Tigers vs Saints articles

[one-eyed]

Sluggish start, but Saints hit their straps
By Peter Hanlon
The Age
July 17, 2005
 
ST KILDA 1.4 6.5 9.8 16.10(106)
RICHMOND 3.2 4.4 4.6 5.7 (37)

GOALS St Kilda: Koschitzke 5, Milne 3, Gehrig 2, Peckett, Thompson, Jones, Powell, Ackland, Guerra.
Richmond: Hilton 2, Richardson 2, Deledio.

BEST St Kilda:Koschitzke, Hayes, Dal Santo, Maguire, Jones, Peckett, Fisher.
Richmond: Coughlan, Johnson, Deledio, Knobel, Tuck.

INJURIES St Kilda: Nil.
Richmond: Gaspar (hamstring), Campbell (calf/Achilles tightness), Simmonds (hip tightness)

UMPIRES: Margetts, Grun, Stevic
CROWD: 40,043 at the MCG

Rory Hilton kicked his team's fourth and fifth goals yesterday. In the yawning gap of two full quarters that separated them, the pre-season rating of these teams - St Kilda the contender, Richmond the as-yet unready pretender - was driven home with every one of the nine Saints goals.

St Kilda did not win in every position, nor did it win every statistical battle in the modern game of football by numbers. Trent Knobel's dominance of the many ball-ups gave the Tigers a thumping 60-14 hitouts advantage that translated into success at the clearances at a ratio of four-to-three. Yet never more can the stats cynics have been vindicated.

Winning first use of the ball was one thing, using it to advantage another altogether. The Tigers carried the mud-running form, but after a promising start as the rain tumbled down, they were switched off like a tap when it stopped. Simplistic it may be, but a heavy-hitting, hard-running opponent on a fast-draining surface sapped Richmond not merely of momentum, but the fundamental skills of the game.

Justin Koschitzke was again the game-breaker, his second-quarter shift from ruck to the attacking goal square giving his teammates eyes for someone other than Fraser Gehrig, and giving Richmond a mighty headache. He kicked a career-high five goals, exposed Ray Hall's dislike for life deep in defence, and made the Tigers realise again how much they will miss the injured Andrew Kellaway.

This was a tactical victory for a coaching staff not often lauded for its ability to walk and chew gum simultaneously on match days. Yet in another move of significance, coach Grant Thomas gave the credit to Luke Ball rather than mission control for cancelling out a telling Richmond win.

Ball had one kick to quarter-time and three touches for the first half as Mark Chaffey prepared to add his scalp to those of James Hird and Paul Williams tucked under his belt in the last fortnight. Underscoring his leadership credentials, Ball took himself to half-back, took telling marks and finished the day at his best - with a bandaged head and the ball at his fingertips.

Austinn Jones played forward and played as well as he has for some time, and the defence lost nothing in his absence. Matt Maguire dominated Troy Simmonds at centre half-back, Steven Baker shut out Andrew Krakouer, Max Hudghton curbed Matthew Richardson's dangerous opening, and a mixture of the Clarke brothers, Brett Voss and Sam Fisher were all too happy to get on the end of Richmond's forays forward.

The Tigers could not have asked for a brighter start, and went to the first break with Brett Deledio, Mark Coughlan and Shane Tuck having racked up 24 possessions between them, compared with Ball, Nick Dal Santo and Lenny Hayes with just 11 for the Saints; seven of those came from Hayes, as Coughlan dominated Dal Santo's wing.

On came Andrew Thompson, relishing the conditions and freeing up Dal Santo for an 11-touch quarter, and even as Ball's frustration with his minder led to two downfield frees, Hayes continued to send the Saints forward and Koschitzke assumed the position from which he would kick three goals in five minutes either side of half-time.

Joel Bowden was given the job and kept him to one more, but Koschitzke continued to contribute to a cause that already was won. By the last quarter, Richmond players struggled simply to win a possession; eight had one touch or less for the term.

At the other end, Stephen Milne emerged from hiding to kick three, and the sight of him celebrating in flea-in-a-bottle fashion provided a stomach-churning finish to a dirty day for the Tigers.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/07/16/1121455935779.html?from=storyrhs

[one-eyed]

Tigers fall into the wide gulf of class
The Age
July 17, 2005

Playing St Kilda is becoming a pretty deflating business for Richmond. The Saints' 69-point thumping of the Tigers yesterday was their fifth in a row, the average margin in that sequence about 10 goals. But it's the timing of those ritual thrashings, as much as the size, that continues to provide a very sobering wake-up call to their recipient.

It happened earlier this season, after Richmond had shrugged off an opening-round loss to string three good wins together over Hawthorn, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle, with the Tigers starting to feel pretty good about themselves. Until they ran into the Saints, anyway, who promptly made them look second-rate with a 68-point humiliation.

Yesterday, not a lot appeared to have changed. Richmond had pulled itself from the mire of four straight losses with two gritty victories over Sydney and Essendon. It went into this rematch full of confidence, playing a St Kilda team still missing three key-position players in Nick Riewoldt, Aaron Hamill and Luke Penny, and a dual Brownlow medallist in Robert Harvey. It had a spot in the top eight to protect. But yet again, it was belted.

The consequences are obvious. The finals that looked certain to come the Tigers' way this September may end up another pipedream, with a tough run home, including road trips to play Port Adelaide then Fremantle over the next three weeks, and Geelong at Skilled Stadium in round 22.

But a game like yesterday's might prompt cynical observers to ask what value Richmond would provide if it got there anyway.

Both of those massive losses to St Kilda have shown just how a big a gap still exists between the likes of Terry Wallace's young team, and the class and professionalism of the Saints, which have leapt into the eight but are missing four players without whom they couldn't possibly win a premiership.

Yesterday was a good example of effort versus efficiency, the latter winning hands down. And the figures underlined it in big, bold letters. Despite kicking only two goals to 15 after half-time, Richmond still emerged from a shocking loss having won the hitouts by a massive 60-14, and the clearances by a fairly decisive 40-31. How many times can a team have had that big an edge in two supposedly key areas, yet been thrashed as badly.

Midway through the third term, Richmond still led the inside 50s, but trailed by five goals, having been almost doubled for shots at goal. That isn't a great recommendation for either the Tigers' disposal, or their forward structure. But it said just as much about the importance of St Kilda's hard-working but still creative defence.

The Saints not only survived most of those Richmond forward flurries, but used them as the first steps to attack. Aussie Jones, so often the barometer for St Kilda, had a great afternoon running through the middle to set up his forwards. Matt Maguire, Brett Voss and Xavier Clarke all were effective not only as negators, but instigators of many forward thrusts.

Richmond's defence didn't have that luxury, even with Mark Graham playing as a spare man. The Tigers' hands were too full coping with Justin Koschitzke, Fraser Gehrig and mobile resting ruckman Cain Ackland to think about doing their own damage.

And the shonkiness of some of their disposal going forward didn't suggest opponents will have to start tagging Tiger defenders any time soon.

When St Kilda did strike trouble, such as in Mark Chaffey's job on Luke Ball, which restricted the budding champion to only three possessions by half-time, the Saints had the midfield depth and class to be able to drag Ball back to a back pocket, from where he lifted considerably.

That's another luxury the likes of the Tigers still can't afford.

Effort was enough for Richmond against the dour scrapping of Sydney a fortnight ago, and far too much for a lesser team not prepared to apply itself last week in Essendon. But it was a different story against a St Kilda that consistently used the ball more intelligently and efficiently.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/07/16/1121455935782.html?from=storyrhs

[one-eyed]

Wallace questions his team's ability
17 July 2005   
Sunday Herald Sun
Jackie Epstein

RICHMOND'S buoyant season took a turn for the worse yesterday with another hiding at the hands of the Saints, prompting coach Terry Wallace to question the side's ability.
 
Adding further insult to the 69-point loss was injury to a second key defender in as many weeks.

Full-back Darren Gaspar strained his hamstring in the final quarter and is expected to join Andrew Kellaway on the sidelines.

Wayne Campbell (calf tightness) and Troy Simmonds (hip soreness) also finished on the bench, but both are confident of making the trip to Adelaide to face Port Adelaide on Saturday night.

Wallace said the only positive he could draw after watching his team held to two goals in three quarters was the continued improvement of No.1 draft pick Brett Deledio.

"We might not be good enough, that's probably the starting point at this stage," Wallace said.

"Let's call it as it is. We've made significant ground so far this year and that's terrific, but we want to get up to play against the good sides. And I still call St Kilda an A-grade side.

"We've seen them at their very best both times that we've played them this year and I know they've got a lot of players out.

"And that's the scary thing in the competition, if they could actually get those back together again.

"There's being not good enough and then there's still being able to be competitive and grind it out.

"In the last quarter we had about eight blokes who had just one touch."

The Tigers made a promising start, dominating play with 17 inside 50s in the first term, compared with the Saints' nine.

But once the rain stopped the goals dried and Richmond could manage only 2.5 after quarter-time.

Wallace denied the loss was a reality check but said the team needed to find better ways to rebound.

"It's probably happened to us four or five times this year, so I think that's more the issue," he said.

"People keep saying reality check and we keep coming back from them.

"You've got to keep trying to find another pathway, which we've been able to do for the year so far.

"But we've got to find out why that happens to us and why, when the scoreboard changes, or the feel is that when we're not going to get the result that we want, that we just drop away completely.

"But no excuses. We've got 22 blokes out there but they just didn't do well enough after the initial onslaught."

Wallace said the team would need to win three more games to ensure a finals berth. But he was wary about thinking too far ahead.

"We just need to stick to the grindstone," he said.

"We've been pretty good when we've lost one badly at being able to turn it around."

Scans today will determine how long Gaspar stays out.

"We don't know what the case is yet so we'll deal with that as it comes," Wallace said.

"It's difficult because you start to be down on numbers.

"St Kilda have done very well to be able to cover guys to come in and fill the vacancies.

"We've probably struggled a little bit to find guys to do the same role and that's probably where we are as a squad at the moment."

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,15952751%255E19771,00.html

[one-eyed]

Tigers lack Will-power
18 July 2005   Herald Sun
Bruce Matthews

RICHMOND third-gamer Will Thursfield had been so vigilant to ensure dangerous Stephen Milne didn't wreak his havoc at the spillages.

The Tiger youngster had let Milne touch the ball only four times to three-quarter time and the lively Saint didn't look like doing what he does best: contriving those sneaky, opportunist goals.

Going into time-on in the last term, Milne was still goalless and Thursfield's job was nearly done.

But Milne nailed three of the last four goals to unravel much of Thursfield's sterling work.

As the siren sounded, Thursfield's put his head down, hands on knees and reflected on what might have been before reality hit and he sought his Saint tormentor to shake hands.

The 19-year-old had every right to walk off the MCG on Saturday with his head high.

At least he had followed the script until the last 10 minutes, when the game was long gone anyway.

The Tigers coaching staff shouldn't be so forgiving to several teammates with vastly more experience who fell away when St Kilda turned the pressure hose on them after quarter-time.

Richmond players didn't like a taste of the medicine they had dispensed so admirably in the opening term with their fierce attack on the ball carrier.

It was as if St Kilda coach Grant Thomas simply pointed out to his men that the Tiger way was the right way to approach this crucial contest.

From that point, the more committed Saints dominated the attack on the ball, with onballers Nick Dal Santo and Lenny Hayes lighting the way.

Dal Santo gathered 11 possessions and Hayes nine in the second quarter as the Saints turned the game with surprising ease.

Once St Kilda hit the front midway through the second term, a Richmond response never looked likely, particularly when the Tigers couldn't get the ball within reach of lone forward target Matthew Richardson.

In contrast, the Saints had a host of options each time Dal Santo, Hayes, Austinn Jones or the hard-working Stephen Powell broke through the centre.

Experienced Mark Graham was a loose man to block the Fraser Gehrig lead, but no one could stop Justin Koschitzke's strong marking and deadly shooting, which was at least the equal of the injured Nick Riewoldt.

In what was a hard, bruising contest that can often have an impact the following round, Thomas had the luxury of summoning Gehrig and Koschitzke to the bench well before the final siren.

While St Kilda is working back to form and can only get better when Riewoldt, Aaron Hamill, Robert Harvey and Luke Penny are slotted back in the line-up, Richmond is still to prove it can match strides with the flag contenders.

To play 48 minutes without scoring a goal is bottom-eight stuff.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,15959928%255E19771,00.html

[Piping Shrike]

To play 48 minutes without scoring a goal is bottom-eight stuff.

Wow, and I thought it was top 8 stuff. Thankfully Bruce Matthews' stunning ability to state the obvious has helped me to better understand football.

[mightytiges]

But Milne nailed three of the last four goals to unravel much of Thursfield's sterling work.

I could be wrong but wasn't Hyde on Milne for one of his goals (the push in the back one)  ???

[Tiger Spirit]

"There's being not good enough and then there's still being able to be competitive and grind it out.

"But we've got to find out why that happens to us and why, when the scoreboard changes, or the feel is that when we're not going to get the result that we want, that we just drop away completely.

The most disappointing part of the loss on the weekend, I thought, was that we let the margin blow out to almost 12 goals.

If we were good enough to be in front at quarter time, and to sort of keep up with the opposition for at least half the game, why the no show in the last quarter?
 
It seems too simple to say that we don’t have the players and just aren’t good enough, because that doesn’t stop any team from being competitive; by creating a contest, putting pressure on the opposition and running games out.

As is so often the case in these situations, we just leave it to the usual few to fly the flag.

[WilliamPowell]

The most disappointing part of the loss on the weekend, I thought, was that we let the margin blow out to almost 12 goals.

If we were good enough to be in front at quarter time, and to sort of keep up with the opposition for at least half the game, why the no show in the last quarter?
 
It seems too simple to say that we don’t have the players and just aren’t good enough, because that doesn’t stop any team from being competitive; by creating a contest, putting pressure on the opposition and running games out.

As is so often the case in these situations, we just leave it to the usual few to fly the flag.

Spot on TS - well said.

If it had of blown out by 12 goals even if we were bing competitve then at least you can say they had a dip but in Saturday I walked away thinking where was our fight

[mightytiges]

The most disappointing part of the loss on the weekend, I thought, was that we let the margin blow out to almost 12 goals.

If we were good enough to be in front at quarter time, and to sort of keep up with the opposition for at least half the game, why the no show in the last quarter?
 
It seems too simple to say that we don’t have the players and just aren’t good enough, because that doesn’t stop any team from being competitive; by creating a contest, putting pressure on the opposition and running games out.

As is so often the case in these situations, we just leave it to the usual few to fly the flag.

Spot on TS - well said.

If it had of blown out by 12 goals even if we were bing competitve then at least you can say they had a dip but in Saturday I walked away thinking where was our fight

11 of our blokes with 2 or less possessions in the last quarter said it all  .

The only good thing to come out of all these hidings is that we've consistently shown throughout the year where we are at to Wallace and co. We haven't thrown away the winnable games (exception being the Eagles one perhaps) and we've been pumped by the bustling hard running sides. So the Club should have a good idea of who of our list is willing to sacrifice themselves for the jumper and the team even when things are going against us. The selfish and just plainly not good enough ones will be weeded out.