Media articles and stats: Finals beckon for tough Tigers after beating Hawthorn

[tony_montana]

X2

I work at news corp, will send Hayes a please explain Monday morning

[smasha]

Incredible butt hurt from Mark Hayes in his article.

Richmond finally get a top 4 scalp and all he can say is it was a poor game.I don't think it was.
The defensive pressure of both teams caused fumbles but it was no where near a poor game.

I wonder who Mark Hayes follows.
Certainly not Richmond.
Butthurt is there for all to see.

Get some nappy rash cream.

[one-eyed]

Richmond beat Hawthorn easily at the MCG in a shock result

    Warwick Green
    From: Herald Sun
    August 03, 2013 5:07PM


RICHMOND needed a big scalp and it worked its backside off to get one.

It was all very well to knock off Port Adelaide and Fremantle, but humbling Hawthorn at the MCG in August carries a certain cachet.

Especially after the Tigers had coughed up a 22-point lead and needed to respond in the second half; and especially when it was a grinding win - not one built on slashing individual performances from the likes of Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio and Dustin Martin.

This was one for the unsung heroes: Players such as Brandon Ellis, Nick Vlaustin and Reece Conca, who harassed, tackled, pushed across and shovelled the ball forwards throughout the match.

Never more was this apparent than midway through the third quarter, with the Tigers leading by five points and the Hawks' runners streaming towards centre-half forward, seemingly destined to regain the lead.

Vlaustin chased down Brendan Whitecross and stripped him of the ball.

Moments later the Tigers had a goal at the other end of the ground, extending their lead to 11 points.

This blue-collar work ethic was evident all over the ground. Steve Morris and Alex Rance had the better of the ever-threatening Cyril Rioli and Lance Franklin.

Up forward, Matt White and Shane Edwards helped apply enormous forward pressure, but also combined to kick four goals.

In the ruck Ivan Maric had the better of three opponents, contributing seven clearances of his own on a day not best suited to big men.

Most importantly the Tigers worked as a team on tactics that strangled Hawthorn's game plan. When the Hawks had the ball from a mark or free kick, Richmond worked incredibly hard to pick up an opponent and to put pressure on Hawthorn's chipping ball movement.

They were determined not to let them have the second pass and create a disposal chain.

On match eve Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson had flagged that contested ball in the midfield was going to be "very critical", warning "Richmond are a really good stoppage side".

So it proved, particularly in the first quarter when, incredibly, Richmond racked up the first 13 clearances of the match and led 16-2 in that count at quarter time. The Tigers also had 38 contested possessions to 18 by the first break.

The Hawks were showing no inclination to push hard to make position, or to do anything resembling unrewarded running.

Clarkson denied during the week that he was loading his players with extra training in the lead-up to the finals, but this looked like a team that was tired and flat and unable to break a line with pace.

After being completely outplayed in the first quarter the Hawks did manage to scrap and scramble their way to three unanswered goals in the second term, each of them caused by solo desperation acts.

They even regained the lead just at half time when Shaun Burgoyne chased down Martin and won a free kick for holding the ball.

He then weighted a beautiful kick into the path of 250 gamer Brent Guerra, who marked and converted.

But the Hawks left too much to too few and none of them the headline acts.

Jarryd Roughead had a shocker, failing to take a mark inside the forward 50 and only making an impact during a brief stint in the ruck. Luke Hodge was unable to have any influence from the back pocket, nor when he was moved to the midfield in the final quarter.

Of the team leaders, only Sam Mitchell, Burgoyne and Brian Lake influenced play.

Isaac Smith and Paul Puopolo tried hard throughout the game.

For the Tigers, it was more difficult to nominate anyone who did not try hard or devote himself fully to the team cause.

It was the sort of football that is a feature od teams who play in September.

Now Richmond gets its chance to be one of them.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-beat-hawthorn-easily-at-the-mcg-in-a-shock-result/story-fndv8t7m-1226690670295#mm-breached

[one-eyed]

The PerthNow link was changed to the Warwick Green article but the Herald-Sun website still has that Mark Hayes' one:

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-prevails-in-scrappy-affair-over-hawthorn/story-fndv8os9-1226690686135

[one-eyed]

Hawthorn flattened: Tigers all but seal elusive finals berth

    Stathi Paxinos
     The Age
    August 4, 2013

RICHMOND  6.4  6.6  10.10  16.11 (107)
HAWTHORN 3.4  6.8    7.10    9.12 (66)

Goals:
Richmond: J Riewoldt 3 D Jackson 2 L McGuane 2 M White 2 S Edwards 2 C Newman D Martin I Maric N Foley S Tuck.
Hawthorn: P Puopolo 2 B Guerra I Smith J Ceglar J Lewis L Franklin L Hodge S Burgoyne.

Best:
Richmond: T Cotchin A Rance T Chaplin J Riewoldt D Martin S Morris.
Hawthorn: S Mitchell I Smith B Lake P Puopolo S Burgoyne.

Umpires: Troy Pannell, Mathew Nicholls, Dean Margetts.
Official Crowd: 64,324 at MCG.

--------------------------------------------------------------

All season Richmond has faced one question – the one that comes from a sudden glimpse of hope after decades of despair. Every week the Tigers are forced to answer whether they really are good enough to mix it with the big boys.

The answer has alternated throughout the year with their results. Losses to the likes of Sydney, Geelong, Collingwood, Essendon, and the disappointing effort against North Melbourne, gave voice to those who believed that the Tigers’ apparent revival was false hope.

But on Saturday against the competition leader, Hawthorn, the answer appeared to be a resounding yes as the Tigers virtually secured their place in the finals with a 41-point win, and  strengthened  the belief of the faithful that the team  has the mental  strength to challenge the more favoured teams.

But what impressed beyond the  winning margin was the way the Tigers  fought back from a poor second quarter to quell the Hawks, who looked as though they would run away with the game after turning an 18-point quarter-time deficit into a two-point half-time lead.

The Tigers twice racked up runs of consecutive goals – five in the first quarter and six over the third and last quarters – while the Hawks’ vaunted  forward line was never in the contest with Lance Franklin, Jarryd Roughead and Jack Gunston contributing only one goal. On the other hand, Jack  Riewoldt  kicked  three  for the Tigers while Luke McGuane added two in the first quarter.

Hawthorn had been beaten only twice this season, both times by Geelong, but  was  thoroughly outplayed by the Tigers in all but the second quarter.

The Tigers  took the honours in the first quarter, opening an 18-point lead  on the back of five consecutive goals as  they dominated the clearances. Late in the term  they led  the clearances 13-0, and went to the first break leading 16-2.

Riewoldt and McGuane both kicked two goals while, at the other end, Franklin managed one but sprayed two others and Roughead had only three  possessions.

The Hawks could not stop the run of the Tigers, with Chris Newman kicking a running goal late in the term. However, Hawthorn kept in touch by scoring the first two goals of the second term, the first to Isaac Smith shortly after the start.

Suddenly  the Hawks were on top, having managed to even up the clearances and, with the Tigers pinned in their defensive 50, the Hawks took a one-point  lead  before half-time when Brent Guerra, playing his 250th game, kicked a goal.

The Hawks went into the main break  with a 6.8 (44) to 6.6 (42) lead after Franklin added a  behind  after the siren. The Hawks did not  capitalise on their momentum, and could have been  several goals ahead having missed good opportunities, including two posters.

The lead was stretched to eight points when Jonathon Ceglar, playing his second game, kicked his first career goal.

But the Tigers regained some composure  when Matt White kicked their first since late in the first quarter and then Nathan Foley took advantage of a goal-line scramble to snap a second  for the Tigers to give them a two-point lead moments before the rain, which had been threatening all afternoon,  started. When Martin took advantage of a turnover and nailed a goal from just outside 50 metres, the Tigers had regained an 18-point lead at three-quarter-time. The last term was a rout with Richmond slamming on six goals to Hawthorn's two.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/hawthorn-flattened-tigers-all-but-seal-elusive-finals-berth-20130803-2r62l.html#ixzz2avfCNP6g

[Yeahright]

I work at news corp

Will be taking your opinion with a grain of salt from now on

[Lozza]

A term used by the commentators during yesterday's game I thought is an important factor when assessing a losing teams performance, its "perceived pressure". The pressure applied by our guys made the Hawks make uncharacteristic errors, this resulted in players even when in the clear missing targets or fumbling. Journos having little respect for our efforts tend to report the old standard, "the opposition were very poor on the day", yes they were poor but that's because we applied pressure all day, resulting in "perceived pressure" hence opposition players are expecting someone to run them down, makes even the most skilful of players make mistakes.

[Judge Roughneck]

I work at news corp

Will be taking your opinion with a grain of salt from now on

 

[Oiafi]

Only we could beat the top side in the competition by 41 points and end up going down a ladder position. Bloody Essendon stuff us up even when the drop their bundle. 

[Smokey]

A term used by the commentators during yesterday's game I thought is an important factor when assessing a losing teams performance, its "perceived pressure". The pressure applied by our guys made the Hawks make uncharacteristic errors, this resulted in players even when in the clear missing targets or fumbling. Journos having little respect for our efforts tend to report the old standard, "the opposition were very poor on the day", yes they were poor but that's because we applied pressure all day, resulting in "perceived pressure" hence opposition players are expecting someone to run them down, makes even the most skilful of players make mistakes.

Agree Lozza.  And while we are on the all important subject of pressure, I notice we got smashed in the tackle count again - 81 to 61.  I wonder if that will make any of those fixated on the importance of high tackle count numbers being integral to success think again?  You can't lay a tackle if you have the ball.

[dwaino]

A term used by the commentators during yesterday's game I thought is an important factor when assessing a losing teams performance, its "perceived pressure". The pressure applied by our guys made the Hawks make uncharacteristic errors, this resulted in players even when in the clear missing targets or fumbling. Journos having little respect for our efforts tend to report the old standard, "the opposition were very poor on the day", yes they were poor but that's because we applied pressure all day, resulting in "perceived pressure" hence opposition players are expecting someone to run them down, makes even the most skilful of players make mistakes.

Agree Lozza.  And while we are on the all important subject of pressure, I notice we got smashed in the tackle count again - 81 to 61.  I wonder if that will make any of those fixated on the importance of high tackle count numbers being integral to success think again?  You can't lay a tackle if you have the ball.

Does it count if we start tackling our own blokes?

[lamington]

The RFC already has a stat for tackles on teammates. They're called Conca Cuddles

[gerkin greg]

Bents using google to translate his posts into English again.

made perfect sense to me, must be starting to speak bentlish

or i'm bent

[dwaino]

Get bent

[tony_montana]

I work at news corp

Will be taking your opinion with a grain of salt from now on

You mean you already weren't?