Richmond slugs its way clear of LionsMartin Boulton
May 1, 2011BEST
Richmond: Martin, Nahas, King, Cotchin, Riewoldt, Grigg.
Brisbane Lions: Black, Rockliff, Rich, Adcock, Power, Hanley, O'Brien.
INJURIES
Richmond: Tuck (bruised ribs), Nahas (bruised hip).
RICHMOND and the Brisbane Lions had just one win between them this season coming into last night's match at the MCG.
Not exactly a recipe for a Saturday night thriller but both sides had players desperate to throw themselves into the contest who lifted the game with their heroics.
The 26-point margin reflected the Tigers' dominance, but the Lions arrived with a strong sense of purpose and the two sides were watched by the biggest crowd to have seen a game between the teams.
But after the match, Lions coach Michael Voss refused to concede that anything other than a win was acceptable, saying he did not get a ''collective effort'' from his side.
The Lions had the first goal on the board inside 30 seconds through Daniel Rich and the Tigers quickly responded with Robin Nahas neatly working the ball off the outside of his right boot, while running into the left-hand forward pocket.
In just his second game of the season, Shane Tuck was on the receiving end of a heavy bump that left him nursing sore ribs and later forced him from the ground. Ben Nason was substituted into the game at Tuck's expense in the second term.
Dustin Martin backed up a superb game last week with another blistering start in the opening term. The silky second-year player had 14 touches in the term, kicked a goal and gave the Tigers enormous composure with his hands on the ball.
Todd Banfield fluffed a close-range set shot at goal for the Lions from a free kick, but a minute later goalled from exactly the same spot after marking.
Richmond, meanwhile, was winning more of the ball, but failing to use it cleanly by foot.
The visitors, through sharing the ball around and looking for the best option inside their 50-metre arc, again snuck away to a six-point lead when Matthew Leuenberger goalled.
The Lions were getting plenty of drive from half-back and looked dangerous in the opening stages whether running through the corridor or pushing wide to the wings.
Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt kicked three first-half goals, his first coming soon after he flew high for a mark over two opponents, but the ball spilled free and he crashed back to ground. The Coleman medallist briefly looked shocked the umpire didn't reward him but, perhaps remembering his recent dressing-down by coach Damien Hardwick, the 22-year-old bounced to his feet and refocused.
Three-time premiership player Luke Power's first goal swung the fourth lead change of the opening term and the Lions continued to look dangerous on the burst with Jack Redden, who continues to impress, and Tom Rockliff making the most of each possession.
Claye Beams came back into the side and threw himself into the contest, kicking a goal and having five handy touches before the first break.
The Lions took a six-point lead into quarter-time, but it would have been more if not for Martin, who took a classy mark in front of the members' wing, wheeled onto his deadly left boot and delivered a perfect kick to Tyson Vickery, who played on and slotted Richmond's fourth major.
After some sloppy ball use before the break the Tigers improved, while Jed Adcock and Ashley McGrath made it easy for Riewoldt, spoiling each other deep in defence and allowing the Tiger forward an easy chest mark and shot at goal.
The 37,000 fans at the ground sounded like 67,000 as the pressure mounted and the scores tightened.
Tiger favourite Jake King's first goal came through a quick handball from Robin Nahas and gave the Tigers a six-point lead 11 minutes into the term.
King again had the parochial crowd on side when he brushed away a McGrath tackle, almost losing his shorts, but kept bursting towards goal and flush into Pearce Hanley, who was also shoved aside in King's desperation to score.
On the half-time siren it was Riewoldt's turn to step up with his third goal, courtesy of another perfectly weighted kick from Martin.
As quickly as the home side seized control in a tightly fought contest the Lions showed in the third term they weren't heading home without a fight. Power led the revival, kicking three majors for the quarter, while veteran Simon Black and young midfielder Jesse O'Brien (in his sixth game) refused to give up.
Two evenly matched teams on paper kept the pressure on each other as the game wore on and there were heroics from players on both sides, but it was the Lions who whittled away a four-goal deficit to lead by five-points deep into the term.
Riewoldt's fourth goal, however, swung another lead change and Nahas, who burrowed in all night, kicked his third to give the Tigers an eight-point lead at the final change.
Having built momentum it was Richmond which skipped away with four goals in the closing stages, posting its second win, while the Lions remain winless despite showing patches of good form over five matches.
DACKS-DOWN DASHIt wasn't a snap from the boundary and it wasn't a running, bouncing goal from centre half-back. But for pure entertainment value, let's hope Jake King wins this week's goal of the year nomination. The Tiger tyro started by beating Ash McGrath in a one-on-one battle for the ball, as it slid towards the boundary line, with only a few minutes left in the second term. As he sprinted off, McGrath dacked him, but King kept going with his shorts halfway down his backside. Ten or 15 steps closer, with the goals looming, he was then almost beheaded by Pearce Hanley. But have these sorts of things ever worried Jake King? Never. He slipped underneath Hanley's outstretched arm and slotted his second goal for the term, stretching the Tigers' lead.
JACK'S BACKAmid all the discussion about Jack Riewoldt's body language, head knocks and various other so-called issues a few weeks back, one thing was almost forgotten - he hadn't exactly been kicking a heap of goals. Quietly, the Richmond full-forward has worked himself back into some good form, with his four goals against Collingwood two weeks ago, five against North Melbourne last week, followed by another five last night. His teammates didn't look for him every time, and didn't need to, with King and Nahas both working hard to offer options of their own, but he read the ball well, held his marks, and handballed off when that was the best thing to do. Jack is back in form. - EMMA QUAYLE
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