Four Points: how Sydney broke down the TigersMichael Gleeson
The Age
April 5, 2021Twelve months ago Richmond lost to Hawthorn. It was a surprise. The game raised questions of both teams: were Hawthorn unexpectedly still a contender? Were Richmond flagging?
Richmond soon answered. Yes, they were flagging, but not in the way the question was put. They were just adding flags. Hawthorn, well, we know what happened there.
The game was an aberration. Was Sydney’s stunning upset on Saturday a similar early season outlier?
Richmond were poor, but they are not a poor side. They had a really bad day, and that might be the end of it, but there was a sniff of possibility about Sydney’s win pointing to an effective approach to break down Richmond in this year of retro football, when everything old is new again.
The rules changes have altered the way the game is being played to a pleasingly more open and attacking game. John Longmire has re-invented himself as the new Malcolm Blight, not the old John Longmire or older again Paul Roos. And his new Swans ethos has embraced talent, daring and possession. And scoring.
They came with a plan to play Richmond and it worked. It is a plan that not all teams will have the talent to prosecute. True, it is one that Richmond have confronted in the past, but it is an approach that the rules might enable teams to use better this year.
Dane Rampe said after the game the Swans were acutely aware of Richmond’s defenders folding over to support each other and they wanted to break that down. The Swans forwards separated from each other, the midfield did not bomb the ball but searched out one of the six genuine forward options and delivered to leads. Richmond players were at a loss to help one another.
Richmond’s problem of being spread out and isolated was exacerbated by the lingering absence of Nick Vlastuin.
The new rules helped the Swans kick through Richmond’s team defence and construct their attack.
Richmond laid just 55 tackles for the game. The ball was not in dispute enough for them to apply their pressure. Sydney had 124 marks and 253 uncontested possessions for the day. They bounced the ball just three times. For the game. They tried to avoid running with the ball if they could instead kick it to a teammate.
The style only worked because in developing this skilled, possession and control game they have not forsaken their ability to win the contested ball first. They still have Josh Kennedy.
The Richmond midfield was beaten. Tom Hickey was tremendous in the ruck for Sydney and bettered Toby Nankervis. Shae Bolton had a stinker, Dion Prestia was injured early, Trent Cotchin didn’t have a big day and Dustin Martin was quiet.
The Swans dulled Martin in the midfield with a rolling trio playing on him and then George Hewitt proved a surprisingly adroit choice for him when forward.
Seven Swans players had never played on the MCG before and they were undaunted. They had about them an aura of belonging.
There is a tinge of Port Adelaide about Sydney’s bounce right now. They clearly bottomed out for two bad years, finishing 15th and 16th, where Port never fell below tenth in their rebuild on the run. But like Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma’s impact at Port in a season Sydney’s young players have infused them with a sense of excitement and expectation.
Sydney only won five games last year. Three rounds in and they have not lost one and indeed they should win at least the first five.
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