Paper TigerBy Paul Daffey
afl.com.au
Fri 01 Jun, 2012IT'S NOT quite Collingwood v Hawthorn at Victoria Park — the Hawks entered the VFL in 1925 but failed to win at Collingwood's home ground until they fell in by a point in 1960.
But Richmond's current hoodoo against St Kilda is bleak by modern standards.
The Tigers have failed to defeat St Kilda since round four, 2003. They've lost all 10 of their games against the Saints at Etihad Stadium.
Even the draw between the teams at the MCG in round two last season is laced with pain.
The Tigers came so close — and yet Chris Newman, who played in the 2003 match, remains the only current Tiger to have enjoyed the sensation of playing in a Richmond victory over St Kilda.
Besides the draw, the closest the Tigers have come to defeating the Saints during this period of darkness was in round seven, 2008.
St Kilda went into the match in ninth position on the ladder with a 3-3 record after an unconvincing start to its second season under coach Ross Lyon.
Richmond, under fourth-year coach Terry Wallace, was 10th with two wins and a draw.
Both teams needed a win to confirm that they were on track for the finals.
The Tigers won all the statistical indicators. They had more inside 50s (54-40) and they won more clearances (42-26). The contested possession differential was a whopping 53 in favour of the Tigers. Richmond should have won in a canter.
If not for wasteful disposal, they surely would have.
The scoreboard, however, tells of an even contest. The Saints led by three points at quarter-time and Richmond led by 11 points at half-time.
St Kilda kicked five unanswered goals early in the third quarter before Richmond replied with three straight of their own.
The Saints were struck a blow when captain Nick Riewoldt injured his knee during a tackle by Richmond defender Luke McGuane in the quarter. He would take no further part in the match.
Robert Harvey, the 36-year-old champion midfielder, pulled one back for the Saints in the shadow of three-quarter time.
Richmond led by a point at the final break.
Stephen Milne was on fire for the Saints while 33-year-old Matthew Richardson was galloping around like a colt for the Tigers.
Richo kicked a goal to open the last quarter. Milne kicked two for the Saints.
Charlie Gardiner kicked another for the Saints.
Richo booted one for the Tigers. Nathan Brown snapped a brilliant goal for the Tigers at the 17-minute mark.
Milne provided the final salvo for the Saints. His major at the 23-minute mark was his third for the quarter and his seventh for the match.
The Saints were four points ahead.
The ball travelled from end to end in a thrilling finish as both teams tried to conjure a goal.
Richmond defender Kelvin Moore had the chance to steal the match with one minute remaining. His set shot from 45 metres out dead in front hit the left goalpost.
The Saints were ahead by three points.
From the kick-out, St Kilda gained possession on the wing and the Tigers' hopes looked forlorn.
But with seconds left, Richmond midfielder Nathan Foley emerged with the ball and steadied before kicking in the direction of 19-year-old full-forward Jack Riewoldt.
Riewoldt flew above a pack to take the mark. He went back to take his kick as the siren rang. He was outside the 50-metre arc at half-forward.
It was a tough shot, especially for a teenager in his 12th game. There appeared only a slight chance of him getting the distance.
Riewoldt was shattered when his kick failed to reach the goalline. He sank to his knees as teammates moved in to commiserate.
His cousin, St Kilda's Nick, emerged from the bench to comfort him.
As it happened, Jack Riewoldt's seven marks and one goal had confirmed that the Tigers might finally have a successor to Richo deep in attack.
Richardson's game confirmed his extraordinary early-season form. He took 13 marks and had 22 disposals while roaming between the wing and full-forward.
He finished with five goals.
The excitement didn't end there. As the dust settled, it was revealed that the timekeepers had sounded the siren 14 seconds too early.
At the time, Wallace cursed the lost seconds and urged the AFL to take measures to ensure such a mistake wouldn't happen again.
Recalling the match this week, Wallace said those seconds might have made all the difference.
Riewoldt might have been able to pick out a loose teammate inside 50. That player would have had a shot closer to goal.
Even so, Wallace said Richmond had had their chances to win but had blown them.
"It was a lost opportunity," he said.
"We'd completely smashed them in the contested ball area and, from memory, clearances.
"I remember talking to a match committee member after the game saying this one would come back to bite us — and it did."
Richmond's loss momentarily curtailed its momentum. In the second half of the season it surged to win eight of its last 11 games.
The Tigers missed out on the finals by half a game, finishing ninth.
St Kilda went on to win 13 games and finish fourth.
Wallace this week recalled his initial reaction after the three-point loss to the Saints.
"I thought, 'Are we ever going to beat this mob?'"
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