Just for the record ...
Tigers outplayed by Bulldogs
10:26:25 PM Fri 31 March, 2006
Amanda Buivids
Exclusive richmondfc.com.au
The Tigers have endured a rude awakening to the 2006 home and away season, suffering a record loss to the rampant Western Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs prevailed by 115 points in the match at Telstra Dome on Friday night, their victory set up by a cyclonic third-quarter goal surge where they scored nine goals to one.
The Tigers were unable to stop the surge in the final term as their opponents added a further seven goals to one.
The Dogs had a litany of goal scorers - 12 in total, with Brad Johnson kicking five.
The Tigers, on the other hand, had just four contributors. Troy Simmonds with three, two to Brett Deledio and one each to Patrick Bowden and Kane Johnson.
Shane Tuck picked up 25 disposals for the Tigers, Joel Bowden 14 and Johnson 23. Matthew Richardson hauled in nine marks, most of them while helping out in defence.
After trailing by 20 points at the first change and 29 at half-time, the Tigers were overwhelmed in the second half.
In a frenzied quarter of football, the home side broke the Tigers booting eight goals in 19 minutes.
The Dogs jumped to a 59-point lead with five goals in nine minutes, from five different goal-kickers.
Tigers skipper Johnson eased the squeeze after 23 minutes, kicking their solitary major for the quarter.
Murphy kicked his second for the term at the 27-minute-mark, stretching the three-quarter-time lead to an ominous 79 points.
The third quarter stats were telling. Western Bulldogs won the total clearances 17-4, centre clearances 9-2.
West, the seven-time best and fairest winner, had six kicks and five handballs and was instrumental in constructing those clearances.
The Dogs were too quick, too polished and just too good in every aspect of the match.
The opener was played at a fierce pace, with both teams embracing the AFL's new rule changes. The ball was in constant motion and moving from end to end.
The first kick of the match was a goal - from Richmond ruckman Troy Simmonds.
A centre-bounce indiscretion, and subsequent 50m penalty, brought the bigman to the 50m line and he threaded the ball when the game was just 30 seconds old.
But then the Dogs took charge and kicked five of the next six goals.
The Tigers could count themselves lucky, when Simmonds chimed in for his - and his team's - second through another generous free kick.
Subsequent goals to Cross and Eagleton were punctuated by a goal to Patrick Bowden, playing his first game against his old club.
It was the Bulldogs' biggest victory against the Tigers, surpassing the 78-point win in 1989.
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 6.4, 9.11, 18.13, 25.17 (167)
RICHMOND: 3.2, 5.6, 6.6, 7.10 (52)
GOALS –
Western Bulldogs: Johnson 5, Eagleton 4, Robbins 3, Murphy 2, Boyd 2, Morgan 2, Hahn, Gilbee, Skipper, Cross, Morgan, West, Griffen
Richmond: Simmonds 3, Deledio 2, Pettifer, Johnson
BEST –
Western Bulldogs: West, Johnson, Cross, Giansiracusa, Eagleton, Grant, Cooney, Griffen, Harris
Richmond: J.Bowden, Brown, Simmonds, Tuck
INJURIES – Western Bulldogs: Nil
Richmond: Nil
CHANGES – Western Bulldogs: Street in selected side by Boyd Richmond: Hyde in selected side by Stafford
REPORTS - Nil
UMPIRES - McInerney, Rosebury, Head
CROWD - 43,532 at Telstra Dome
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