As poor as the umpiring was, we lost because we got beaten at the centre clearances, had too many brainfades, made sub-AFL standard schoolboy mistakes, missed gettable set shots and for periods of the game a lack of intensity at the footy compared to North and didn't adhere to basic footy strategy.
Brainfades:
1. A.Maric in defensive 50 kicking straight to a North player between two Tigers setting up their first goal.
2. Tuck grabbing ball out of the 'ruck' = another North goal.
3. Newy having a kick smothered playing on from the kick-in. North goal.
4. Two 50m penalties in a minute (one of them Lids mouthing off at ump. Allegedly telling him "oh get #$%@") = two North goals
5. Moore not being aware Petrie was right behind him = North goal.
6. Nahas and Tuck both not laying a hand on a North player running out of defence. Rebound goal to North.
7. McGuane slinging Petrie out of the way when Petrie wouldn't have got hands to the marking contest. Goal to North.
8. Cotch's kick to Matt Campbell = Goal to North.
So that's 8 gifted goals just there. Half North's tally.
Then add the 5 missed gettable shots in a row in the 2nd quarter (Cotch, Dusty, McGuane and Jacko twice) and McGaune missing from 12m out in the 3rd
.
Then add up all the poor disposal where we missed open targets by foot all day under no physical pressure which AFL standard footballers should not stuff up that often. It would've gifted North a few more goals from turnovers or at least broken down our ability to get some overlap going depriving us of goal opportunities.
Then add the number of times we had not one midfielder running hard to the fat side as we came out of defence down one-side. It meant our half-backs had to stop and wait for enough numbers to move across to the wing slowing the play and allowing North to get numbers into defensive positions further upfield.
Our small forwards especially in the first half kept dragging themselves and their opponents to the marking contest rather than being front and square for the spill.
Although it didn't cost us any goals thankfully, Richmond players still don't understand the rushed behind rule. It's not the time to hold a committee meeting on what to do with the footy
.
There were also a few times we kept the ball in from going over the boundary for a throw-in even though we were outnumbered which allowed North to gain possession and go into attack. Dumb dumb dumb. Not playing the percentages where a gain in field position would've been a win for us anyhow.
Plenty of things for Dimma and the coaching staff to bring up and go through with the players in the review today. It's mostly dumb stuff that we need to weed out for us to become a genuine finals side and contender in the next couple of years.
