Author Topic: Media articles and stats: Tigers make it 20 at the 'G with win over Bombers  (Read 457 times)

Offline one-eyed

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Match report: Tigers make it 20 at the 'G

Riley Beveridge
afl.com.au
Aug 17, 2018 10:36PM



RICHMOND   4.0   5.6  10.8  12.9 (81)
ESSENDON   2.3   4.4   7.5   11.7 (73)         

GOALS
Richmond: Caddy 4, Martin 4, Riewoldt 2, Castagna, Baker
Essendon: Hooker 3, Brown 2, Baguley, Colyer, Smith, Parish, Stringer, Bellchambers

BEST
Richmond: Martin, Caddy, Rance, Short, Edwards, Ellis
Essendon: Smith, Zaharakis, Saad, Heppell, Bellchambers, McGrath

INJURIES
Richmond: Castagna (quad), Grimes (back)
Essendon: McDonald-Tipungwuti (ankle)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Chamberlain, Harris, McInerney

Official crowd: 76,424 at the MCG

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

THIS was another timely and ominous reminder of Richmond's quality and depth.

Forced to survive a late scare on Friday night, conceding the final four goals of the match, the reigning premiers as good as ended Essendon's slim finals hopes with a nervous eight-point win.

Missing captain Trent Cotchin through injury, as well as Dion Prestia, Kane Lambert and David Astbury, the Tigers controlled proceedings for three-and-a-half quarters to win their 20th straight match at the MCG 12.9 (81) to 11.7 (73).

An incredible chase-down tackle from Daniel Rioli, thwarting an Adam Saad counter attack, sealed Richmond victory and virtually guaranteed the club its first minor premiership since 1982.

It also left a sorry Essendon outfit licking its wounds and looking at booking its September holidays.

An unstoppable Dustin Martin produced a vintage display to inspire Richmond's victory, combining bursts through the midfield with a floating role across half-forward to finish with 26 disposals, 10 marks, four goals and almost certainly another three Brownlow votes.

He was clearly the best man on the field, though Josh Caddy (17 disposals, four goals) and Jack Riewoldt (14 disposals, two goals) were also dangerous up forward.

In an encounter that lacked intensity early, Richmond did the bare minimum. But the bare minimum proved enough.

Having failed to find the rhythm the football world has come to expect from them early in the match, leading by just eight points at the main break, the Tigers eventually wore down their tiring opponents in the second half with their relentless style of play.

Legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick is the leading exponent of the 'next man up' mantra, a trait the Tigers are living by under Damien Hardwick.

Despite a raft of premiership stars going out of the Richmond team, their understudies took the reins unnervingly. In front of 76,424 people on a Friday night at the MCG, the likes of Ryan Garthwaite and Liam Baker looked undeterred by the added pressure.

But that's not to say the stars who were playing didn't lead from the front.

Caddy marked everything in the air and was just as efficient at ground level, while Martin was at his bulldozing best when he went through the midfield and was among the most dangerous players on the field when he was shifted inside 50.

The Bombers had thrown the imposing figure of Cale Hooker forward, attempting to stretch a Tigers defence without Astbury. However, he endured a quiet night, blanketed by Garthwaite and Alex Rance before impacting late to kick three last-quarter goals.

Aaron Francis was the shining light on a bleak night for Essendon, winning 13 disposals from eight marks, though his side was ultimately overpowered by Richmond's strength in numbers.

Just like last season, Hardwick will know he's got depth to call upon if needed in September.


MEDICAL ROOM


Richmond: Jason Castagna came from the field in the second quarter with a sore quad, but played out the game. Ryan Garthwaite split his head open, but was given a clean jumper and returned to the field.

Essendon: The Bombers had some sore bodies by the end, but got through mainly unscathed.

NEXT UP
Essendon's finals chances could be over by the time it travels to face Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval on Friday night, while Richmond closes its home and away campaign with a clash against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-08-17/match-report-richmond-v-essendon

Offline one-eyed

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Richmond claim top spot as Essendon eliminated (Age)
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2018, 02:56:45 AM »
Richmond claim top spot as Essendon eliminated

Peter Ryan
The Age
18 Aug 2018


Richmond locked in top spot for the year and extinguished Essendon’s slim finals hopes in the process with an eight-point win at the MCG last night.

It was their 20th consecutive win at the MCG and puts the Tigers in the box seat in their quest for back-to-back premierships.

Despite Essendon charging late to threaten the run, Richmond held firm and remain warm favourites to win three finals in a row.

Meanwhile Essendon will have an off-season to reflect on a year that has failed to deliver on its promise, with the ground they needed to make up after losing six of their first eight games proving too much.

Last night all it took was for Richmond to crank up the tempo after half-time to tilt the match their way.

In that vital third quarter, the Tigers kicked five goals to the Bombers' three as Dustin Martin destroyed his hapless former teammate Matt Dea with two goals and Josh Caddy added two to his own tally.

When Liam Baker kicked the first goal of his career, after pressure forced a turnover deep into time-on, the Tigers led by 27 points and had the game in their control.

Essendon could not move the ball from defence to score as they like to and when it mattered the Tigers put their foot on the pedal.

The lift in intensity in the third quarter came after back lines had controlled the game in the first half with the Tigers pair Alex Rance and Dylan Grimes masterful.

One moment in particular in the first quarter, when Grimes left his man to interrupt Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti as he charged towards a loose ball on the half-forward flank, highlighted the experienced duo’s importance.

Grimes’ intercept sent the ball back into Richmond’s forward line where Dustin Martin marked and kicked the Tigers’ fourth goal.

At that point Richmond’s four leading goalkickers from 2018 in Jack Riewoldt, Josh Caddy, Jason Castagna and Martin had all kicked one goal each with the quartet combining to kick 11 of Richmond’s 12 goals. Grimes did not let up all night, spoiling, smothering and running with the ball to confirm he doesn’t have to get much of the ball to have a major influence.

Essendon relied more in defence on Michael Hurley bringing the ball to ground where a crowd would congregate and make it difficult for Richmond’s small band of quick forwards to find space.

He had a good ally in Aaron Francis, who was impressive in just his fourth game this season, marking the ball well with six intercept marks and being strong in the contest.

But the gap in the two teams remained apparent as Richmond forced the opposition to play fast, their method of closing down space at pace making the contest more like the card game snap than football at times.

Essendon took time to adjust and even though they tried to use congestion as a weapon they found it very hard to keep the ball in their forward half.

The eventual inside 50 count was so heavily stacked in Richmond’s favour that it was a credit to the Bombers’ back line that they were able to keep their team in the game for as long as they managed to.

At times in the second quarter, when they slowed down the Tigers’ ball use and made it hard for Richmond to score, they looked likely to make a game of it.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was happy to win but said there was massive improvement left in the Tigers.

"It was a terrible game of footy I thought. I was happy with the win. We persevered. We probably could have shut the game down in that first half but we just didn't take our chances inside 50," Hardwick said.

"It was an OK performance. I thought our system held up quite well."

Essendon coach John Worsfold thought the Bombers were competitive and hung in the contest for a long time.

"We weren't that far away for most of the night," Worsfold said.

One incident sure to cause discussion came in the first quarter when Essendon midfielder Devon Smith threw a haymaker at Richmond’s Kamdyn McIntosh, with both players lucky the clenched fist didn’t connect.

If the punch had connected there would have been some carnage as McIntosh would have been hurt.
Thankfully it didn’t and there was no dampener on the great spirit invoked at the beginning of the game when Bachar Houli and Adam Saad accompanied their respective captains to the coin toss as a symbol of unity.

RICHMOND  4.0 5.6 10.8 12.9 (81)
ESSENDON 2.3 4.4 7.5 11.7 (73)

Goals:
Richmond: Martin 4, Caddy 4, Riewoldt 2, Castagna, Baker.
Essendon: Hooker 3, Brown 2,  Parish, Smith, Stringer, Baguley, Bellchambers, Colyer.

Best:
Richmond: Martin, Grimes, Grigg, Short, Rance, Edwards, Caddy.
Essendon: Francis, Smith, Hurley, McGrath.

Injuries: Richmond: Castagna (quad), Grimes (back). Essendon: McDonald-Tipungwuti (ankle).

Umpires: Chamberlain, McInerney, Harris.

Crowd: 76,424 at the MCG.


Votes
8: Dustin Martin (Richmond)
8: Dylan Grimes (Richmond)
7: Shaun Grigg (Richmond)
7: Aaron Francis (Essendon)
7: Josh Caddy (Richmond)

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-claim-top-spot-as-essendon-eliminated-20180817-p4zy7w.html

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Richmond weren't at their best but it was enough to defeat Essendon (H-Sun)
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2018, 03:00:35 AM »
Richmond weren't at their best but it was still enough to defeat Essendon and end their season

Jay Clark,
Herald Sun
18 Aug 2018


This was our first look at a wounded Richmond for some time, without five of its first-choice premiership stars all out injured.

And throughout the first half on Friday night against Essendon, the Tiger train wheels wobbled somewhat.

They won a premiership last year moving the ball quickly and directly, but throughout the first half they had played on from a mark only three times.

Where was the dare? The electric run?

With a top-two spot virtually locked away, perhaps the Tigers were in a pre-finals snooze-mode early on, nearing the end of an almost faultless regular season.

An angry Jack Riewoldt took it up with his teammates on the half time siren, clearly frustrated after a one-goal second term from 18 entries that quarter.

He wanted the ball in more space.

And just when it looked like there was a hiccup in store for the reigning premier, up by eight points at the main change, normality resumed in the third term as Richmond’s frenetic run and precise counter-attack returned.

It was a relief for Hardwick in the coach’s box, knowing how important momentum is at this time of the year with a last-round date set against Western Bulldogs.

And a five-goal third term from Richmond was enough to ice four more premiership points.

Gun goalkicker Josh Caddy snagged back-to-back goals from consecutive screamers early in the third term to ignite the Tigers, and put his name up in lights once more for the All-Australian selectors.

It was the sixth time he has booted four goals or more in a game this season as the Tigers prevailed by eight points.

The victory stretched their record run at the MCG to 20-straight wins.

Alex Rance owned the back half, Reece Conca played Kane Lambert’s role shooting off the back of the square and Dustin Martin looked unbeatable, again, in the one-on-one marking contests.

Martin booted four goals, continuing a late charge back into Brownlow Medal contention.

And Riewoldt booted a pair of majors to lead the Coleman Medal race over Ben Brown by two goals.

Essendon came into Friday night hoping desperately to keep its slim finals hopes alive, but this could go down as a wasted year for Essendon, in a way, after a poor start to the season.

The silver lining was the break out game from Essendon No. 6 draft pick Aaron Francis, who marked with authority in his ninth game.

He reads the ball beautifully, Francis, and with a full preseason his game could take-off next year.

Friday night will be huge for his confidence, as he plucked marks like he was picking apples.

For Essendon, this was a dark night for its forwards, aside from a late three-goal burst in the last term from Hooker.

Had Hooker and Baguely both not missed easier earlier chances, perhaps things might have got more interesting at the death.

But a lightning chase-down tackle from Daniel Rioli on Adam Saad in the final 30 seconds sealed the Richmond win in pulsating fashion.

Dylan Grimes may have been underrated for the bulk of his career, but not anymore.

His desperate efforts to bulldoze Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and then set up a Martin goal in the second term was brilliant.

Overall, it was another look at the most organise defence in the league, as Rance, Grimes, returning ruckman Toby Nankervis and Brandon Ellis choked the Bombers’ forwards.

This was far from Richmond’s best performance, but it was enough, and speedster Jason Castagna overcame a quad scare when he returned to the field after half time.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/richmond-werent-at-their-best-but-it-was-still-enough-to-defeat-essendon-and-end-their-season/news-story/de300751e31b44684ed624cac1d72979