Media articles and stats: Easy does it for terrific Tigers over Freo

[one-eyed]

Match report: Easy does it for terrific Tigers

Ashley Browne
afl.com.au
May 6, 2018 3:43PM

RICHMOND      4.5   7.11   7.16    15.20 (110)
FREMANTLE     1.1    1.3     4.8       4.9 (33)

GOALS
Richmond: Riewoldt 3, Lambert 2, Townsend 2, Houli, Higgins, Lloyd, McIntosh, Conca, Caddy, Graham, Castagna
Fremantle: Brayshaw, Ballantyne, McCarthy, Cox

BEST
Richmond: TBC
Fremantle: TBC

INJURIES

Richmond: Prestia (calf)
Fremantle: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Haussen, Meredith

Official crowd: 43,240 at the MCG

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GIVEN their day started with a group photo at neighbouring Punt Road Oval to celebrate the club reaching 90,000 members, festive Richmond fans came to the MCG on Sunday looking for a performance rather than contest.

Which is precisely what they got. The Tigers (6-1) dominated Fremantle (3-4) from the get-go, romping to a 77-point win, 15.20 (111) to 4.9 (33), that keeps them on top of the ladder with almost a third of the season gone.

Richmond kept Fremantle to just 1.3 in the first half, the Dockers' equal second-lowest first-half score in club history.

But the die was cast before then, with the visitors sticking just four tackles in the first quarter. To call it bruise-free footy would be to heap too much praise.

That's not to say there wasn't some interest.

On a weekend when the AFL's goal review has been a talking point, two apparent Richmond goals in the second term – to Dustin Martin and then Josh Caddy – were overturned when players from both sides had headed back to the middle of the ground to set up for the next bounce.

Both calls were correct, but the process and the timing will be a discussion point, with Richmond coach Damien Hardwick, a leading critic of aspects of the goal review system, notably peeved in the coaches' box after the Caddy goal was overturned.

Hardwick would also have been disappointed with the third term, in which the Tigers added just five points in their first goalless quarter of football since round nine last year against Greater Western Sydney.

Ever so briefly the margin dropped to four goals as the Dockers finally played some attacking and direct footy, but the ladder leaders asserted themselves again with eight unanswered goals in the final quarter with to round out the thumping win.

It was the consummate team performance from the Tigers.

Jack Riewoldt (three), Kane Lambert and Jacob Townsend (two each) were the only multiple goal scorers. Martin (26) led the Tigers in possessions without ever appearing to get out of second gear. It is as though the superstar knows there are bigger fish to fry than Fremantle in May.

Alex Rance was great in defence, Kane Lambert's improvement was underlined once again and Bachar Houli, Kamdyn McIntosh and Josh Caddy were consistent throughout. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

And while the Dockers had the decided edge in clearances, 44-22, the Tigers barely missed injured skipper Trent Cotchin, a late withdrawal from a knee injury.

Fremantle's best was Nat Fyfe, who was tireless with 33 touches. He really is getting back to his best, but the support cast around him isn't what it used to be, and the Dockers sorely missed the injured Michael Walters for the x-factor and he brings to the forward line.

Four goals on a still, dry day at the MCG was a pitiful return and was the club's fourth-lowest score ever.

MEDICAL ROOM: Tiger Dion Prestia had some ice applied to his lower leg late in the match, but seemed OK afterwards. Cotchin was a late withdrawal. The main injury to the Dockers was on the scoreboard.

NEXT WEEK: A rare game away from the MCG for the Tigers as they travel across town to Etihad Stadium for a Mother's Day match-up with the in-form North Melbourne. The Dockers host floundering St Kilda on Saturday night at Optus Stadium.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-06/match-report-richmond-v-fremantle

[one-eyed]

Another fourth-quarter blitz for Richmond in Docker demolition

By Ronny Lerner
The Age
7 May 2018

RICHMOND 4.5, 7.11, 7.16, 15.20 (110)
FREMANTLE 1.1, 1.3, 4.8, 4.9 (33)

An inaccurate Richmond have made their best start to a season since 1995 after thumping Fremantle by 77 points at the MCG on Sunday.

The Tigers sharpened up in front of the big sticks in the final quarter, piling on eight goals to one behind to steamroll the Dockers 15.20 (110) to 4.9 (33) - Fremantle’s fourth-lowest ever score – after the visitors showed some fighting spirit in the third term.

There was little standing in their way at the MCG as they blew away the Dockers with a 77 point victory.

Having lost their previous three meetings with Fremantle at the venue, the Tigers emphatically turned the tables, restricting the visitors to two goalless quarters and improving to a 6-1 win-loss record in the process – one win shy of their 7-0 start 23 years ago.

Captain Trent Cotchin (knee) was a late withdrawal, but his absence didn’t stop Richmond from extending their club record winning run at the MCG to 13 matches and they will now occupy top spot three weeks in a row for the first time since 1995 as well.

The only downside to the result for the Tigers was Dion Prestia appearing to injure his calf or Achilles.

Richmond won the disposals convincingly 402-344 but incredibly also smashed Fremantle for tackles 68-39 while also enjoying 21 more inside 50s (63-42)

Fremantle dominated the clearances 44-22 and contested possessions 146-127, but were ineffectual with the ball.

Kane Lambert starred for the Tigers with 25 disposals (11 contested), four clearances and two goals, Bachar Houli provided great dash, Dustin Martin (26 disposals) could have been best on ground but had to settle for four behinds while the defensive troika of Dylan Grimes, David Astbury and Alex Rance was outstanding.

Despite the thumping loss for Fremantle, such was the even contribution from the Tigers across the board, Dockers captain Nat Fyfe was arguably best on ground with 33 touches (26 contested), 12 clearances and eight marks.

Lachie Neale (35 disposals, 18 contested and 11 clearances) was excellent too, while Joel Hamling and Aaron Sandilands did good jobs on Jack Riewoldt and Toby Nankervis respectively.

Richmond burst out of the blocks and, powered by their superior pressure and run, kicked four of the first five goals, including a cheeky soccer attempt from Lambert in the goal square.

Fremantle were lucky to trail by just 22 points at quarter-time given it took them nine minutes to enter their forward 50 for the first time and they laid just one tackle in the first 18 minutes. But Richmond were fairly wasteful in front of goal.

The biggest indictment on the Dockers’ effort in the first quarter was that they laid just four tackles – an all-time low for Fremantle in a quarter in the Ross Lyon era - compared to Richmond’s 23.

And that set the tone for the rest of the match as Richmond’s tenacity and ferocity completely overwhelmed the Dockers.

The Tigers did as they pleased and if it weren't for more wayward kicking in the second term (3.6), they would have enjoyed a bigger advantage than 44 points at half-time as they held the Dockers goalless and restricted them to their lowest half-time score (1.3 (9)) since 2009.

However, in a dramatic role reversal, Fremantle found their mojo in the third quarter, winning the contested ball 37-27, clearances 9-6 and inside 50s 15-9.

It was Richmond’s turn to suffer a goalless term as the Dockers did all the attacking and booted the only three goals of the stanza.

But the visitors didn’t get full reward for effort as they also kicked five points and Ed Langdon booted one out on the full while Richmond’s inaccurate ways also continued with five minor scores for the term while a set shot from Jack Riewoldt sailed out of bounds too.

Fremantle’s resistance would prove fleeting, as Richmond rediscovered their first-half form, piling on the final eight goals of the game to run out convincing winners.

GOALS:
Richmond: Riewoldt 3, Lambert 2, Townsend 2, Caddy, Lloyd, Graham, Houli, Higgins, McIntosh, Conca, Castagna.
Fremantle: McCarthy, Ballantyne, Brayshaw, Cox.

BEST:
Richmond: Lambert, Houli, Grimes, Martin, Astbury, Rance, Graham.
Fremantle: Fyfe, Neale, Hamling, Sandilands

INJURIES:
Richmond: Prestia (calf/Achilles).
Fremantle: Nil.

REPORTS: Nil.
UMPIRES: Chris Donlon, Leigh Haussen, Simon Meredith.
CROWD: 43,240 at the MCG

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/another-fourth-quarter-blitz-for-richmond-in-docker-demolition-20180506-p4zdp7.html