VFL Tigers defeat Carlton in final practice matchBy Zakariya El-Houli
Richmond Media
16 March 2024Richmond VFL defeated Carlton by 54 points in their fourth-and-final practice match of the pre-season on Thursday.
In the curtain-raiser to the AFL matchup between the two sides, the VFL Tigers topped Carlton 14.13 (97) to 6.7 (43), and exited the pre-season with an even 2-2 record.
Led by returning skipper Lachlan Street, the Tigers started strong.
Goals from McAuliffe, Olden and Clarke in the first term against Carlton’s lack thereof set the tone for the evening.
The Tigers entered the first break with a 23-point lead, and Carlton never had a sniff back in.
In the second quarter, a fast-starting Tiger outfit saw Mykelti Lefau kick two goals in the opening two minutes.
Carlton put three majors on the scoreboard in the quarter, but it was strong defensive efforts from Mutaz El Nour and Tom Brown to continuously repel Carlton’s entries that kept them at arms-length.
Returning skipper Lachlan Street took advantage of a sleeping Carlton defence who didn’t man the mark from a free kick, as he waltzed in and slotted his first.
Jacob Koschitzke and Matthew Coulthard would also hit the scoreboard for the Tigers, but the highlight of the quarter certainly came from Judson Clarke, who brilliantly kept the ball alive deep in the pocket and snapped through his second.
Within the first minute of the second-half, McAuliffe kicked his second goal via a 50-meter bomb, extending the Tigers dominant halftime lead.
Carlton would repel several Tiger entries throughout the quarter; however, a crafty Coulthard created two goals - setting up Olden and Brindley to hit the scoreboard.
The third term marked another goalless quarter for the Blues, and the Tigers entered the final quarter of their pre-season ahead by 60 points.
The final quarter saw the Tigers convert two majors through Steely Green and Samson Ryan – who dominated the air in the quarter.
Carlton would peg four goals back in the last interval, but the scoreline reflected the Tiger’s dominance over four quarters.
The Tigers were dominant from the word go, and have exited the pre-season with an even record of 2-2 from their four practice games.
Richmond VFL will now look ahead to its Round One clash with Gold Coast on March 23 at People First Stadium.
Goals: McAuliffe (2), Clarke (2), Lefau (2), Olden (2), Ryan, Green, Brindley, Koschitzke, Coulthard, Street,
https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1506151/vfl-tigers-defeat-carlton-in-final-practice-match
