Media articles & stats: Tigers salute against Lions

[one-eyed]

Match report: No pride for Lions as Tigers rule the jungle

AFL.com.au
26 June 2016

RICHMOND                5.4       9.8       14.11    17.15     (117)
BRISBANE LIONS     2.0       4.0       6.3        11.9       (75)

GOALS
Richmond: Riewoldt 4, Edwards 2, Menadue 2, Lloyd 2, Vlastuin 2, Deledio, Cotchin, Vickery, Miles, Ellis
Brisbane Lions: Hipwood 3, Taylor 2, Green, Walker, Schache, Jansen, Martin, Hanley

BEST
Richmond: Martin, Riewoldt, Vlastuin, Ellis, Menadue, Rance
Brisbane Lions: Hipwood, Mayes, Rockliff, Jansen, Mathieson

INJURIES
Richmond: Hampson (knee)
Brisbane Lions: Robinson (concussion)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Fisher, Margetts, Dalgleish, Chamberlain

Official crowd: 28,883 at the MCG

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RICHMOND star Dustin Martin is becoming a stronger Brownlow Medal chance by the week after another superb performance in the Tigers' 42-point win against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday.

Martin is in career-best form and added another best-on-ground performance to his resume against the Lions, spearheading the 17.15 (117) to 11.9 (75) win.

The powerful onballer was a class above in an otherwise forgettable clash, finishing with a game-high 35 possessions, six clearances and 10 inside 50s against a team that lacked answers all over the ground.

He made the centre square his own, winning five centre clearances, and while his trademark 'don't argue' doesn't appear on the stats sheet, there was more than a handful of those.

Saturday's match was billed as a battle between Martin and Lions' stopper Mitch Robinson, who has taken some notable midfield scalps in recent weeks.

But that battle was over early in the second quarter when Robinson left the ground with concussion after a clash with Tigers hard nut Jacob Townsend, ending his day and forcing Daniel Rich to take up the job.

At that point, the clash between these two teams was already over.

The Lions started in a flurry in the opening 10 minutes, targeting opposition skipper Trent Cotchin off the ball and kicking the opening two goals. 

Their skills quickly deteriorated, however, and their method followed quickly out the door as the Tigers slammed on the next five goals to build a 21-point lead at quarter-time.

The trend for the match was set for the next two quarters as Richmond did as it pleased, building and building its lead to a match-high 56 points at the final change.

But in an example of why the Tigers have lost touch with this season's top-eight, they took their foot off the pedal and let the Lions control play in the final term, losing the final term by 14 points.

The Tigers butchered a series of goal-scoring opportunities, finessing and taking the more difficult option when simple play would have seen them steam further ahead.

As a result they missed an opportunity to build valuable percentage and confidence, with coach Damien Hardwick appearing frustrated on the boundary line.

"I would've like to have played a little bit better at the back end of the game … to finish off as we did was disappointing," Hardwick said.

"We probably missed some scoring opportunities that we didn't quite take advantage of.

"It was probably one of those frustrating games that we probably couldn’t get the dominance that we were after."

Hardwick's frustration was compounded in the final two minutes when ruckman Shaun Hampson, who has re-established himself in the past two months, limped from the ground with a right knee injury.

While Martin shone brighter than all on the ground, key forward Jack Riewoldt booted four goals and Nick Vlastuin was a rock in defence and pushing further up the ground with 22 possessions and two goals. 

Connor Menadue played arguably his best game for the Tigers, finishing with 19 possessions and two goals, with defender Nathan Broad making his debut and appearing comfortable in what was a casual day for the defenders.

There were few winners for the Lions, with Eric Hipwood providing a silver lining in his second game, booting four goals. 

Coach Justin Leppitsch said he was encouraged by the Lions' final quarter. 

"We started to take the game on and play some bold footy," the coach said.

"It was obviously too little too late, but that was encouraging and the never-give-up attitude was the pleasing part."

MEDICAL ROOM
Richmond: Ruckman Shaun Hampson will undergo scans for a right knee injury after a nasty clash in the centre with opposition big man Stefan Martin. The Tigers were confident post-match that the injury was not serious.

Brisbane Lions: Mitch Robinson failed his concussion test early in the second quarter and was ruled out by the doctors, but he was keen to play on and was fine post-match.

NEXT UP
Richmond has the chance to square its season at 7-7 when it travels to face Port Adelaide next Friday night. The Lions have a much-needed bye before facing Gold Coast in the QClash, which provided their only win for the season so far back in round four.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-06-25/match-report-no-pride-for-lions-as-tigers-rule-the-jungle

[one-eyed]

Tigers thump Lions in Saturday snoozefest

Sam Edmund
Herald Sun
26 June 2016

SEINFELD was a show about nothing that became legendary. This was a game about nothing that should never be spoken of again.

If we are to call it as we see it in this caper, then the truth is that Richmond’s beating of the Brisbane Lions was a completely yawn-inducing affair.

A Lions side that hasn’t won a game since mid-April played true to form — poorly — against a Tigers side that should have won by a lot more.

Brisbane kicked the first two goals, but its competitiveness evaporated after all of 10 minutes. The Tigers kicked the next five goals in the next 10 minutes, Lions heads swiftly dropped and the next three quarters were like a slow death.

Richmond led by 22 at quarter-time, 38 at halftime and 56 at three-quarter time before saluting by 42 points.

The Tigers finished with 32 scoring shots to 20 and took a staggering 25 marks inside 50m — a whopping 14 more than the AFL average.

But such was the low quality of their opposition, they were asked no questions and put under no pressure. It was four quarters of one-way traffic that made it impossible to learn anything about Richmond.
Jack Riewoldt clunks a strong pack mark. Picture: Colleen Petch

The Lions could manage only 55 tackles. The Tigers only stuck 48 themselves. It was that sort of game.

The formline says Richmond has won five of their last six to still have a sniff of September, but only the most one-eyed Tiger fanatic will claim they were anything but average.

Indeed, for a large chunk of the third quarter they looked like a mid-table side trying to be the Harlem Globetrotters as the showboating and wasted goalscoring opportunities permeated their game.

What will anger Damien Hardwick the most is that when the Lions were on their knees at three-quarter time, Richmond chose to switch off instead of going for the jugular.

Hardwick stormed down to the bench with five minutes remaining to fire a few verbal bullets. It didn’t stop his side from being outscored in the last half-hour.

It was a Tigers game with the usual passengers and the usual contributors, but as they say in the classics, a win is a win. In this most even of seasons, they will believe.

And when Dustin Martin is in this sort of form, perhaps that belief is justified. Lions hard man Mitch Robinson went the hard tag from the first bounce, but suffered concussion from a game-ending by Jacob Townsend early in the second quarter.
Justin Leppitsch tries to rally his players at three-quarter time. Picture: Colleen Petch

Mind you, Martin already had 11 touches and four clearances by then anyway. By the final siren, and with Robinson out of the picture, his balance sheet glowed with 35 possessions, five centre clearances, 10 inside 50s and two score assists.

Jack Riewoldt’s excellent season continued and many Richmond goals came from his creativeness and skill, while Connor Menadue played the best game of his young career in perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the game if you’re of the yellow and black persuasion.

Brandon Ellis (28 touches) was a key beneficiary of a no-pressure game, but torched Pearce Hanley in their head-to-head battle. Trent Cotchin and Tom Rockliff also went one-on-one in an at times physical clash that probably ended square.

Nick Vlastuin had it 22 times at 95 per cent efficiency and was assured in possession when that hasn’t always been the case.

But Ty Vickery remains a mystery. He was again quiet, finishing with one goal from 10 possessions. Vickery’s struggles were laid bare by the fact Lions kids Eric Hipwood (three goals) and Josh Schache (one goal, three score assists) showed more in a forward line that saw 25 fewer inside 50s.

Jarrad Jansen will also warm Lions hearts, but that’s where the positives end. The Lions are inexperienced at both ends, horribly undermanned in the middle and when you throw in a lack of desire and confidence you get a disaster zone.
Anthony Miles wins a free kick before registering Richmond’s first goal of the game. Picture: Colleen Petch

RICHMOND 5.4 9.8 14.11 17.15 (117)

BRISBANE LIONS 2.0 4.0 6.3 11.9 (75)

GOALS

Richmond: Riewoldt 4, Edwards 2, Menadue 2, Lloyd 2, Vlastuin 2, Deledio, Cotchin, Vickery, Miles, Ellis

Brisbane Lions: Hipwood 3, Taylor 2, Green, Walker, Schache, Jansen, Martin, Hanley

BEST

Richmond: Martin, Riewoldt, Menadue, Grigg, Miles, Vlastuin, Ellis, Cotchin

Brisbane Lions: Rockliff, Mayes, Bastinac, Martin, Hipwood, Jansen, Schache

INJURIES

Richmond: Hampson (knee)

Brisbane Lions: Robinson (concussion)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Fisher, Margetts, Dalgleish, Chamberlain

Official crowd: 28,883 at the MCG

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-defeats-brisbane-in-yawninducing-affair-at-the-mcg/news-story/10dced7086be92ba00ce53bc75c6c709

[one-eyed]

Richmond Tigers v Brisbane Lions: Dustin Martin stars as Tigers put the bite on limping Lions

The Age
June 26, 2016

RICHMOND 5.4  9.8  14.11  17.15 (117)
BRISBANE LIONS 2.0  4.0  6.3  11.9 (75)

Goals:
Richmond: J Riewoldt 4 C Menadue 2 N Vlastuin 2 S Edwards 2 S Lloyd 2 A Miles B Deledio B Ellis T Cotchin T Vickery.
Brisbane Lions: E Hipwood 3 L Taylor 2 J Green J Jansen J Schache J Walker P Hanley S Martin.

Best:
Richmond: Martin, Cotchin, Ellis, Miles, Rance, Hampson, Conca, Riewoldt.
Brisbane: Schache, Martin, Rockliff

Umpires: Jeff Dalgleish, Ray Chamberlain, Dean Margetts, Leigh Fisher.
Official Crowd: 28,883 at MCG.

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Richmond may have banned a Melbourne radio network from pre and post-match interviews on Saturday as a result of the derogatory comments made about The Age's chief football reporter, Caroline Wilson. It was a stand the players wanted to make, and that was followed through.

But, once their 42-point crunching of the Brisbane Lions was completed on a chilly afternoon at the MCG, there surely wouldn't have been much for the players to say.

The Lions, as has been the case for most of the season, were terrible, bar a belated - and almost meaningless - fightback in the final term. The bottom line being, the less said about this clash, the better, for there was little learnt about each team.

It began in a scrap, with both sides turning the ball over too often in the opening 10 minutes. Then came two goals to the Lions, the first a sign of what they hope is to come over the years when rookie Josh Schache, a potential franchise player, marked and snapped truly.

From there, the Tigers took hold, and ensured their finals hopes continued to flicker, posting their fifth win in their past six matches.

Anthony Miles stopped the Lions' momentum when awarded a dubious free kick for a high tackle by Tom Rockliff. Miles appeared to lean into the tackle, ensuring Rockliff's hands went high, when the right call should have been holding the ball. It was yet another instance of a player taking advantage of this contentious interpretation - and something the coaches are likely to discuss at Tuesday's off-the-record chat with league chief, Gillon McLachlan.

The Lions are a club struggling on and off the field but they didn't do themselves any favours when the contest was alive. By quarter-time, the Tigers had gathered 18 intercepts through the midfield, and punished the visitors on the scoreboard. The Lions' woes by foot, a major issue in the past month, continued through the game.

As expected, tagger Mitch Robinson, with several high-profile scalps, went to Dustin Martin, but it was the Tiger who showed why he has emerged as a Brownlow Medal fancy. He had eight touches, including two centre clearances and two inside 50s, in the opening stanza, ensuring the Tigers had control. Martin would finish the day with 35 disposals, 729 metres gained and, quite possibly, the three votes.

The Lions weren't helped when Robinson, accidentally hit high by Jacob Townsend (a late inclusion for Ben Griffiths) when both sought a loose ball, left with concussion in the second term, and did not return. But their leaders failed to deliver.

Rockliff finds plenty of the ball but does nothing with it, too often going short or sideways. Along with Pearce Hanley and Daniel Rich, the trio had only four effective kicks by half-time. That's not good enough in a young team desperate for direction.

Reece Conca, having had another year interrupted by injury, silenced Hanley. The dashing Irishman's frustration was palpable in the third term when he argued a call by umpire Ray Chamberlain and conceded a 50-metre penalty - leading to a goal by Nick Vlastuin, who was superb by foot all day.

The misery continued for the Lions after the main break, although under-weight forward Eric Hipwood, in his second game, impressed with his attack on the ball. Schache also showed he was able to create when he drifted further up the field.

For the Tigers, it was a case of filling their boots - and frustrating coach Damien Hardwick with their lairising. So angry was Hardwick that he left the coach's  box with seven minutes remaining in the match and relayed this to his players on the bench.

As former Tigers coach Danny Frawley said, they are an "average team at best", and this sort of play - highlighted by Sam Lloyd's botched handball to Riewoldt in the third term when he was about 20 metres from goals - was not a good look.

This sort of play is unlikely to go unpunished  by the Power when they clash in Adelaide on Friday night. The Tigers will hope ruckman Shaun Hampson, who hobbled off late with a sore knee, will be fit.

For the Lions, the performance did nothing to buoy spirits ahead of Saturday night's Hall-of-Fame dinner.

Coach Justin Leppitsch heads into the bye week with his future a point of conjecture. The Lions are rebuilding, and the process was always going to be challenging, but the win-loss record always tells the tale. He could be coaching for his job immediately after the break, for the Lions face fellow strugglers Gold Coast and the Bombers within a three-week period. Should they lose both, there may be no coming back.


Votes

8: Dustin Martin (Richmond)

7: Brandon Ellis (Richmond)

7 : Trent Cotchin (Richmond)

7: Anthony Miles (Richmond)

7: Nick Vlastuin (Richmond)

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-report/richmond-tigers-v-brisbane-lions-dustin-martin-stars-as-tigers-put-the-bite-on-limping-lions-20160625-gprpvy.html#ixzz4CbKbCzNJ