Richmond proves miracles happenMARTIN BLAKE
July 5, 2010 RICHMOND 3.0 5.0 9.3 14.5 (89)
SYDNEY 3.3 6.6 10.11 12.13 (85)
GOALS Richmond: Riewoldt 5, Collins 3, Newman 2, Martin, Griffiths, Nason, Farmer. Sydney: McVeigh 3, Goodes 2, Moore 2, Pyke, Mumford, Jack, Dennis-Lane, McGlynn.
BEST Richmond: Riewoldt, Deledio, Newman, Collins, Moore, Astbury, Connors. Sydney: J Bolton, McVeigh, O'Keefe, Hannebery, McGlynn, Jack.
UMPIRES B Rosebury, S Stewart, S Grun.
INJURIES Richmond: Deledio (elbow). Sydney: Playfair (back).
CROWD 39,386 at the MCG.
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THE story line was familiar. The title? Something like When We Were Warriors, starring the Bloods of Sydney, premiers of 2005 and still a benchmark of the competition for courage and toughness in footy.
Except that for half an hour at the MCG yesterday, the roles were reversed and a kid from Bridgewater, near Bendigo, in just his 19th AFL game, took the lead part. Andrew Collins has played better games of football than his contribution to Richmond's third straight win yesterday, but he has never been braver.
Collins, 21, was having a relatively quiet day until the moment, 15 minutes into the final quarter of an attritional game, when he ran into goal and clashed heads with the approaching Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Sydney's full-back. It was one of those awful collisions, sending both men sprawling, but the ball spilled to Richmond's captain Chris Newman, who snapped a goal to bring the Tigers back within eight points.
All the Richmond players in the vicinity ran to Collins, but he was not moving. ''Dead and buried,'' was coach Damien Hardwick's description of the state of his player.
Eventually the trainers pulled him to his feet and helped him from the ground. Collins' faculties were returning. ''You just need 30 seconds to compose yourself,'' he said later in that matter-of-fact way that characterises footballers. ''You get a bit dizzy there. But after that I was fine and I came off and composed myself a bit. I was fine.''
Importantly for the game, he had not been knocked unconscious. ''I wouldn't say (I was) asleep. You just get the sea legs happening. Everyone's had that once or twice haven't they?''
Hardwick was amazed. ''It was quite funny. He came off and went straight to the board man and me and said: 'I'm right'. (I said): 'You've just been carried off the ground you dill'. To his credit, he's a kid who puts his body in. He's not a big boy.''
But the tale was only beginning to unfold. Fast forward seven minutes and the margin was still eight points when Jack Riewoldt, another who donned the Superman suit for Richmond, squared a ball and Collins, astonishingly back on the field, held his ground against Nick Malceski and marked, 30 metres out. Goal, and a two-point deficit.
Then at the 25-minute mark Trent Cotchin ripped the ball away from a stoppage at half-forward, bombed the Sherrin to the goal square and who should be at the back of the back, edging Malceski under the ball for another mark? The groggy Collins.
His angled goal, accompanied by a fist pump, gave Richmond the lead, and the Tigers would not surrender it.
Hardwick's team is off the bottom of the ladder and on the rise. As they left the Colosseum, the updated ladder flashed up on the big screen, bringing a big roar from the faithful in the stands. The players saw it, too. ''We had another little mini-celebration,'' Collins said. ''It's just a small step but we're not sitting on the bottom of the ladder, so it's great.''
Richmond won by four points and it is difficult to explain why. Midway through the third quarter the Tigers were 33 points down and flailing. Sydney had control of the midfield through Jude Bolton (32 disposals, nine clearances), Jarrad McVeigh (21 disposals, three goals) and Ryan O'Keefe (29 disposals in his 200th game). Even 15 minutes into the final quarter the Swans, famous for being able to hang on, were 14 points up. But the warriors of 2005 could not hang on this time, as the Tigers booted the final three goals to pinch it.
It was a watershed for Richmond, which had lost the previous eight games to Sydney. Aside from Collins the Tigers had heroics from the likes of Brett Deledio, who hyperextended his right elbow when Ben McGlynn fell across his arm in the second quarter, but came back on to provide drive from half-back.
Newman led with aplomb and ferocity. Riewoldt took two brilliant high marks - one hanger over Marty Mattner in the first quarter, and one going back with the flight late in the third. His five goals were crucial to the result; Richmond's straight kicking (14.5) would turn out to be important by contrast with Sydney's wastefulness (Adam Goodes kicked 2.3 from six shots).
Richmond kicked the last three goals of the third quarter, which turned out to be massive. The fact that they were kicked by Dustin Martin, Ben Griffiths and Riewoldt, the faces of the future, was instructive. At the final change, Hardwick saw something in his group; it turned out to be more than hope. ''Just the belief in the guys' eyes at three-quarter time,'' he said. ''They were excited about the challenge that was in front of them.''
The rest is history. As for Collins, he found himself celebrating newfound fame with a flicker in his left eye that bothered him. ''I think I'm in a bit of a weird head space. I think it (the knock) helped me a bit though. It stirred me up a little bit, I think.''
PLAYER WATCH
Jack Riewoldt: He began brilliantly with three early goals on Lewis Roberts-Thomson so that Sydney had to send for Heath Grundy. The latter coped better, but the Coleman Medal leader still finished with five.
Adam Goodes: The Swans star was manned by Kel Moore who promptly had 10 uncontested possessions (to Goodes' two) in the first quarter. The Brownlow medallist lowered his colours again but made somewhat of a recovery with two goals in the second half.
WHERE IT WAS WONRichmond's persistence paid off. The Tigers hung in when it was tough and had the game's only big forward who made an impact in Riewoldt, plus cameos from Andrew Collins, who was almost knocked out but came back to kick the last two goals. In a war of attrition, the Tigers ended up on top in contested ball and clearances, which was pivotal.
WHERE IT WAS LOSTSydney had no scoring power and ultimately it cost the Swans, who should have been able to close out the game. Henry Playfair's absence after half-time, coupled with the fact Daniel Bradshaw and Jesse White were not playing, and Goodes was contained, left the Swans powerless to capitalise on the work they did up to halfway through the last quarter.
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