Riewoldt six not enough MICHAEL GLEESON
June 5, 2010ST KILDA won and Riewoldt kicked six. That's not unusual, normally when Riewoldt fires St Kilda wins, and the game becomes about him.
Last night the game was again in large part about Riewoldt but this time the more he kicked the more uncertain a Saints victory became.
Jack Riewoldt, the compelling forward of the moment, captivated Etihad Stadium last night with a performance that not only invigorated Richmond but illustrated to the Saints - again - just how sorely they were missing their own Riewoldt. The original one, cousin Nick.
A game that had muddled along for a quarter, then accelerated in the second term when St Kilda loosened its shackles and broke the match open, was enervated in the third term by the surprise rally of Richmond.
There was always a sense of the unlikely about Richmond's challenge, given it was the bottom side that had to gather in a 44-point deficit against a top-four side, but it was an exciting chase nonetheless as Riewoldt commanded the forward line in a manner that his cousin Nick so often does.
They obviously play in a different style, with Jack enjoying the body contact of an opponent and Nick the opportunity to run his opponent into the ground to mark on the lead or over a pack with outstretched arms. But there is a similarity of presence.
Ultimately, St Kilda was still able to do what a good side should do and settle after a challenge, absorb the momentum shift and canter away again to a comfortable win.
Riewoldt was the talked-about figure of the game - he took the mark of the night floating over Sam Gilbert's head to go with his six goals - but the player of the night was Brendon Goddard.
Riewoldt was the man responsible for wrenching Richmond back into a game that had drifted easily away from it.
He marked pushing back on Jason Blake, then Sam Fisher, and took his shots at goal, or dribbling them in crumbing his own ball.
Despite his below-par conversion - he twice pulled set shots from short distances out, directly in front, when he stabbed at his shots - he was still able to put the Tigers on the board when, for a time, it seemed they might not score at all.
Then he was the focus as the Tigers kicked seven of eight goals to reduce a margin that had blown out to 44 points back to 12 points at the 20-minute mark of the third term.
It would be as close as Richmond would get, but it was enough to leave a satisfied feel for the Tigers about the match. They had done well in clearances and many of the midfield contests, with Saints stars Lenny Hayes and Nick Dal Santo relatively quietened and Tigers' Dustin Martin and Shane Tuck figuring prominently.
They would be brought undone in the end by St Kilda's superior ball movement. They would be brought undone, ultimately, by Goddard.
The Saints' best player all night was moved from a wing to half-back to play the intelligent distributor role once Fisher was required elsewhere.
Richmond continued to be bold and challenge St Kilda with fast ball movement and an adventurous attack, bringing the ball sharply through the middle of the ground, but ultimately the Tigers would be brought undone by their own hand.
A 38-point winning margin was a reasonable reflection of the night.
St Kilda had begun the game determined to choke Richmond - the Tigers had just one inside-50 for the first 10 minutes.
Had St Kilda fared better in front of goal - the Saints had seven shots at goal (two went out on the full) but finished the quarter with just two goals to Richmond's nil.
While it was an assertive statement of defence to deny Richmond not only a goal, but much in the way of a threat on goal, it was a worrying comment on the Saints' own firepower.
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon evidently encouraged his players to open the game up in the second term and the Saints responded aggressively to rapidly widen out the margin before Richmond's brief rally.
The Saints have spent much of the season seemingly trying to tread water until Riewoldt returns and wondering when and of a key forward will emerge to fill his breach - Justin Koschitzke? Rhys Stanley?
Neither has done so, but the team still remains 8-3 in win-loss and with Stephen Milne being the man to fill the breach. The conniver of goals was at his bratish best again with five.
PLAYER WATCHRichmond:
Jack Riewoldt starred for the Tigers with six goals and a second-term screamer that will take some serious beating for mark of the year. Riewoldt's three goals in the third term clawed his side back within 12 points and gave them a chance of a miraculous win. In his 10th game since being taken as a first-round draft pick, Dustin Martin began the game on Saints star Lenny Hayes. The young Tiger had nine touches in the first term, including four contested possessions and layed three tackles. In a hard-fought second term he had five valuable touches before suffering a knock to his left leg that forced him to the bench and severely restricted him after half-time.
St Kilda:
Brendon Goddard's value continues to grow and with Nick Riewoldt sidelined, Goddard has stepped up to a new level. Last night he finished with 38 touches, 12 contested possessions and five tackles. In his 150th game Justin Koschitzke had an ordinary first half, collecting five touches and two marks. After half-time the big ruckman/forward kicked a handy goal when the Tigers were charging and showed the value of being able to take a strong overhead mark. He finished with two goals.
WHERE THE MATCH WAS WONAfter a low-scoring opening term, the Saints booted five goals in a blistering 11 minutes of football before half-time. Milne (two), McQualter, Peake, Schneider and Montagna all got in on the act as the lead blew out to 44 points. The Tigers found a target up forward in Riewoldt, who kicked two goals in the second term, reducing the margin, but by that stage the Friday night specialists had built a healthy buffer.
WHERE THE MATCH WAS LOSTDespite building a strong lead the Saints looked vulnerable when Richmond went on a third-term rampage. Unfortunately, the Tigers had just two goal scorers for the entire night and winning games with only two blokes kicking majors is always going to be hard. Riewoldt's six were all exciting, but the Saints shared their goals among seven players and were only briefly threatened.
BEST Richmond: Riewoldt, Tuck, Martin, Newman, Deledio, King, Cotchin.
St Kilda: Goddard, Milne, Gilbert, Montagna, Clarke, Ray.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/riewoldt-six-not-enough-20100604-xkz0.html
