Roll on round one as Richmond are readyPeter Ryan
The Age
8 March 2018With only Dion Prestia, Bachar Houli and Dan Rioli in doubt, the Tigers will head into round one against Carlton at the MCG on Thursday, March 22, full of confidence.
North Melbourne showed some good signs early in the game with brave ball movement out of defence and through the corridor and the tactic worried the Tigers.
However, their inability to convert kept the Tigers in the hunt and after half-time Richmond tightened up and the Kangaroos struggled to even get the ball out of defence, let alone run it from end to end.
The Tigers also hurt the Kangaroo turnovers, outnumbering their opponents and sweeping the ball forward with Jarrad Waite, who played 11 games in a Carlton jumper at Ikon Park as a youngster, making the biggest mistake of the first half when he missed a switch kick that led to Kane Lambert's third goal of the second quarter.
Lambert, who was third in last year's best and fairest, was helping the Tigers dominate at ground level inside 50.
Meanwhile, forgotten North Melbourne midfielder Ben Jacobs was back in his familiar tagging role keeping Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin honest whenever he stood beside them but those Tigers are harder to quell these days.
Martin, who came close to accepting a godfather offer from North Melbourne last season, created more than one scoring opportunity out of nothing when he won the ball in tight.
How much difference he would have made to each club's immediate fortunes if he'd swapped jumpers will remain a moot point now, but was an interesting question for fans to ponder as the game petered out.
Kangaroos' coach Brad Scott said Richmond were impressive and looked to have improved with their ability to punish turnovers.
Richmond rested Alex Rance in the second half and gave Jack Riewoldt a breather in the final quarter to ensure they are fit and ready for the season-opener.
The Kangaroos' youngster's time will come, but for now it is Tiger time with Richmond ready to roll into round one as premiership contenders.
Richmond: 3.4 8.6 13.10 19.14 (128)
North Melbourne: 3.3 4.7 7.8 8.10 (58)
BEST
Richmond: Martin, Edwards, Lambert, McIntosh, Vlastuin, Nankervis, Riewoldt
North Melbourne: Higgins, Macmillan, Cunnington, Jacobs, Ziebell
GOALS
Richmond: Lambert 4, Riewoldt 3, Moore 2, Butler 2, Bolton, McIntosh, Cotchin, Caddy, Lloyd, Townsend, Castagna, Grigg
North Melbourne: Waite 2, Brown, Goldstein, Garner, Turner, Higgins, Hrovat
CROWD 4197, at Ikon Park
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/roll-on-round-one-as-richmond-are-ready-20180307-p4z3c0.html----------------------------------------------------------------
Richmond v North Melbourne report - JLT Series SAM EDMUND,
Herald Sun
8 March 2018RICHMOND has sent a message to the rest of the competition with another thumping JLT Series win ahead of Round 1 after disposing of North Melbourne by 70 points at Ikon Park on Wednesday night.
The Tigers brought immense pressure against the Kangaroos, who despite a good first half, were blown away by the reigning premiers after the main break.
NO TIGER HANGOVERTHE word hangover can probably be forgotten now.
Yes it’s the JLT series and yes, this was a belting of a rebuilding North Melbourne. But throw it on top of last week’s dismantling of Essendon and most importantly, the manner in which they’re playing, and ominous is a more appropriate term.
They are just belting teams, dating back to Round 22 last year.
On Wednesday night it was a nine-goal run across the second and third quarters that knocked the stuffing out of the Roos before the wound was salted with the last six unanswered.
For a time, the Tigers’ pressure was so suffocating North couldn’t get the ball past half way.
Toby Nankervis continues to prove the shrewd bargain acquisition, Kane Lambert’s 2017 was no fluke and likewise for Dan Butler. Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin, Jacob Townsend, Jack Graham and Josh Caddy are still the uber aggressive ball-hunters who float seamlessly between midfield and forward.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/no-premiership-hangover-for-richmond-in-2018-after-dominant-70point-win-over-north-melbourne/news-story/d0e3bc5a6f9da4f5d00c07087061dc5d