Robinson, who calmly slotted his first goal in AFL football from near the boundary. A miss from a 277-gamer, a bad error from a man in his 85th, and coolness, poise and deadly accuracy from a man in his very first quarter playing for the opposition. The story of Richmond's night, really.

Or at least until that background music became more like a funeral march about six minutes into the final term, when Cousins "pinged" his left hamstring. That was the final insult, kick in the teeth, perhaps dagger through the heart of the Tiger faithful, who'd already begun to fill the exit aisles.

He hadn't had a shocker. Most of his dozen disposals looked polished enough, and he posed enough of a threat to Carlton for the Blues to have had six opponents standing by his side in the first quarter alone. But there simply weren't enough touches for him to have had any more than a very minimal influence on the result.

And in purely result terms, it barely mattered anyway. So ordinary were most of Cousins' teammates last night that even one of his vintage West Coast efforts wouldn't have brought Richmond much closer. And it better find something now given his likely absence for at least several weeks.

The Tigers had gone into this game with just one player who had fewer than 25 games under his belt, Carlton no less than seven. But you would have sworn it was the other way round, such was the difference not just in polish, but the capacity to execute the basic football essentials.

It's been the way at Punt Road for far too many years now, but there has appeared more substance to the growing Tiger bandwagon these past six months, not purely because of Cousins, but through the promise shown towards the end of last year by a clutch of Tiger cubs.

Yet all it took was five minutes last night for the collective groan of "not again" to start rising from the faithful as all the old danger signs presented themselves, right from the time Richardson hit the woodwork.

Of Carlton's first four goals, two came as the direct result of dropped marks, one from an appalling unforced error at a kick-in, and the fourth after Richard Hadley had taken advantage of a 50-metre penalty conceded by Deledio for running over the mark. Six of the Blues' match-winning eight first-quarter goals were from Tiger errors. It was nine from 12 by late in the second term.

And it was contagious. Nathan Foley won 31 possessions for the Tigers and was one of their best, but at one stage had a kicking effectiveness that threatened to plunge below 30 per cent

Even the normally assured skills of veteran Nathan Brown began to come unstuck as the Tigers did so collectively.

Any thoughts of a stirring revival similar to last year's season opener had been shrugged by two late goals to the Blues. And reduced to pure fantasy by the opening minute of the third term, when Robinson won a free kick plus another 50-metre penalty, goaled from point blank range, and took the margin out to 46 points.

It was 83 by the end, the sort of defeat which does horrible things to a percentage, and worse to morale. But that of the players won't be any worse than older Tiger fans who have been following their team since the mid-'80s. For them, the annual devastatingly quick torching of hopes has become some sort of sick ritual.

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