Richmond crush Bombers' momentum in Dreamtime fizzerPeter Ryan
The Age
3 June 2018Richmond flattened any hopes that Essendon might mount a mid-season charge towards the eight with a ferocious opening onslaught in front of 81,046 people in the Dreamtime at the 'G on Saturday night.
The Tigers kicked five goals and consigned in-form midfielder David Zaharakis to the bench with a suspected broken collarbone before the Bombers scored their first goal.
By quarter-time the margin was 25 points and the Tigers, who went into the game aiming to build on their record-setting 14 straight victories at the MCG, were in control.
In the end the margin was 71 points with Essendon's score of 6.7 (43) their lowest since round three, 2017.
It was the Tigers' midfield ascendancy that caused the margin to open up early, with Shane Edwards outstanding, the underrated Tiger changing the angles when he had the ball and closing down Essendon's options when he didn't.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said the prospect of facing a revitalised Essendon in front of a big crowd excited the defending premiers.
"We prepped our boys and excited them about [the fact] the game was going to be played in a highly contested and high pressure environment," Hardwick said.
The Tigers were so quick to set up behind the ball once they gained territory that Essendon reverted to the sort of slow ball movement that made their performance in most of the first eight rounds so ordinary.
At times it seemed as though Essendon defenders were handballing a medicine ball, dropping the football at their teammates' feet, and their tackling pressure was below the standard they had set in the previous two games.
Essendon rallied in the second quarter to kick three of the first four goals, being more ferocious in the air than they had been and getting numbers around the contest.
Jake Stringer, who was a key reason behind the Bombers' revival, had a set shot that would have narrowed the margin to seven points – but he missed, and the Tigers responded with a coast-to-coast goal.
The goal to Edwards reignited Richmond, who kicked 6.2 before the Bombers scored again, opening up a 50-point margin and ending the contest.
Edwards won the Yookien Medal awarded to the best player on the ground in a standout performance where he gained 30 disposals.
"He makes those around him better," Hardwick said.
"He'll go down as one of the greats of our footy club I reckon."
A poor umpire decision near the start of that run gifted Dustin Martin a goal after he received a free kick when in a one-on-one contest against Michael Hurley.
Martin went to ground and Hurley, who struggled in his first game back from a hamstring injury, was penalised for something only obvious to the umpire.
However it would be foolish to credit the umpires with anything other than a minimal influence on the contest, such was the gap between the two teams. The Tigers embarrassed Essendon in the third quarter, outscoring them by 33 points.
It means the Bombers have been outscored by 180 points in the premiership quarter so far this season.
The Tigers were simply too quick and too well organised for the Bombers, shattering Richmond's forward structure into a million pieces.
Essendon coach John Worsfold admitted they would try to get to the bottom of why their forwards disappeared at various stages and made it hard for the Bombers to score.
"We won 29 front-half turnovers and scored maybe three points from that," Worsfold said.
"Normally you would expect from 29 front half turnovers to kick six or seven goals."
Essendon acknowledged their forwards may have been sucked up to the contest in the middle of the ground which allowed the Tigers to mop up quick kicks forward.
By contrast, Richmond hold their positions, every player working harder than their opponent to ensure they surge forward in numbers when they win possession and close space surrounding their opponents when they don't have the ball.
Dan Butler's pressure was back to the standard he set in 2017 and Josh Caddy cashed in with four goals, to follow on from the six he kicked in round 10 while Edwards was best on ground.
Caddy has now kicked 27.6 this season as a makeshift forward, making him Richmond's leading goalkicker for the season, ahead of Jack Riewoldt.
The performance was particularly meritorious as the Tigers had five players in the team that weren't part of the premiership, with Callum Moore impressing as a leading forward while Reece Conca has settled into defence.
Essendon's recruits – Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad – were among the battling Bombers' best, with Stringer picking up a career-high 29 possessions in his 100th game.
However without Joe Daniher, they had no one who could take a mark inside their forward 50 in dangerous positions, although Shaun McKernan tried hard to provide a target.
Richmond remain in second spot and will try to win interstate for the first time for the season when they play Port Adelaide next Friday night, while the Bombers head to the Gabba where they will attempt to regain the momentum lost, with Zaharakis unlikely to be available.
RICHMOND 5.4 9.6 15.10 17.12 (114)
ESSENDON 1.3 4.5 5.6 6.7 (43)
GOALS –
Richmond: Caddy 4, Moore 2, Butler 2, Edwards 2, Nankervis 2, Ellis, Menadue, Martin, Graham, Riewoldt.
Essendon: McDonald-Tipungwuti 2, Smith, Laverde, Fantasia, Merrett.
BEST –
Richmond: Edwards, Caddy, Vlastuin, Rance, Short, Conca, Nankervis.
Essendon: Stringer, Hooker, Smith, Heppell, McKernan.
INJURIES – Essendon: Zaharakis (shoulder).
UMPIRES: Findlay, Rosebury, Gianfagna.
CROWD: 81,046 at MCG.
VOTES:Shane Edwards (Rich) 8
Josh Caddy (Rich) 7
Toby Nankervis (Rich) 7
Nick Vlastuin (Rich) 6
Jake Stringer (Ess) 6
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-crush-bombers-momentum-in-dreamtime-fizzer-20180602-p4zj4t.html
