Media articles & stats: Tigers squeeze past much improved Blues

[one-eyed]

Tigers squeeze past much improved Blues

Herald-Sun
March 25, 2016

THE sigh of relief could be heard all the way down Swan St and back again.

Richmond took the four points against Carlton, but that’s all it took.

Correction, the Tigers took a bludgeoning from the Blues for three-and-a-half quarters and after a pulsating season-opener, only just escaped with their reputation intact.

To be blunt, a Richmond side chasing silverware this season was given heart palpitations by another which finished 2015 as a wooden spoon laughing stock.

The final score was 14.8 (92) to 12.11 (83), with Richmond’s polish at the death and Carlton’s late clangers under fatigue proving the tiniest difference between these two sides.

The Blues led by nine points early in the last quarter and had a chance to send Richmond into panic mode, but a shank attempt from Sam Kerridge and another from straight in front by Levi Casboult gave the Tigers the lifeline they grabbed.

Richmond kicked four of the last five goals of the match, with Sam Lloyd and Jack Riewoldt briefly coming to life at the vital moment, to edge past a dramatically-improved Carlton.

Brendan Bolton’s Blues just kept coming at Richmond, ignoring expectations, predictions and everything else in an MCG cauldron holding 75,706 screaming fans.

The Tigers’ blundering attempts to hold them off — regardless of their absentees — won’t convince anyone they can take the next step that their fans so desperately craved.

There was simply so much to like about Carlton.

The Blues had 45 more disposals, narrowly lost contested ball, won contested ball by 50, had 11 more inside 50s and one more scoring shot.

And the Blues’ press was irresistible. It shocked Richmond and then forced them back and when it didn’t force them back it gave them nowhere to go.

Carlton forced a staggering 37 turnovers in its forward half — the most in a Carlton game since 2002. The reset might have already become a resurgence. There is system and there is organisation.

With the ball they are a different outfit, spreading with intent and scything through the corridor with dare and dash. It was thrilling to watch.

The big three — Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs and Patrick Cripps — were prolific.

Murphy made a mockery of a supposed lack of preparation, coming in off no NAB Challenge games to accumulate 27 possessions, six inside 50s and six tackles in a lion-hearted performance.

His workrate was incredible.

Gibbs, so ordinary in 2015, had 30 and seven tackles. Cripps had a game-high 17 contested possessions and Kade Simpson gave endless drive.

Matthew Wright kicked three goals in the third quarter in his Carlton debut, Blaine Boekhorst is a different player, Nick Graham is thriving with the opportunity and Jacob Weitering had 18 touches and seven marks — three contested — in a sublime debut.

A blunt attack and that final kick inside 50m will be the recurring weakness this season, but when it clicked Richmond felt the heat.

The Tigers were missing Ivan Maric, Brett Deledio, Shaun Grigg and Reece Conca and the glass half-full verdict is that good sides win ugly.

But Damien Hardwick would have gone to sleep well aware there is a stack to work on. The coach shook his head more often than a robotic clown at the local carnival.

Trent Cotchin was quiet, Brandon Ellis at half-back was a fail and they collectively coughed the ball up all night until the last 10 minutes.

Carlton is hunting now, but Richmond escaped. Not everyone will.

RICHMOND 14.8 (92)

CARLTON 12.11 (83)

GOALS

Richmond: Vickery 3, Menadue 2, Riewoldt 2, Lloyd 2, Lambert, Edwards, Vlastuin, C. Ellis, Miles

Carlton: Wright 3, Everitt 2, Lamb, Gibbs, Kreuzer, Murphy, Cripps, Phillips, Walker

INJURIES

Richmond: Nil

Carlton: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stevic, Fleer, Mitchell

Crowd: 75,706 at the MCG

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/collingwood/collingwood-drugs-scandal-up-to-11-players-test-positive-for-illicit-substances/news-story/856df4766c54d7d0d00f58d02fca59d1

[one-eyed]

Tigers surge late to blunt brave Blues

Callum Twomey 
AFL.com.au
March 24, 2016 9:53 PM

IT WASN'T straightforward, there were some nervous moments and it took a final-quarter comeback, but Richmond survived a scare to beat Carlton by nine points in the 2016 season-opener on Thursday night.

The scratchy Tigers overcame a nine-point deficit at three-quarter time to kick four goals to one in the final term, clinching a 14.8 (92) to 12.11 (83) win at the MCG in front of more than 75,000 fans.

But last year's finalists were never comfortable against the 2015 wooden-spooners, who were a lick of class away from handing Brendon Bolton his first win as coach of the club.

Without a handful of key players, including Brett Deledio (quad), Ivan Maric (back), Chris Yarran (foot) and Shaun Grigg (thumb), Richmond looked set to suffer a demoralising round one defeat when Carlton broke away late in the third term.

But through the sheer will of midfielder Kane Lambert (27 disposals, seven tackles and a goal), the class of Dustin Martin (24 touches) and runners Bachar Houli and Brandon Ellis, the Tigers clinched the victory with a barnstorming finish.

"All credit to Carlton. They came in with a plan and they did a pretty good job. They're probably just not at the level where they could finish us off," Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said.

"We're lucky we had a couple of standout performances. Kane Lambert's last quarter was outstanding, he nearly singlehandedly got us over the line."

The Tigers' tidal wave of final quarter forward entries masked Carlton's competitiveness in an entertaining and tight contest.

Blues skipper Marc Murphy was at his clinical best with 27 disposals, while fellow midfielders Bryce Gibbs (30) and Patrick Cripps (27, 17 contested) lifted to the occasion.

But the club's batch of five new faces also contributed, with first-gamer and No.1 pick Jacob Weitering excelling with poise in the back half, and Matthew Wright (three goals), Andrew Phillips (one) and Jed Lamb (one) all hitting the scoreboard. Former Crow Sam Kerridge also gathered 24 touches.

Bolton said the club saw it as a missed opportunity.

"We're disappointed. We always will be when the scoreboard doesn't go our way. [It was] an opportunity lost, particularly when we win the inside-50 count (57-46 entries the Blues' way). It always hurts when you don't win," Bolton said post-game.

Carlton's enthusiasm was noticeable early, but went unrewarded on the scoreboard. The Blues dominated the first five minutes of the clash, tackling, bumping, winning free kicks and having the first five inside-50 entries of the game.

The Tigers steadied briefly to boot the first two goals, but Carlton responded with four of the next six majors to take a three-point lead into quarter-time.

The Blues' intensity was best epitomised by Murphy, who gathered eight touches and kicked a classy goal from the pocket in the opening term. His counterpart, Trent Cotchin, had one touch for the term.

Heading into the contest, it was hard to see how the Blues would be able to manufacture enough goals to match it with most teams this season. But they found ways against Richmond in the first half. The ball was moved sharply and quickly at every chance, and with purpose.

Where they lacked direction last season, Carlton not only had a plan against the Tigers. They also followed it. It was modern football built on frenzied forward pressure, an organised zone structure and a buy-in from every player. It was Carlton as we haven't known it. 

But you can't ignore the fact Carlton finished bottom last year, and one summer doesn't eradicate every issue. Some costly errors in defence saw the Tigers reclaim the lead late in the second term and hold a seven-point advantage at half-time, with Ty Vickery kicking three first-half goals from five disposals.

Although the margin was not significant at the main break, it appeared Richmond had cracked Carlton's running game. However, Murphy's zipping run through the middle of the ground two minutes into the second half led to an early goal for Cripps, and the Blues didn't relent.

Richmond got out to a 15-point lead and got comfortable, before Carlton lifted and kicked the next four goals. Bolton's men led by nine points at the final change, with a shock win within their grasp. When Levi Casboult grasped a floating entry 25 metres in front of goal moments into the fourth term, the Blues could sense a commanding position.

But Casboult shanked the kick – his third costly miss for the night – and kept Richmond in the game.

The Tigers seized the moment, with Jack Riewoldt slotting a set shot before Sam Lloyd's spinning blind turn and left-foot snap put the Tigers back in front. Lloyd snapped another (again on his left foot), the Blues' resistance was broken and the Tigers' relief was palpable.

MEDICAL ROOM

Richmond: Just as the Blues started to lift in the third term, Richmond had some concerns. Key defender Alex Rance spent some time on the interchange bench getting a sore leg looked at, while Shane Edwards also had his hand strapped by club medicos. Both returned to the field and played out the game.

Carlton: It seemed a relatively easy night for the Carlton medical team, with no real injury concerns picked up during the game. The Blues have a 10-day break before their next game so should be able to overcome any knocks or niggles.

NEXT UP
The tasks don't get much easier for the Blues, who meet the Sydney Swans next Sunday at Etihad Stadium. Richmond will be hoping to have star midfielder Brett Deledio (quad) available for its Friday night clash with Collingwood at the MCG. Deledio started running again on Friday and is pushing to be fit.


RICHMOND     4.1   7.2   10.6  14.8 (92)
CARLTON       4.4   5.7   11.9  12.11 (83)

GOALS
Richmond: Vickery 3, Menadue 2, Riewoldt 2, Lloyd 2, Lambert, Edwards, Vlastuin, C. Ellis, Miles
Carlton: Wright 3, Everitt 2, Lamb, Gibbs, Kreuzer, Murphy, Cripps, Phillips, Walker

BEST
Richmond: Rance, Martin, Vickery, Lambert, Menadue, Lloyd
Carlton: Cripps, Murphy, Wright, Gibbs, Kerridge, Docherty

INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Carlton: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stevic, Fleer, Mitchell

Official crowd: 75,706 at the MCG

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-03-24/tigers-surge-late-to-blunt-brave-blues

[one-eyed]

Richmond narrowly avert March horror show

Daniel Cherny
The Age
March 25, 2016


RICHMOND 4.1 7.2 10.6 14.8 (92)
CARLTON 4.4 5.7 11.9 12.11 (83)

Goals:
Richmond: T Vickery 3, C Menadue 2, J Riewoldt 2, S Lloyd 2, A Miles, C Ellis, K Lambert, N Vlastuin, S Edwards.
Carlton: M Wright 3, A Everitt 2, A Phillips, A Walker, B Gibbs, J Lamb, M Kreuzer, M Murphy, P Cripps.

BEST
Richmond: K Lambert, T Vickery, S Lloyd, A Rance, B Ellis, J Riewoldt, D Martin
Carlton: M Murphy, B Gibbs, P Cripps, M Wright, S Kerridge, N Graham.

Umpires: Matt Stevic, Andrew Mitchell, Craig Fleer.
Official Crowd: 75,706 at MCG.

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

March is too early to win a premiership, but it's time enough to lose one. For Richmond, this truism was fast materialising on Thursday night. The Tigers, rightly a top-four aspirant in 2016, stared down an MCG nightmare, with only a final-term flurry seeing Damien Hardwick's men home against last year's wooden-spooners Carlton.

Ten points behind early in the final quarter, Richmond were spared blushes by unheralded goalsneak Sam Lloyd. His two final quarter snaps — bookended by goals to Jack Riewoldt and Anthony Miles — prevented a monumental upset in front of 75,706, as the Tigers clawed home by nine points.

There had been great optimism emanating from Carlton during the off-season, but few Blues fans could have predicted the rewards would come so quickly. After a hellish 2015, Carlton had wanted to turn a new page, and none of their five newcomers let the club down on their first start. Sam Kerridge had shown plenty in the pre-season, but while he was again impressive, it was his ex-Adelaide teammate Matthew Wright, whose three third-quarter majors almost put the game beyond Richmond's reach, who was even better.

If there was a moment that summed up the mood for most of the night, it was late in the decisive third quarter, as Carlton's No. 1 draft pick Jacob Weitering outmarked Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin. The symbolism was clear: the new Blues were proving too much for the old Tigers.

The previous fortnight had been a bad one for Richmond. The Tigers had lost Brett Deledio, Reece Conca, Ivan Maric, Shaun Grigg and Chris Yarran. It showed, with few in the yellow and black able to make an imprint for large portions of the night.

Carlton's midfield justified its reputation as the Blues' strongest division. In a head-to-head battle of the skippers, Marc Murphy trounced Cotchin. Patrick Cripps again showed why he is among the game's brightest stars, while Bryce Gibbs was at his vibrant best.

There was no shortage of early intensity from Brendon Bolton's team. Their  tackling was noticeably zealous. But their major failing in the first term was being over the top. Gibbs charged unnecessarily at Kane Lambert, gifting the Tigers the season's first goal. It was one of three inside-50s given away by the Blues, who, with a bit more finesse and accuracy, would have led by more than three points at the first change.

Richmond surged in the second term, as Ty Vickery momentarily took control inside 50, slotting two of his three goals for the evening, and overturning an 11-point second term deficit. Still the Blues came after half-time, sparking nervous moments for the Tigers' faithful. Had it not been for the likes of Lambert and Dustin Martin, there might have been a few more membership cards strewn around Melbourne's streets on Friday morning.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-report/afl-season-2016-richmond-narrowly-avert-march-horror-show-20160324-gnqprb.html

[Chuck17]

First time I've had a good look at Cripps, he goes all right, could do with him in our side

[WilliamPowell]

Daniel Cherny
The Age
March 25, 2016


BEST
Richmond: K Lambert, T Vickery, S Lloyd, A Rance, B Ellis, J Riewoldt, D Martin

In bold, just shows yet again how journo's are seduced by statistic

20+ odd meaningless possessions don't equate to being in the a sides best

First time I've had a good look at Cripps, he goes all right, could do with him in our side

Totally agree

[🏅Dooks]

Down at The Age they need to put Cherny on the Gurney

[WilliamPowell]

Down at The Age they need to put Cherny on the Gurney

Well Fairfax are in the process of mass sackings so fingers crossed