Media articles & stats: Tigers come from the clouds to get home over GWS

[one-eyed]

Dustin Martin magnificent as Richmond pulls off a stunning comeback against GWS

By Sarah Black
afl.com.au
16 May 2021

RICHMOND                              3.0     6.2     10.5     13.9     (87)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY     4.3     9.5     10.8     12.11     (83)
 
GOALS 
Richmond: Martin 4, Aarts 2, Collier-Dawkins 2, Nankervis, Lynch, Castagna, Riewoldt, Rioli
Greater Western Sydney: Hogan 4, Ward, Kelly, Green, Greene, Hill, O'Halloran, Hopper, Lloyd
 
BEST 
Richmond: Baker, Martin, Nankervis, Short, Collier-Dawkins, Naish
Greater Western Sydney: Hopper, Taranto, Hogan, Ward, Green, Taylor

INJURIES 
Richmond: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Perryman (hamstring) 

SUBSTITUTES 
Richmond: Ross (unused) 
Greater Western Sydney: Bruhn (replaced Perryman) 

Crowd: 18,798 at Marvel Stadium

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

AFTER a week of enormous scrutiny following a fight in a nightclub, Richmond's Daniel Rioli has kicked the match-winner in a thrilling four-point win over Greater Western Sydney.

Giant Tim Taranto had a chance to be the hero, but opted to dribble kick while hard up against the goal-line, which Dylan Grimes desperately rushed through in the last minute of the game.

GWS had led by as much as 28 points midway through the third term, driven by a four-goal second quarter from recruit Jesse Hogan and some stunning midfield work by the likes of Jacob Hopper, Taranto, Callan Ward, Tom Green and Lachie Whitfield.

Hogan's game-breaking 10-minute burst left the Tigers on the deck, and there was only ever going to be one man to pull them up. Superstar Dustin Martin broke the run of four straight Giants goals, and followed up with a second seven minutes later.

The Tigers only had one fewer inside 50 to the main break, but such was the Giants' efficiency and aerial dominance in attack, the hosts went into the changerooms 21 points in arrears.

The magnets were flicked around in the second half, with intercept defender Nick Vlastuin starting in the middle and Noah Balta back in his customary key defensive role after a run in the ruck and up forward.

Martin, Liam Baker and youngster Riley Collier-Dawkins were instrumental in dragging the Tigers back into the game, as the previously imperious GWS midfield faltered.

The superstar's fourth goal, kicked just millimetres before the line, got the Tigers rolling in the fourth, before Rioli eventually took the lead.

Hopper (35 disposals and 11 clearances) was superb for the Giants, while ever-versatile Tiger Baker (33 and eight) shone with a rare stint in the midfield.

Hogan's heroics
Jesse Hogan was an inclusion after missing last week and showed no signs of his ankle complaint, running with freedom and dominating inside 50. Mostly lining up against David Astbury, Hogan kicked an astonishing 3.1 in the space of seven minutes in the second quarter, following up with a fourth in the dying minutes of the same term. It didn't all go Hogan's way, giving away a free kick when Harry Himmelberg was about to have a set shot.

Second-string midfield comes out winners
Without a host of midfield stars – skipper Trent Cotchin, Dion Prestia, Kane Lambert, Shane Edwards and Shai Bolton – it was left to a rag-tag crew to look after centre bounces. Martin was the senior figure in the middle, with the ever-versatile Liam Baker, Marlion Pickett, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Jack Graham, Jake Aarts and even Nick Vlastuin having a run on the ball. Despite Toby Nankervis' ruck dominance, they seriously struggled in the first half before wresting back control as the game progressed.

Emergency goal umpire, activate
A series of extraordinary events halfway through the fourth saw Martin running at full pelt to soccer what eventuated into his fourth goal, just before the goal line and cleaning up the goal umpire in the process. A score review was needed, which reverted to the umpire's call of a goal. The emergency goal umpire subsequently took the original (and very sore) umpire's place for the final few minutes of the game.


https://www.afl.com.au/news/613116/tigers-come-from-the-clouds-to-get-home-in-a-classic

[one-eyed]

Tigers fight back from the brink to run over gallant Giants

Andrew Wu
The Age
May 15, 2021 — 10.27pm

If this is the win that sets up a tilt at a fourth flag in five years, then Richmond can thank their champion Dustin Martin.

The best player in the competition strapped his team onto his back and carried them over the line against Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

A difficult week off the field finished on an exhilarating high for the Tigers, who overcame a 28-point deficit in the third quarter to overrun the Giants and win a thriller by four points – 13.9 (87) to 12.11 (83).

Fittingly, it was Daniel Rioli, one of the Tigers at the centre of the nightclub drama, who kicked the winning goal with about three minutes left.

This win may not be worth any more premiership points than others but some victories mean more. These are the sort of wins that seasons can be built on.

Its significance was not lost on Martin and his teammates, who celebrated on the siren with a gusto not usually reserved for home-and-away games.

Despite all the medals in Martin’s trophy cabinet, Damien Hardwick’s system does not rely on any one part though seldom have the Tigers needed their superstar as much as here.

Like most clubs, injuries have hit the Tigers hard. In Richmond’s case, it has almost exclusively affected their midfield.

The tipping point cannot be far away for a Tigers side missing Trent Cotchin, Kane Lambert, Shane Edwards, Dion Prestia and Shai Bolton but it helps having Martin’s magnet on your whiteboard.

As he did in last year’s grand final, Martin kept his side in the hunt in the first half before his teammates followed his lead.

Playing in his customary midfield-forward role, Martin booted four goals to go with 28 possessions, and set up another for Jake Aarts when the Tigers clicked into gear in the third term.

Nothing could get in his way, even a goal umpire whom he barrelled over accidentally in his desprate bid to get boot to ball on the line.

Along with Martin, Toby Nankervis, in one of his best games for the Tigers, was one of the reasons why the reigning back-to-back premiers were still in the game in the first half.

The match changed complexion in the third term when the Tigers, hitherto well beaten in the midfield, lifted their workrate.

The intensity with which they defended at the death was in contrast to their attitude in the first half when the Giants dictated terms.

This was one that got away for Leon Cameron’s men, who led for much of the night but were running on empty when Richmond’s supreme effort came.

The Giants controlled the game in the first half through their superiority in the middle, where Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto were well on top.

Bargain-basement recruit Jesse Hogan hit a purple patch in the second quarter, bagging four goals, though was less effective after half-time when David Astbury replaced an undersized Nathan Broad.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-fight-back-from-the-brink-to-run-over-gallant-giants-20210515-p57s99.html