Richmond vs Geelong @ the MCG --- Round 8, 2021

[one-eyed]

"The Cats were very good, but the Tigers made a lot of mistakes."

Nathan Brown highlights some of the Richmond's uncharacteristic clangers.

Watch here: https://twitter.com/FootyonNine/status/1391184338453155842

1. Broad dropped mark = Geelong goal.
2. Bolton not manning up on Guthrie at HB stoppage leading to Hawkins mark and Geelong goal.
3. Mansell dropped mark = Geelong goal.
4. Pickett mistackle on Smith who goaled.
5. Vlastuin dropped mark = Geelong goal.

Browny left out 6. Broad's bad kick that lead to another Geelong goal.

That's Geelong first six goals of the third quarter.

[one-eyed]

Chris Scott has often said that Richmond have been the outlier to how flags have been won in the last decade and that most are won by teams – Hawthorn and West Coast for instance - who control ball movement.

Where Scott accords with Richmond is that when Geelong are good in the contest they win. When they are brutal and aggressive around the ball they win. On Friday they were aggressive and brutal around the contest and they won.

Scott had them primed against Richmond and they thoroughly outmuscled the Tigers around the ball, where Richmond were made to look young and small. Maybe it’s because they were. With Trent Cotchin and Dion Prestia out and Shane Edwards injured in the game, the Tigers were young and slight.

Scott dropped Rhys Stanley and chose to go in the ruck with Esava Ratugolea and Mark Blicavs. .... Still, playing Richmond it was brave to drop him when it meant it denied them Mark Blicavs being used on Jack Riewoldt. It meant Jack Henry had to take Riewoldt and Tom Stewart (who was among Geelong’s best) had Martin when he was forward. Neither had Blicavs as a get-out if Riewoldt or Martin got the better of their first choice opponents.

Scott had looked at Richmond’s rucks with Marlion Pickett as second ruck and realised they could exploit it. They grabbed the ball out of the ruck rather than hit it to ground where Pickett could act as an extra midfielder. They got an advantage and it was down to the bravery of the selection choice.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/four-points-the-undersold-chris-scott-middle-finger-to-the-afl-and-the-magic-of-eddie-betts-20210509-p57qap.html

[one-eyed]

AFL Report Card: Round 8

Max Laughton, Matt Balmer and David Zita from Fox Sports
Foxsport
10 May 2021

RICHMOND

Richmond got Richmond-ed. In Tigers-Cats games, we’re used to seeing a team lead at halftime and then get overrun in the third term by intense pressure and brilliant ball movement... it’s just that it’s normally the Tigers doing it. Instead, after an excellent first quarter, the premiers never looked quite right. They were uncharacteristically fumbly and their defence was torn apart, allowing 31 scoring shots from 55 inside 50s, which is just ridiculous. We’ll say it again, we’re not worried about Richmond; but this is the fourth time we’ve had to say that after a loss in eight weeks.

In the votes

Most of the talk around Shai Bolton has been about his Mark of the Year, but he was spectacular in other ways too, kicking three goals from his 21 disposals. He’s arguably the Tigers’ best and fairest favourite right now. Shane Edwards (19 disposals, eight clearances) was Richmond’s best player according to the Official AFL Player Ratings, even though he missed the end of the game with a suspected ankle injury, while Jake Aarts’ three second-quarter goals set up their halftime lead.

Room for improvement

The Tigers weren’t at full strength, so it’s not as if we were expecting them to dominate, but they looked completely un Richmond-like in the second half. They were the ones under the pump every time they got the footy, and their backline was seriously exposed. Their leading disposal winner, Jayden Short, had just 22 while Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt combined for just 11 touches.

Grade

D-

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-report-card-round-8-2021-afl-analysis-every-club-graded-best-and-worst-players-votes-reaction-news/news-story/af592acdc18a6f3ae0e457a7d17e9bb7

[eliminator]

Injuries definitely played a part. No Grimes, Cotchin, Lambert or Prestia. Vlastuin just coming back from injury.

[one-eyed]

KING'S BIG TAKEAWAY FROM GEELONG'S WIN OVER RICHMOND

By Alex Zaia
SEN
10 May 2021

“I don’t think I’ve seen Richmond succumb to pressure and to physicality like they did on Friday night,” David King told SEN’s Whateley.

“There was a difference in that victory – this was brutal, this was 120 minutes at 200 pressure points against, and they couldn’t handle it.

“I was watching it back thinking, ‘wow, what happened to the Cats’ chip, chip, mark game? What if they played like this two years ago? What if this was the starting point?’

“When Richmond won two of the previous three flags playing like this, no one copied Richmond. No one has tried to play like Richmond. Is this the first team that’s taken that big step and said, ‘let’s put the game into turnover … let’s take territory when it’s there, let’s break tackles, let’s get wave runners going’.

“This is the first I’ve seen, and they did it better than Richmond on Friday night. Is it a missed opportunity or a new opportunity?

“I think we’re going to see Geelong play better than what they played on Friday night because this is just a small sample. Is their best going to be the best available football?”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/05/10/kings-big-takeway-from-geelongs-win-over-richmond/

[rogerd3]

" sample size"
Is the new buzz word...

[georgies31]

We we're all over them first half and didn't capitalise.Failed to mention we had 4 key players out.Another team trying to copy us.

[one-eyed]

Coaches votes (Hardwick & Scott)

Richmond v Geelong

9 Jeremy Cameron (GEEL)
7 Gary Rohan (GEEL)
5 Cameron Guthrie (GEEL)
3 Shai Bolton (RICH)
3 Tom Hawkins (GEEL)
2 Lachie Henderson (GEEL)
1 Mitch Duncan (GEEL)

https://www.afl.com.au/news/611846/coaches-votes-r8-young-lion-takes-the-lead-only-three-perfect-10s