Tigers find spirit to win ANDREW STAFFORD, BRISBANE
June 20, 2010 FOR a side that before last night had won just two games for the season, the Tigers' collective tails could hardly have been further up than going into this match. While fans pin their hopes on Jack Riewoldt and Dustin Martin, coach Damien Hardwick is just trying to knit together a genuine team.
The Brisbane Lions, for their part, resemble a deflating hot-air balloon. After rising rapidly at the beginning of the season, injuries to key players have sucked more and more air from their campaign. The loss of decorated centre Simon Black to a virus before the match was another blow.
It made for a scrappy, sometimes comically poor spectacle, and it presented the best chance for the Tigers to notch their second win in a row since rounds 17 and 18 last year. The fact that they actually made the most of the opportunity to prevail by 19 points was impressive for a side that didn't look like winning even one game not so long ago.
For the Lions, it saw the balloon finally crumple in a heap. They look a side bereft of spirit and hope right now. Without Black, it was as if they had lost their heart. Brendan Fevola's effort in his 200th game might rank among his poorest, but he wasn't helped by what was happening up the field.
It took 10 minutes for the Tigers to kick the first goal through Riewoldt. Shane Edwards followed with another, the beneficiary of more soft defence in the goal square.
With Fevola cold, Brent Staker and second-gamer Aaron Cornelius became the Lions' focal points in attack. Cornelius had struggled to get a game in attack in front of Fevola and Jonathan Brown, if Brown were to come back next round, Fevola might find his place under threat.
By the second quarter, Cornelius was doing more than anyone to keep the Lions in the contest, picking the ball off his laces and dishing off to Jack Redden for an early goal, then sending a helicopter through for his second from an excellent contested mark.
But the Tigers were producing the more committed effort and replied with the next three goals, the third kicked off a step from 50 by Martin.
By that point, the Tigers were out to a four-goal lead and might have buried the home side then and there if not for needlessly conceding two quick 50-metre penalties to give majors to Staker and Todd Banfield.
And that summed up the tone of the match: it seemed it was the Tigers to lose more than the Lions to win. They had the more even spread of contributors, were more committed at the contest and had more options in attack. But they are still anchored to the bottom of the ladder.
Slowly, the Lions began to grind their way back. It was only two goals to one in the third quarter, but enough to give the home side and the frustrated fans some momentum heading into the final change.
Staker's third goal, early in the last, closed the margin to just five points.
It was the Tigers, though, who found the extra mettle, with Riewoldt's marking skills again to the fore as he nailed his third goal over a hapless Daniel Merrett.
Scrambled late goals to Mitch Farmer and Edwards sealed the deal, with the unlikely Andrew Collins bobbing up with his third to ice the game.
PLAYER WATCH
Richmond: Shane Tuck may have been out of favour earlier in the season but there is no doubting his ticker or work rate. He bored in at the clearances all night to finish among his side's best.
Brisbane Lions: Brendan Fevola could hardly have been worse in his 200th match, scoring only the one goal (from a free kick) and unable to make a contribution in any other department. He was shown up by his younger counterpart Aaron Cornelius, while Jack Redden continues to produce in the middle.
WHERE THE MATCH WAS WONEarly and late, with the Tigers jumping the Lions in the first quarter for an early lead and then putting them away with a five-goal last quarter. Although prone to running themselves into needless trouble, the Tigers played the more daring and committed football throughout. Their opponents looked tentative by comparison.
WHERE THE MATCH WAS LOSTFor the Lions, they might make the excuse that Simon Black's withdrawal was the fatal blow. Certainly the Lions look to have lost all rhythm and system as injuries have torn apart their team, but this was a disturbingly soft effort from a side that had promised much more this year.
BEST Richmond: Tuck, Graham, Cousins, Deledio, Martin, Collins.
Brisbane: Johnstone, Banfield, Redden, Rockliff, Rischitelli.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tigers-find-spirit-to-win-20100619-yo70.html
