Tigers in stunning win over Port
4:51:49 PM Sun 1 May, 2005
Paul Gough
Exclusive to afl.com.au
Port Adelaide's AFL premiership defence is in tatters after the Power threw a five-goal lead to capitulate to last year's wooden spooners Richmond at Telstra Dome on Sunday as the Tigers celebrated Matthew Richardson's 200th game in style.
The Power incredibly did not kick a goal between the 10-minute mark of the second quarter and the nine-minute mark of the final term - during which time Richmond piled on an astonishing 13 unanswered goals in their best performance since 2001 to win 19.9 (123) to 9.13 (67).
After failing against two of last year's preliminary finalists in St Kilda and Geelong already this season, Terry Wallace's new look team proved beyond doubt on Sunday that they are a much-improved side in 2005 and one definitely capable of playing in the finals.
Richmond has now won four of its first six matches after earlier wins against lesser-rated trio Hawthorn, the Bulldogs and Fremantle and now finds itself two-and-a-half games better placed than Port Adelaide - a team which last year won 13 more games than the Tigers.
But that is a sign of just how much Port has declined so far in 2005 as the Power was destroyed not just by Richardson on Sunday - as the big Tiger hero took one of the marks of the year and booted three goals in his milestone game - but by the small forward duo of Nathan Brown and Kayne Pettifer.
Brown booted a match-winning six goals while Pettifer, for so long the most maligned player on the Tigers' list - booted four goals in his best performance of a stop-start 43-game career over the past five years.
However when the game got underway it appeared as though the reigning premiers were going to coast to victory against a Richmond side that strangely started the match with little passion given it was Richardson's milestone game.
The Power totally dominated the opening quarter as Richmond struggled to even get the ball inside its forward 50 and a 20-point lead at quarter-time was little reward for Port's dominance.
They were not helped by poor kicking for goal with skipper Matthew Primus missing two easy set shots in the opening term.
The pattern continued at the start of the second term as Richmond fans grew impatient with their team's poor performance with Troy Simmonds getting the bronx cheers when he took a mark after having dropped a sitter right on the quarter-time siren.
However Port continued to waste chances in front of goal and played as if it thought it was going to cruise to victory against a Richmond side that to that stage of the game looked as if it had not come to play.
And when Michael Pettigrew ran into the easiest of goals at the 10-minute mark Port was 26 points up although it should have been eight goals such had been its dominance.
But inspired by Shane Tuck the Tigers suddenly lifted their intensity and the reigning premier simply could not cope.
The Tigers' onslaught began when Port veteran Gavin Wanganeen was caught in possession - leading to a goal to Brown at the 15-minute mark - and when Richardson passed to Tuck for a goal a few minutes later the comeback was on.
Pettifer then kicked two goals, one coming from an inspirational tackle on the much bigger Toby Thurstans which seemed to lift the entire Richmond side, and when Richardson took a screamer over Thurstans right before half-time and goaled the Tigers went to half-time two points up.
But surely Port would steady at half-time!
However it didn't happen and unbelievably the Tigers' dominance continued in the third quarter as they piled on six goals to nil with Port playing indirect, hesitant football as the Tigers - with Joel Bowden and Mark Coughlan providing great drive in the midfield along with the much-improved Tuck- ensuring that the Tigers' forwards had plenty of chances.
And the few times the ball did get into the Port forward line the Power's star forward Warren Tredrea found himself continually outnumbered by Darren Gaspar, Ray Hall and Andrew Kellaway, who all were superb as Richmond and Richardson - who left the field to a standing ovation late in the game - celebrated one of the Tigers' best wins for years.
RICHMOND: 1.2, 7.4, 13.7, 19.9 (123)
PORT ADELAIDE: 4.4, 6.8, 6.10, 9.13 (67)
GOALS – Richmond: Brown 6, Pettifer 4, Richardson 3, Stafford 2, Tuck, Coughlan, Simmonds, Kellaway Port Adelaide: Tredrea 2, Lade 2, K.Cornes, Pettigrew, Burgoyne, Wanganeen, Primus
BEST – Richmond: Brown, Tuck, Pettifer, Richardson, Bowden, Coughlan, Gaspar Port Adelaide: Burgoyne, Cornes, Wanganeen, Francou
REPORTS - nil
UMPIRES - Ellis, Hendrie, Ryan
CROWD - 21,301 at Telstra Dome
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