Media articles & stats: Tigers downed by unbeaten Dogs

[one-eyed]

Tigers downed by unbeaten Dogs
richmondfc.com.au
By Matt Burgan
5:51 PM Mon 13 April, 2009


Western Bulldogs        0.6    6.11    10.13    16.14 (110)
Richmond                   3.4     4.8      7.10      8.15 (63)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Akermanis 4, Higgins 2, Johnson 2, Giansiracusa 2, Gilbee, Hill, Hahn, Minson, Morris, Cooney
Richmond: White 2, Foley, Riewoldt, Richardson, Brown, Morton, Tuck

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Gilbee, Akermanis, Higgins, Cross, Lake, Picken, Giansiracusa
Richmond: Foley, Tuck, McGuane, White, Richardson

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Harbrow replaced in selected side by Tiller
Richmond: None

Reports: Picken (Western Bulldogs) reported for striking Deledio (Richmond) in the second quarter

Umpires: Nicholls, Schmitt, Chamberlain

Official crowd: 46,261 at Docklands

--------------------------------------------------
RICHMOND remains winless in 2009 after a final quarter show from Brownlow Medallist Jason Akermanis spurred the Western Bulldogs a 47-point victory, continuing their unbeaten run to start the season.

After Richmond led at quarter-time, the Bulldogs eventually ran out 16.14 (110) to 8.15 (63) winners in front of a strong Docklands crowd of 46,261 on Easter Monday.

The loss was Richmond's third loss in as many matches this season, and it hasn't beaten the Bulldogs in their last six meetings. Although the Tigers drew with the Bulldogs in round five last year, they have not overcome the Dogs since round three in 2005.

Although the Tigers were still within reach at three quarter-time, Akermanis nailed three goals in the opening five minutes of the final term, ensuring the red, white and blue were home.

It was a disappointing result for the Tigers, considering they led for a quarter and a half. 

The Bulldogs landed seven behinds before Daniel Giansiracusa kicked their first goal of the day at the three-minute mark of the second term.

But the Dogs soon got a run on, and after Dale Morris put them in front for the first time at the 14-minute mark of the second term, the Tigers never regained the lead.

Shane Tuck won a game-high 33 touches, while Nathan Foley (28) and Nathan Brown (28) were next best. Superstar Matthew Richardson worked tirelessly for 22 touches and 12 marks, four of them contested.

Defenders Luke McGuane and Joel Bowden also battled hard.

Akermanis was the game's leading goalkicker with four majors, while Lindsay Gilbee was his side's top ball-winner with 28 touches. Daniel Cross also had 27 disposals.

The Tigers started promisingly, with Jack Riewoldt kicking the first goal of the match.

By quarter-time, Richmond had three on the board and a 16-point lead as the Doggies were held goalless.

The Bulldogs got their act together in the second term, booting six unanswered goals to hit the front.

Richmond effectively went goalless for a quarter – it didn't score a major from the 22-minute mark of the first term until the 26-minute mark of the second quarter.

Matt White broke the drought when he pumped the ball into the Coventry End stands after receiving a pass on the run from Jay Schulz. White became Richmond's first multiple goalscorer and helped peg the margin back to 15 points at half time.

The second term was also noteworthy for several moments, with Brett Deledio leaving the field under the blood rule after an incident with Bulldog Liam Picken. Soon after, defender McGuane provided one of the highlights of the day with a 'speccy' over Akermanis. Moments later, 'Aker' was again in the thick of play when he hit the post from just metres out after receiving a handball under pressure from teammate Josh Hill.

Richmond opened the second half well, with a Brown goal bringing the margin back to 10 points, but it was another 20 minutes before the Tigers added another. In between, the Dogs added four in succession, breaking away to a 33-point lead. Goals from Tuck and Mitch Morton in red-time gave the Tigers some hope heading into the final stanza.

The 21-point lead was quickly blown out to 38 after Akermanis' hat-trick of goals early in the final term, and the Tigers could only manage one goal, to Richardson, in the last quarter.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/74850/default.aspx

[WilliamPowell]

Alex Rance only light for Richmond Tigers on gloomy day

Mark Robinson | April 14, 2009 12:00am

THE Tigers are in a frightful mess. The loss to the Western Bulldogs, after kicking the first three goals of the match, makes it two poor outings in three.

If they lose against Melbourne on Sunday, Richmond's mettle from the board down will be heavily tested.

Anything could happen and that includes immediate decisions on the coach's future.

As it is, yesterday wasn't that they lost, but how they lost.

Against Carlton it was about effort and commitment; yesterday it was about poor skills and decision-making.

Time will tell, but the Tigers can argue they have played perhaps three of the top five teams, with the Saints and Hawks to come.

Internally, they believe the eight is not beyond them.

A loss to the Demons and that belief is in ashes.

Yesterday, they began earnestly, kicking three goals to zip in the first quarter.

They repelled and clogged the Bulldogs, and when the Dogs had their chances, they blew them. Lindsay

Gilbee, who was close to best afield, Daniel Giansiracusa, Adam Cooney, Josh Hill and Ryan Griffen all missed gettables.

The second-quarter transformation was as quick as a clean kill.

The Bulldogs assumed control of the midfield, broke down Richmond's zone by getting their hands on the ball first, were helped by Richmond's turnovers, and from there it was a natural attrition of skill and execution.

The Bulldogs kicked six goals to one in both the second and fourth quarters and largely broken even in the third.

From quarter-time it was 16 goals to five and everything you don't want to see about Richmond was on offer.

Some players are under enormous pressure.

Richard Tambling is going nowhere. He was bronx-cheered in the third quarter when he got his first kick to go with his five handballs and coach Terry Wallace's patience surely has to be near empty. Something has to give with the first-round draft pick.

Jake King, for all of his spirit, is not capable enough with the ball in his hands; Jay Schulz and Shane Edwards don't get it enough; Jack Riewoldt is the most athletic player not to get the ball, although he does deserve pity for the delivery he gets; while Tom Hislop is in the double sculls with King.

They, of course, are easy targets.

Yesterday Brett Deledio was shut down by Liam Picken - Deledio had five touches by halftime; Matthew

Richardson recovered from a poor first quarter to hold his own on Brian Lake; skipper Chris Newman dominated the first half and disappeared in the second; Nathan Brown was not as penetrative or as dangerous as he should have been with his skill and numbers; and while most of the rest tried their hearts out, almost all of them committed turnovers.

Another issue is Shane Tuck and Nathan Foley. The chief ball-getters can't distribute or include teammates with the same precision as other starting centre-square midfielders. With Deledio a nonentity, the Tigers weren't damaging enough when they had it.

It meant the keepings-off approach - the Tigers had 33 long kicks and 115 short kicks - disintegrated because of poor disposal.

Pleasing was Alex Rance, who in his second game, is still a little sloppy with the pill, but the same cannot be said of his attitude.

He started back yesterday, and finished in the middle and attacks as if his career hangs on every contest.

The Tigers have one here.

The Dogs sit top four. Yesterday wasn't clinical, for they, too, were sloppy, but they were challenged, fought back to level pegging and motored away to a comfortable 47-point win.

Three goals from Jason Akermanis in five minutes to start the final quarter snuffed the game and Aker is as important to the Bulldogs today as he was when they recruited him two years ago.

The Bulldogs have finally assembled their back six: Lake and Tom Williams take the talls; Ryan Hargrave and Dale Morris the mids and smalls; Dylan Addison the small forward; and one of Gilbee, Stephen Tiller, Callan Ward, even Griffen, to fill other spot.

Together they shut out Richmond after quarter-time.

Gilbee plays all over the ground now and if it wasn't for the class of Shaun Higgins yesterday, might have pushed for best afield.

Higgins has earned the accolades. His foot nous is spot-on, he can kick goals and dish them off, is adept on both sides, and his improved motor means he can get to more contests and more space. He kicked two goals yesterday and had three goal assists.

Picken has added to the midfield mix and he took another scalp, that of Deledio to follow Brent Harvey.

He, like Addison, has given the Bulldogs a harder edge.

But the difference between the Tigers and Bulldogs is that the Bullies have a class about them to complement their harder edge.

As for the Tigers, it's difficult to find a compliment at all.


http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25330592-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

Bulldogs take bite out of Richmond
Jesse Hogan | April 14, 2009

ABOUT 20 minutes after their match against Richmond, all of the Western Bulldogs players casually strode out onto an open-roofed Etihad Stadium with towels over their shoulders, most in shorts and thongs. In that attire and with seagulls already squawking overhead all that was missing was sand and waves, as if their 47-point thumping of the Tigers had been barely more strenuous than a day at the beach.

The record books will show Richmond became the first team since 2003 to hold the Bulldogs to a goalless opening quarter. What they cannot show is how the optimism that characterised the Tigers' pre-season is rapidly evaporating — if not already evaporated — after the club slumped to its third defeat of the season.

The Bulldogs' failure to kick a goal in a scrappy opening term — fought almost entirely between the teams' 50-metre arcs — was inconsequential as they kicked 16 of the next 21 goals.

Even highly rated Bulldogs players such as Lindsay Gilbee and Ryan Griffen sprayed passes early, but never to the extent that their Tiger rivals wasted kicks and fumbled marks as the match progressed. Bulldogs youngster Josh Hill displayed the gulf of talent between the teams when, approaching time-on in the last quarter, he scooped a bouncing ball off the turf with one hand and within the same action slid the ball onto his boot and through for a goal.

Veteran Tiger forwards Nathan Brown and Matthew Richardson had 50 possessions between them but, crucially, only two goals as they spent most of the opening half in defence. By contrast, emerging Bulldog half-forward Shaun Higgins' 24 possessions included two goals and a team-high three scoring assists.

Bulldogs full-back Brian Lake declared during the week he wanted to play on Richardson, but if Tigers coach Terry Wallace saw that as an opportunity to nullify Lake's creativity he was outsmarted by Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade.

Any time in the first half that Richardson ventured to the wing or beyond, Bulldogs spearhead Brad Johnson would take over.

The tactic worked, with Lake notching seven possessions and four marks in the opening term, compared to Richardson's three ineffectual touches.

Jake King is among the most maligned players in the league when it comes to disposal, yet in the first term the Tigers claimed two of their goals — from Jack Riewoldt and Matt White — after pinpoint passes from the diminutive defender. That accuracy eventually waned.

Both sides seemed intent on crowding their opponent's forward line, which created significant opportunities after interceptions because the other end of the ground was vacant.

Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney, having started on the bench, would have attracted the ire of Eade after benefiting from a turnover and having teammate Griffen alone inside the 50-metre arc but ignoring him and shooting, unsuccessfully, for goal.

There were few similarly selfish acts from the Bulldogs after that. By the half-way mark of the second quarter they had overhauled the Tigers' 16-point first-quarter lead, inspired by Gilbee's 11 possessions for the quarter and Griffen's ferocious tackling, which earned him two holding-the-ball free kicks.

Conditions were ideal, but it was not until the 26-minute mark of the second quarter that Richmond's White became the first player to kick a goal at the Coventry End, ending a run of 10 behinds.

Richmond captain Chris Newman was arguably the most dominant midfielder on the ground in the first half — Bulldog Daniel Cross was his main rival — yet was largely anonymous in the second half, when his team needed more of the same.

There was little improvement from the Tigers in the third quarter, although goals from Shane Tuck and Mitch Morton during time-on somehow dragged the margin back to 21 points at the last break.

Within six minutes of the restart the margin was out to a more realistic 38 points. Jason Akermanis marked three times on the lead, all close to goal, and slotted each one.

Instead of celebrating his third goal, Akermanis dashed straight to young teammate Dylan Addison, whose run down the wing and precise pass had created the goal.

At the other end, Richardson took a strong outstretched mark over three Bulldogs defenders.

Even though a goal would have offered no more than consolation, the Tigers did not even get that as their tireless spearhead booted it out on the full from 40 metres.

Cooney was one of the few Bulldogs not to have made a meaningful contribution, but in the final minutes of the match he gave Eade — and the club's fans — a hint that the effects of his interrupted pre-season may finally be past him with another dashing kick on the run from 50 metres.

That one, unlike his wayward kick in the first term, sailed through for a goal.

W BULLDOGS 0.6 6.11 10.13 16.14 (110)
RICHMOND     3.4  4.8   7.10   8.15 (63)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Akermanis 4, Johnson 2, Giansiracusa 2, Higgins 2, Cooney, Morris, Hill, Gilbee, Hahn, Minson.

Richmond: White 2, Riewoldt, Morton, Richardson, Brown, Foley, Tuck.

BEST

Western Bulldogs:  Cross, Higgins, Lake, Akermanis, Gilbee, Addison.

Richmond: Foley, Tuck, White, Newman.



INJURIES Harbrow (hip) replaced in selected side by Tiller, Lake (corked thigh).

Western Bulldogs:

REPORTS: Picken (WB) reported for striking B Deledio (Rich) by field umpire R Chamberlain in second quarter.

UMPIRES: Schmitt, Chamberlain, Nicholls.

CROWD: 46,261 at Etihad Stadium.

VOTES (Jesse Hogan)
8 Daniel Cross (WB)

8 Shaun Higgins (WB)

7 Nathan Foley (Rich)

6 Brian Lake (WB)

6 Jason Akermanis (WB)

MAIN MEN
Lindsay Gilbee was in his usual impressive form of late for the Bulldogs netting 28 possessions followed by Daniel Cross who had 27 disposals and Shaun Higgins with 24. For Richmond, Shane Tuck was persistent across the ground with 33 disposals while Nathan Foley had 29 and Nathan Brown 28 against his old side.

TURNING POINT
After remaining goalless in the first quarter to Richmond's three, the Bulldogs kicked the next six straight goals in the second term to the Tigers' one which came in the 26-minute mark. Richmond, having dominated in the first term, was nowhere to be seen which enabled the Dogs to run way with a lead that Richmond was unable to catch.

THE UPSHOT
The undefeated Bulldogs should coast home for another win against West Coast at Subiaco next week while winless Richmond is expected to make multiple changes to give it more hope against Melbourne at the MCG.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfmatchreport/dogs-take-bite-out-of-tigers/2009/04/13/1239474815595.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[one-eyed]

Fans have been there, done that as Tigers falter
Peter Hanlon | April 14, 2009

NOT for the first time in this decade of darkness, Richmond fans went home kicking themselves last night. That the light still seems so distant is exacerbated by the same, sorry lament: why can't our blokes kick?

"What is this?" Graeme Richmond used to famously boom. "The effing little league?" And that was when the Tigers and their late, great powerbroker were a force.

Football was a different beast then, as anyone sober enough during the annual grand final eve marathon can attest. A game of individual contests in which the meek were found wanting, a time when the highly skilled stood out because they were in the minority.

Chief among Richmond's problems would seem to be that too many of its number would be better suited to then than now — desperate goers who, for all of their commitment, could only become better players if a Life On Mars moment transported them back to 1973.

"That's a very tough thing as a coach — it's very difficult to come back into the change rooms when you know guys are having an absolute red-hot crack for you and their skill level's not up to it," a miserably frank Terry Wallace said after yesterday's error-fest. "The hard fact of life is you've gotta find a combination of guys who have a go and can use the ball."

Wallace hinted at multiple changes for Sunday's MCG meeting with Melbourne, and two names destined to spend an uncomfortable week hovering around the "out" column on the match committee whiteboard are Jake King and Richard Tambling. They exemplified the Tigers' plight yesterday.

King is the terrier with limited skill, Tambling the gifted one who seemingly doesn't go hard enough. Midway through the third quarter, as the Dogs strained to yank the game free of Richmond's grasp, they committed errors by foot that left a mark like a rope burn.

King, running laterally deep in defence, went for a teammate not far enough in the clear, Josh Hill made an easy spoil and Mitch Hahn casually salted the wound. Then Tambling, Bronx cheers hanging in the air, centred from the wing, missed Joel Bowden and Jason Akermanis kicked the first of his four goals.

"I heard the reaction of the crowd as well and he's gotta live with that," Wallace said. "He didn't live up to his part of the bargain today and we'll see where that leaves him from a selection point of view as the week rolls on."

Tambling's last 72 hours had not been ideal, Wallace said, the birth of a daughter two nights earlier leaving him fatigued and ill-prepared. At least it was a more joyous time than his two hours at work yesterday; his first three possessions all led to Bulldog goals.

The Tigers were fortunate that, at least for a time, the malaise was contagious. The normally slick Dogs had seven behinds on the board before their first goal and, at times, turned the ball over alarmingly by foot — a couple of third-quarter on-the-fulls, for example. The ineffective-kick count was not as bad as it might have been — 42 Dogs, 49 Tigers. Even Lindsay Gilbee's golden leg coughed up "clangers" with four of his 18 kicks.

"It frustrates you, put it that way," was Rodney Eade's assessment. "Maybe at times when you want to back your skill too much that's a downside to it."

They came unstuck trying to "thread the needle", as Eade called it. For the Tigers, finding the barn door was challenging enough without worrying about what was in the haystack.

"Our contested footy wasn't terrible after half-time, our use of the ball was," Wallace said. "Our inability to be able to hit the targets … that was what hurt us."

It is to the despair of their expectant fans that they've seen and heard it all before.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/fans-been-there-done-that/2009/04/13/1239474815598.html

[one-eyed]

Richmond draws the short straw
Andrea Petrie | April 14, 2009

RICHMOND'S draw has a lot to do with the fact that it is sitting at the bottom of the AFL ladder three rounds into the season without a win, Tigers coach Terry Wallace said yesterday.

He said while many would have given his team a chance against Carlton in round one, which it lost by 83 points, few would have selected the Tigers to beat Geelong, when they went down by 20 points, or the Western Bulldogs, whom they lost to by 47 points yesterday.

"When you're playing two of the preliminary finalists in the last two weeks after you've made a mess of the first one, we knew the situation that was going to occur," he said.

"We spoke about it ad nauseum, to be honest, about the scenarios and where they could be and what could happen but what you've just got to do is stay true to yourselves and get on with what's coming up over the next couple of weeks."

He said playing two of the top three undefeated sides had been tough because "we're not at that level".

"We weren't at that level last year so that's the reality of where it's at. Clearly we need to do the next few weeks right, we understand that's the sort of situation, but we're not running and hiding."

Wallace said he was disappointed with his side's second quarter, which essentially lost it the game. But he did not believe his team was hopeless after half-time.

"Our contested footy wasn't horrible after half-time, our use of the ball was and our inability to be able to hit the targets and do what needed to be done was what hurt us after half-time," he said. "I didn't think the blokes went home or anything. I thought our second quarter was quite comfortably our worst quarter for the game.

"Usually, if that's the case and round one that was the case, we just fell off the side of the earth, but I didn't feel it was anywhere near the case today. We've just got to be tidier."

He said the errors in Richmond's usage of the ball cost it dearly. "You've got to look at a couple of things, obviously personnel and just keep on working on certain aspects of the game," he said.

"We went into round one with what we thought were our better users and we'd got a non-competitive effort. We then went to the competitors who probably don't quite use it as well but you know when you come through the turnstiles that at least they're going to have a crack for you.

"Perhaps getting the balance of that is where we've still got to go over the next few weeks.

"You need the blokes who are going to have a crack but you've still got to have blokes in your side who are good with the footy as well."

He said the side "clearly" didn't have the skill level of the top sides in the competition.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/tigers-draw-short-straw/2009/04/13/1239474815589.html

[one-eyed]

Team Stats

Disposals:        369 - 372
Efficiency%:       74 - 77
Kicks:              221 - 202
Handballs:        148 - 170
Con. Marks:        11 - 13
Uncon.Marks:    127 - 90
Tackles:             56 - 59
Clearances:        36 - 29
Clangers:           54 - 51
Frees:                18 - 16
Con.Possies:     101 - 120
Uncon.Possies:  261 - 248
Inside 50s:         46 - 53
Assists:             15 - 18
Hitouts:             30 -32

Individual Stats

player     D     EFF%     K     H     G     B     CM     UM     T     CL     C     SC     SCA
      
Tuck, S    33    79    15    18    1    0    0    9    3    4    3    109    91
Foley, N    29    62    17    12    1    1    0    7    4    7    6    88    83
Brown, N    28    68    17    11    1    2    0    6    3    1    6    91    93
Bowden, J    22    82    15    7    0    0    0    7    3    0    3    81    71
Richardson, M    22    73    17    5    1    2    4    8    0    2    2    119    125
McGuane, L    21    86    12    9    0    1    4    8    0    3    4    95    67
White, M    21    86    12    9    2    0    0    4    3    4    2    96    82
Newman, C    20    90    15    5    0    0    0    8    3    1    1    111    108
Polo, D    20    90    11    9    0    0    0    7    4    1    0    107    95
Jackson, D    19    63    10    9    0    0    0    9    1    2    4    34    50
Rance, A    19    74    9    10    0    0    0    7    3    0    6    56    69
Deledio, B    16    56    13    3    0    1    1    5    5    2    0    88    87
King, J    16    75    11    5    0    0    0    9    2    0    3    59    45
Hislop, T    12    67    6    6    0    0    0    4    3    1    3    41    63
Tambling, R    12    50    4    8    0    0    0    4    2    3    5    20    37
Moore, K    10    90    8    2    0    0    0    5    2    0    0    70    72
Schulz, J    10    80    7    3    0    0    0    5    2    2    0    47    55
Morton, M    9    44    7    2    1    2    1    3    3    2    3    42    76
Simmonds, T    9    78    4    5    0    2    0    2    2    1    0    62    73
Graham, A    8    75    1    7    0    0    0    4    4    0    2    36    35
Riewoldt, J    7    57    6    1    1    1    1    3    2    0    0    61    54
Edwards, S    6    67    4    2    0    1    0    3    2    0    1    22    37


player     FF     FA     CP     UP     I50     A      
      
Tuck, S    0    2    10    22    2    0    
Foley, N    2    1    5    24    9    1    
Brown, N    0    0    6    19    2    1    
Bowden, J    2    2    5    17    2    1    
Richardson, M    1    1    11    10    2    1    
McGuane, L    0    2    10    11    0    0    
White, M    4    1    6    15    3    1    
Newman, C    1    0    4    15    1    1    
Polo, D    1    0    5    13    1    0    
Jackson, D    0    2    3    17    3    0    
Rance, A    1    1    4    15    2    1    
Deledio, B    0    0    6    10    4    1    
King, J    0    1    0    16    0    2    
Hislop, T    0    1    2    10    4    2    
Tambling, R    0    1    5    7    1    0    
Moore, K    0    0    1    9    1    1    
Schulz, J    2    0    4    7    2    1    
Morton, M    1    1    5    5    1    0    
Simmonds, T    1    0    3    5    0    1    
Graham, A    0    0    2    6    0    0    
Riewoldt, J    1    0    3    4    4    0    
Edwards, S    1    0    1    4    2    0

http://superstats.heraldsun.com.au/gamestatslive/5015601.html