Errors cost Tigers in defeat
4:42:51 PM Sun 12 June, 2005
Paul Gough
Exclusive to afl.com.au
Richmond is in danger of blowing yet another promising start to a season after the Kangaroos maintained their dominance over the Tigers at Telstra Dome on Sunday.
The Roos, themselves under pressure to stay in the eight following five losses in their past six matches, downed the Tigers for the 21st time in 27 meetings going back to 1990 and for the fourth successive season at Telstra Dome.
Trailing by seven points early in the third term, the Roos were magnificent from that point on going to win 17.7 (109) to 10.20 (80) with Nathan Thompson starring with five goals.
The win lifts the Roos equal with the Tigers on seven wins but it is Richmond that is now struggling to keep its place in the eight particularly with last year's grand finalists Port Adelaide and Brisbane now breathing down their back just outside the top eight.
The Tigers have now lost their past three matches since round nine, echoing their previous fade-outs - which all began one round earlier - in the past three seasons particularly 2003 when they won six of their first eight games only to lose 13 of the last 14.
And on this form the Tigers will struggle to stay in the top eight for much longer.
While there is no doubt the season-ending leg injury suffered by Nathan Brown in round ten has halted the momentum built up under new coach Terry Wallace - when they won seven of the first nine games - it was not the absence of their star goalkicker that cost the Tigers on Sunday.
Rather it was their skill level and poor decision making as they had more than enough chances to take control of the game in the first two-and-a-half quarters against a Kangaroos side that was also lacking confidence.
The Tigers had 18 entries inside their forward 50 to just nine by the Kangaroos in the first term, yet trailed by seven points after kicking a wasteful 2.6 with spearhead Matthew Richardson missing two gettable set shots on the way to 2.5 for the day.
Yet at the ten-minute mark of the third term the Tigers were seven points in front and had the momentum when they self-destructed.
First ruckman Trent Knobel fired off a dreadful handball into open space resulting in a turnover and a goal to Leigh Brown and then Greg Tivendale caused another turnover with an errant handball leading to a goal to Thompson and suddenly the Roos were back in front, a lead they would not surrender again.
Tivendale, a long-time target for Richmond fans because of his poor decision-making, had a disappointing match.
And his effort to play on when lining up for goal from 60 metres only to run straight into three Kangaroos defenders in the second quarter must stand out as one of the most comical moments of the season.
Once the Roos were handed back the momentum through Richmond's errors in the third term they made the Tigers pay dearly as they slammed on six more goals to go into the last change with a five-goal lead.
While the Tigers constantly failed to hit targets when they went forward, the Roos used the ball superbly inside their attacking 50 with Thompson right back to his best while star goalsneak Daniel Motlop will also be better for the run in his first game back following a shoulder re-construction.
Key playmaker Brent Harvey also returned to form with 30 possessions while Glenn Archer and Leigh Colbert were inspirational in defence.
The Tigers' midfielders, led by Kane Johnson and Mark Coughlan, tried hard while Joel was effective in defence but the Tigers made just far too many mistakes and capped off a disappointing day with some dreadful kicking for goal, including 2.8 in the final term.
KANGAROOS: 4.1, 7.7, 14.6, 17.7 (109)
RICHMOND: 2.6, 5.10, 8.11, 10.20 (80)
GOALS – Kangaroos: Thompson 5, Harding 3, Harris 2, Grant 2, Wells, Archer, Brown, Jones, LeCras Richmond: Richardson 2, Krakouer 2, Newman 2, Pettifer, Tivendale, Tuck, Meyer
BEST – Kangaroos: Harvey, Harris, Grant, Brown, Archer, Harding, Colbert, Thompson Richmond: Johnson, Coughlan, Tuck, Bowden, Chaffey, Deledio
INJURIES – Kangaroos: Richmond:
CHANGES – Richmond: Hilton replaced in the selected side by Meyer
REPORTS - Nil
UMPIRES - Grun, Nicholls, Goldspink
CROWD - 40,444 at Telstra Dome
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