Media articles and stats: Tigers fire another blank as Hawks run riot

[one-eyed]

MCG boilover: Tigers fire another blank as Hawks run riot

By Callum Twomey
afl.com.au
18 June 10:30pm

RICHMOND                  0.1       2.1       3.3         5.9 (39)
HAWTHORN               5.3       7.3       10.5        11.5 (71)

GOALS
Richmond: Castagna 2, Bolton, Edwards, Lynch
Hawthorn: Wingard 3, Gunston 2, Breust, Ceglar, O'Brien, O'Meara, Patton, Smith

BEST
Richmond: Vlastuin, Grimes, Short, Stack, Castagna
Hawthorn: Smith, O'Meara, Sicily, Wingard, McEvoy, Mitchell

INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Hawthorn: Puopolo (calf) replaced in side by Scrimshaw, Henderson (leg)

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MEET the first-rate Hawks.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson last week labelled his midfield "fourth-rate" after being battered by Geelong, but six days later his engine room powered the Hawks to a shock 32-point beating of reigning premiers Richmond.

The giant-killing 11.5 (71) to 5.9 (39) victory was a surprise on many fronts, not least for its ease. 

It was set up with a five-goal-to-none first term and was the Tigers' first loss at their MCG fortress since round 12 last year and their first defeat in more than 12 months. 

Without injured superstar midfielder Dustin Martin (ribs), the Tigers lacked spark and looked unorganised heading forward with twin towers Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch completely nullified.

In an unprecedented season, it was as uncharacteristic a performance as Richmond has served up since it motored to its drought breaking 2017 flag and the two seasons since.

Hawthorn didn't relent as triple-premiership wingman Isaac Smith and the returning Jaeger O'Meara led a midfield masterclass, with a late flurry of Richmond scoring opportunities opening up once the game was sealed.

Clarkson's men have now engineered wins over two of last year's top-six sides in the opening three rounds. More dominant showings like this will have them in the running for a top-four return themselves.

The non-tackling Tigers
For a side that has built its success on the back of hard running, forward-at-all-costs play and a tenacious defence, one of the most concerning aspects of the defeat for coach Damien Hardwick will be the lack of tackling from the Tigers. They registered just nine tackles in the first half (to Hawthorn's 20 tackles) despite having nearly 30 fewer disposals. Although things evened up after that (they lost the count 28 to 33), Richmond has come back from the break rusty, having managed just five goals last week against Collingwood and only five against the Hawks. In a shortened season they won't want to wait too long to recapture their mojo.


Oh my, O'Meara
Missing in last week's loss as he recovered from his facial fracture, the gun Hawk had a massive say in his side's win. As the Hawks set up the game in the first half, O'Meara was everywhere, gathering 16 disposals (seven contested) at 100 per cent efficiency and three clearances by half-time. Alongside Tom Mitchell and James Worpel, O'Meara adds a lick of polish to Hawthorn's midfield unit and balances out their mix. He finished with 23 disposals and a goal, and should get at least a couple of Brownlow Medal votes, too. 

Hawks' faith in McEvoy pays off
Clarkson this week defended the Hawks' use of premiership ruckman Ben McEvoy in defence after the club's sluggish showing against Geelong, saying they planned to persist with McEvoy in the backline. McEvoy showed why against the Tigers. Lined up against last year's premiership centre-half forward Lynch, McEvoy clearly won the battle, taking four marks and limiting Lynch to one goal, which was kicked when he was matched against Hawthorn first-choice ruckman Jon Ceglar.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/454269/mcg-boilover-tigers-fire-another-blank-as-hawks-run-riot

[one-eyed]

Hawks rebound with big win over Richmond

Michael Gleeson
The Age
19 June 2020

One team learned a lesson from last week, the other team was Richmond. Hawthorn found an immediate answer for confronting questions raised by Geelong, Richmond could only find more or new questions.

The Hawks did a Collingwood and got away to an early lead, keeping Richmond goalless, flat footed, lethargic and with holes opening up in their defensive set up. Richmond has now given up nine goals to none in two first quarters. Like last week, they managed just five goals for the game.

Unlike last week, Richmond could not find a way back into the game from the five goal handicap. This week they did not have Dustin Martin.

Hawthorn, not Richmond, was the team that hunted the ball. Hawthorn the team that pressured the player. Hawthorn the team that claimed territory, used the ball better and looked more threatening when they went forward.

Hawthorn also had Isaac Smith. The wingman played a superb first half in particular, streaming down a wing and amassing a remarkable and damaging 21 touches in just that first - shortened - half and kicked a delightful left foot raking goal. He was the architect of the win.

Hawthorn's third or fourth rate midfield last week - Alastair Clarkson's words not ours - was first rate this week and made Richmond's look, what? Second rate? Third?

Hawthorn had Jaeger O'Meara back in and he had an impact in lifting the class around the ball. Tom Mitchell, off long-term injury, was flat last week but dogged around the ball this week. Blake Hardwick was an under appreciated absence last week for his toughness.

Ben McEvoy, a question all week over his shift to defence and the preference of John Ceglar, had four intercept marks in defence to half-time, and looked good while Ceglar won the ruck.

The Hawks used the width of the ground and their skills to do as Collingwood did early last week and deny Richmond possession of the ball - they had double the uncontested possessions of Richmond in the first term alone.

Big Boy Back

McEvoy went straight to defence again and manned Tom Lynch. The Hawks tended to play a zone to roll off opponents, so McEvoy often stayed deep as the tall defender and let others take Lynch when he pressed up the ground.

Clever Edwards

Josh Caddy booted the ball long and high to the top of the goal square. Tim O'Brien had the right idea to jump and punch not only out of the pack but through for a rushed behind.

Shane Edwards anticipated that someone might try that and put himself on the goal line. Duly the ball was punched straight to him and he turned and snapped the Tigers' second goal.

BEST
Richmond: Houli, Vlastuin, Grimes, Prestia.
Hawthorn: Smith, O'Meara, Sicily, Mitchell, Wingard, Hardwick, Worpel, Gunston.

RICHMOND 0.1 2.1 3.3 5.9 (39)
HAWTHORN 5.3 7.3 10.5 11.5 (71)

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/hawks-rebound-and-defeat-richmond-20200618-p5542x.html

[one-eyed]

Done and Dusty-ed: Tigers flunk the Martin test

Jake Niall
The Age
19 June 2020

In the course of three stellar seasons, Richmond proved they could thrive without Alex Rance, without a conventional tall forward line, without big-bodied midfielders and for periods without Trent Cotchin and even Jack Riewoldt.

Whatever test of mettle, personnel, or system was thrown at the Tigers, they overcame.
But there's been one examination that Richmond has not passed, and which the Tigers flunked completely against Hawthorn at the MCG: they are still to demonstrate that they can cope without the talismanic presence of the game's most potent player, Dustin Martin.

In the decisive first half, when the Hawks built their match-winning lead, the Tigers scored an F in the Dusty test. They were done and Dusty-ed.

This was not the first time the Tigers had proven, if not toothless, then without much bite without Martin. In the 2018 preliminary final - when the game was likewise gone in a half and Mason Cox had his 15 minutes - Dusty was hobbled and might as well have been in the stands; early last year, when Martin was smothered first by Levi Greenwood and then by Matt De Boer at Giants Stadium, they were also beaten easily (a contrast with their grand final meeting with De Boer/GWS).

This was probably the worst half of footy Richmond has offered since 2016, in terms of intensity and execution. The pressure on the opposition - the trait that most defines the Tigers since 2017 - was as absent as Dusty.

Their tackling was inept. Hitherto the competition leader in tackling this season, they laid just nine in that first half compared to Hawthorn's 20. In the opening term, they did not attack the ball with vigour, nor did they handle the ball cleanly on the deck - another Tiger trademark.

Bolstered by the inclusion of Jaeger O'Meara and stung by their capitulation to Geelong, Hawthorn and their canny coach Alastair Clarkson had prepared an ambush. The Hawks had four goals on the board to nil before Richmond raised some semblance of intensity; this became five to nil when Jonathan Ceglar received a dubious holding the ball free from the top of the goal square (against Sydney Stack).

Isaac Smith was outstanding in the match's formative period, while O'Meara and Tom Mitchell - the latter subdued against the Cats - were highly productive and far, far better than Cotchin, Dion Prestia, Kane Lambert and the rest of the Richmond mids.

Clarkson had persisted with big Ben McEvoy at centre half-back, where he manned Tom Lynch, and was effective in taking intercept marks in the match's formative first half. Chad Wingard, whose first season as a Hawk had been underwhelming, showed his class with three goals and timely displays of skill.

The three quarter-time numbers tells a tale: four of the highest Richmond possession gatherers were defenders - Nick Vlastuin, Jayden Short, Bachar Houli and Dylan Grimes. Daniel Rioli had been - and remained - unsighted.

The Tigers did mount a belated comeback in the final quarter, when they finally asserted that territorial dominance. Even then, they botched several chances and achievable shots. But they were never going to kick eight goals to nil in 16 minutes plus time on against a Clarkson-coached team.

Tiger fans might point to the fact that the Hawks booted six goals from frees to their none, but they shouldn't. Hawthorn played in front, and stayed in front.

Richmond will regroup. It cannot perform worse than it did, with or without Dustin Martin.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/ambushed-richmond-flunks-the-martin-test-20200618-p5543n.html