AFLW R2: Richmond vs Melbourne @ Punt Rd

[Tigeritis™©®]

Excellent fight from the girls.

Undermanned and not as skilled and not helped by baldy Ump but really fought it out till the end.

We need to work on the skills and hopefully McKenzie comes in soon.

Excellent game from Conti and Seymour battled super hard without any help and she was under the pump but she didn’t stop competing all game.

Lavey was really good also as was Cordner and Burchell looked lively at times.
Pressure was good last quarter tackling by Kiely and the Hosking twins a feature.
Dempsey did some good things but not often enough.
Unlike last week, Wakefield couldn’t buy a mark tonight but her tackling and pressure off the ball was elite which is great to see considering her age showed the youngsters how it’s done off the ball.

Unfortunately too much left to too few. Some girls aren’t up to the level, Sansonetti comes to mind.

[Rampsation]

Good effort under difficult circumstances. The umpiring was disgraceful.

[Tigeritis™©®]

Have to add the Dees look impressive. Excellent skills and ball movement and their girls know how to present well in space.

From the looks of it, besides one or two players, they were nearly full strength.
Our second quarter was bad when our pressure dropped off they cut us to pieces. 
Considering our outs the loss could’ve been alot worse but the girls stepped up the pressure in the last. 

[one-eyed]

Overall out-classed by the premiership favourites. A good lesson for our younger players against the more experienced Dees. We're clearly improving but we still off the level or two off the top sides and need to add more class to our team in the next year or two. Just too many passengers tonight.

Our first quarter was excellent and after half-time we did fight it out until the end and we won 3 quarters on the scoreboard. So we at least avoided any % damage. However, that very poor second quarter where we badly dropped away our workrate while the Dees put the foot down ended up deciding the game by half-time. Those type of uncompetitive quarters cannot be tolerated and need to become a thing of the past.

I would also say our outs hurt us more than it did Melbourne. Seymour had to ruck alone undersized without Poppy Kelly. No Stahl nor Yassir meant no speed at ground level in our forward line to pressure Melbourne's defenders.

Finally, as others have said, the umpiring was up to its usual dreadful inconsistent standard  . The HTB rule was a joke tonight. Two different rules for us and the Dees  .

[one-eyed]

Team Stats:

Disposals:    179 - 228 ..... ( contested: 93 - 99 )
Kicks:          100 - 138
Handballs:     79 - 90
Clearances:   20 - 25
Inside 50s:    27 - 27
Marks in50:     3 - 10
Tackles:         61 - 40
Hitouts:         11 - 28
Frees:           22 - 24


Individual possies:

Conti           25
Seymour      17
Burchell       12
Cordner       12
Kiely           12
Lavey          12
S.Hosking    11
Brennan        9
Dargan          9
Bernardi        8
Brancatisano  8
Dempsey       8
Miller            8
Lynch           5
Reid             5
J.Hosking      4
Jacques        4
McClelland    4
Wakefield      4
MacDonald    1
Sansonetti    1

https://www.womens.afl/match-centre/2022/3740/rich-v-melb#playerstats

[one-eyed]

Demons survive early scare to tame Tigers

Gemma Bastiani
womens.afl
14 January 2022 10pm

RICHMOND                 2.1     2.1     4.1     6.2     (38) 
MELBOURNE               1.0     6.3     7.6     8.6     (54) 

GOALS 
Richmond: Lavey 2, Brennan 2, Dargan, Conti
Melbourne: Harris 2, Hore 2, Bannan 2, D. Pearce, Paxman, 

BEST   
Richmond: Lavey, Brennan, Conti, Seymour
Melbourne: Zanker, Paxman, Birch, Hanks, West

INJURIES   
Richmond: Nil
Melbourne: Nil

Reports: Nil 

Crowd: 1,517 at the Swinburne Centre

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

A FIVE-GOAL second term has put Melbourne up 2-0 to start the season, with a much-improved Richmond unable to slow the Demons' run as they cruised to a 16-point victory at the Swinburne Centre on Friday night.

The Demons have now won seven out of their past eight games, despite the Tigers showing some newfound bite in the 8.6 (54) to 6.2 (38) contest.

Second year player Alyssa Bannan put in her bid for goal of the year, as she received a handball near the centre circle and turned on the jets. Bannan kicked a second just moments later, while Kate Hore also registered two for the quarter.

The second-quarter onslaught came despite a fast start for the Tigers, with a quick clearance leading to Tessa Lavey's first goal in the game's opening minute, with another Richmond goal coming just moments later courtesy of captain Katie Brennan.

Richmond was conscious not to allow Melbourne find runners through the corridor, with the Tigers sure to keep a forward deep to prevent any easy turnovers, as Monique Conti continued her impressive start to the season, running through stoppages and finding the footy with ease.

But once the Demons found a little more composure around the ball, their quick, direct attack put a Tigers defence - missing the important Sarah D'Arcy - under the pump.

Tayla Harris put her body on the line, as she is wont to do, while Eliza West's pressure around the ball played a big part in Melbourne getting on top.

Brennan worked hard in the second half to give her side opportunities to score, moving freely around the forward 50 arc to spot up teammates closer to goal, but the Demons' ability to read the ball proved too much.

A star continues to rise
Monique Conti's 29 disposal performance last week had the footy world talking, and she's backed it up this week. Registering a game-high 25 disposals and kicking her first goal in the yellow and black, Conti proved hard to stop. Using her speed to split packs and clean hands to gather the ball with ease, no Demon was able to go with her.

Bannan's got wheels
As the Demons found their groove in the second quarter, Alyssa Bannan got on her bike. Receiving a quick handball from Lily Mithen near the centre circle, Bannan engaged the speed she's known for, evaded a few Tigers and settled for a clean shot at goal directly in front. It's one that will be hard to beat for goal of the year votes this year.

A forward line that is hard to stop
Even without Shelley Scott up forward, Melbourne's marking targets plucked the ball out of the air with ease. Taking 10 marks inside 50 compared to the Tigers' three, they were able to find their forwards in space, or back them in to beat direct opponents. Without Sarah D'Arcy in the side, Harriet Cordner and Rebecca Miller were stuck one-out more often than they would have liked.

Say what?

"We're pleased we kept our nerve, we were under the pump a little and their tackle and pressure game was excellent, they were finishing their work in front of goal. I thought the end of that first quarter we just started to wrestle it back on our terms, and I think that gave the group a little bit of confidence." - Melbourne coach Mick Stinear

"I thought the first quarter we could have been more up at quarter time, we were playing a really good brand of footy - hard and tough and getting some run into the game. The territory game was our way. The third and fourth quarters were a real arm wrestle, with momentum swings. I don't know what it looked like from the stands or on the telly, but from my vantage point it was a real quality game of footy. I do feel like we're a better team tonight than when we rocked up at the start of the game." - Richmond coach Ryan Ferguson

What's next?
Richmond will be back at the Swinburne Centre to take on the hubbed Fremantle Dockers, while Melbourne will head home to Casey Fields for the first time to play St Kilda.

https://www.womens.afl/news/79993?_ga=2.199478446.1482294730.1641899012-224749430.1603381344

[Knighter]

Good effort under difficult circumstances. The umpiring was disgraceful.

Umpiring was stuffen pathetic.  Umpire picks out the softest possible frees for the Shemons and yet Brennan gets mauled in the goal square and its play on.

[WilliamPowell]

Excellent fight from the girls.

Undermanned and not as skilled and not helped by baldy Ump but really fought it out till the end.

We need to work on the skills and hopefully McKenzie comes in soon.

Excellent game from Conti and Seymour battled super hard without any help and she was under the pump but she didn’t stop competing all game.

Lavey was really good also as was Cordner and Burchell looked lively at times.
Pressure was good last quarter tackling by Kiely and the Hosking twins a feature.
Dempsey did some good things but not often enough.
Unlike last week, Wakefield couldn’t buy a mark tonight but her tackling and pressure off the ball was elite which is great to see considering her age showed the youngsters how it’s done off the ball.

Unfortunately too much left to too few. Some girls aren’t up to the level, Sansonetti comes to mind.

Ellie McKenzie won't be playing any time soon. I doubt we will see her in the 1st half of the season

[one-eyed]

Media match reports ...

Demons spoil Richmond’s first AFLW outing at Punt Road

By Sarah Burt
The Age
January 15, 2022

Melbourne have defeated Richmond by 16 points in a hot contest at the Swinburne Centre under the Friday night lights.

Both teams keen to keep up momentum from round one wins, it was a physical contest seeing neither team leaving with anything left in the tank.

As what will likely become the norm this season, both teams each made five changes to their winning round one sides, the Demons’ all due to the AFL’s health and safety protocols, Richmond’s a combination of the COVID-19 rules and injury. Both sides were forced to dip into train on players as emergencies due to limited player availability.

Richmond set the tone early, Olympic basketballer Tessa Lavey booting her first AFLW goal moments after the first bounce, reigning all-Australian centre half forward Katie Brennan following up with a set shot major.

Richmond’s pressure dictated play, 17 tackles to 10 in the first term while star midfielder Monique Conti continued momentum from last week’s clinical performance, with three handballs and seven disposals.

Big name recruit Tayla Harris got the Demons on the board before the siren, cutting the margin to seven points the margin at quarter time.

Melbourne turned the tables after the first break, All-Australian Demon Kate Hore tied the scores, then slotted a second to edge them ahead.

At that stage it was six clearances to one, Melbourne managing to protect the ball in their forward 50, seeing two goals in a row from Alyssa Bannan.

Demons skipper Daisy Pearce earnt a free kick and gave them their sixth major in a row, five time All-Australian Karen Paxman’s had a slower game last week but had notched 16 disposals and eight handballs by halftime.

Then, at the main break, the clearances were nine to three and a similar difference with inside 50’s saw the Demons ahead by 26 point.

The ladies in yellow and black saw Brennan feed Tessa Lavey her second for the night, Sarah Dargan got them back within 16-points but not before experienced Demons Pearce and Karen Paxman bit back.

A spectacular goal soaring off the boot of Mon Conti gave the Tigers a flicker of hope in the final term but

Demon Harris wouldn’t have it, soccering one through.

Brennan snapped a goal with four minutes to go but they couldn’t beat the clock, Melbourne showing why they remain the premiership favourites.

HISTORY MADE AT THE SWINBURNE CENTRE
Richmond’s first-ever game was against Melbourne at the same oval. On Saturday, May 2, 1908, Richmond ran out onto Punt Road Oval for its first league game, up against neighbouring team Melbourne. Now, more than a century later, the club’s AFLW side got their chance early in January, 2022, at what is now called the Swinburne Centre.

MACDONALD’S MANIC MONTH
Debutant Tiger Meg Macdonald has had a whirlwind month after recently being elevated to the main list with Ilish Ross ruled inactive for the season. Macdonald was playing for the Casey Demons before receiving the call from Punt Road just prior to Christmas, to a delighted Macdonald family who have been one-eyed Richmond supporters all their lives.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/demons-spoil-richmond-s-first-aflw-outing-at-punt-road-20220114-p59oep.html

[one-eyed]

AFLW 2022: Keep up to date with all the results and news from Round 2

A ferocious Tigers unit had Melbourne scrambling for answers, until Kate Hore entered - the star Dee put on a masterclass to make it back-to-back wins.

HeraldSun
January 15, 2022

Melbourne fought off a ferocious Richmond by 16-points on the back of Kate Hore masterclass, winning back-to-back games to start the season.

In the first game for points between the Tigers and Dees at Punt Road Oval in 59-years, Richmond jumped out of the blocks to kick the first goal just 20-seconds into the game courtesy of a Tessa Lavey snap. 

The Tigers’ pressure and attack on the ball caught the Dees off guard, and when Katie Brennan added Richmond’s second goal they looked set to push Melbourne all the way. 

But an eight-minute onslaught at the start of the second term from Hore dragged the Dees back into the game and ignited her side.

A five goal to zero quarter, which included one of the goals of the young season kicked by Alyssa Bannan, took the game away from Richmond.

A mini-fightback in the third quarter cut the margin to 16-points, but Richmond was never able to get closer as the Dees answered every punch the Tigers were able to throw. 

Monique Conti did her best to get her side over the line and finished with a game-high 25-disposals, seven clearances, six tackles and a goal. 

Eliza McNamara made a successful return to the Dees’ side (17-disposals and five tackles), while Karen Paxman (23-disposals, two clearances and a goal) was back to her best and Tyla Hanks (20-disposals, four tackles and four clearances) was more than serviceable. 

Best-on-ground Hore kicked 2.3 and had 14 touches, three tackles and three clearances.

Kate’s quarter

Trailing by a goal at quarter-time after being stunned by Richmond’s ferocity, the Dees needed someone to step up in the second term.

Enter Hore.

The first four scoring shots of the quarter came from the 26-year-old’s boot, kicking 2.2 inside eight-minutes to kickstart Melbourne and give her side the ascendancy. 

Richmond’s defenders couldn’t get near Hore as she attacked the scoreboard in all manners, reading the ball off packs, winning a brave free-kick, and finding space to mark and convert from a set shot. 

Bannan’s Beauty

Bannan kicked one of the best running goals AFLW has seen when she was released by Lily Mithen in the middle of the ground.

At the 11-minute mark of the second quarter Bannan received a handball from Mithen between centre-wing and the centre-circle, before harnessing her background in athletics and taking off. 

The 19-year-old took two bounces, ran to 30m from goal before steading and slotting the goal.

And for good measure Bannan kicked her second goal two-minutes later. 


The Richmond Way

It was a passage of play that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a highlights package from Richmond’s three AFL premierships.

Ryan Ferguson has the Tigers playing the Richmond way and it couldn’t have been more evident than eight minutes into the first term when Richmond broke through the middle of the ground, shooting out of a stoppage with a chain of handballs before Lavey pumped the ball inside 50 to Brennan.

Brennan was able to turn her opponent and come back to the ball, marking strongly 40m out from goal. Her shot missed, but it was the ease at which the Tigers progressed the ball that caught the eye. 


TIGERS 2.1 2.1 4.1 6.2 38

DEES 1.0 6.3 7.5 8.6 54

MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST

Tigers: Conti, Seymour, Lavey, Brennan, Cordner.

Dees: Hore, Paxman, McNamara, Hanks, Mithen. 

GOALS

Tigers: Lavey 2, Brennan 2, Dargan, Conti.

Dees: Hore 2, Bannan 2, Harris 2, D. Pearce, Paxman.

INJURIES

Tigers: nil.

Dees: nil. 

Swinburne Centre

Crowd: 1517

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JAMES MOTTERSHEAD’S VOTES 

3 K. Hore (MELB)

2 K. Paxman (MELB)

1 E. McNamara (MELB)

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/aflw/aflw-2022-keep-up-to-date-with-all-the-results-and-news-from-round-2/news-story/84d2faffb92906d0258b5e9dbbcc1f3a

[one-eyed]

More match stats:

[Gracie]

Won 3 of the 4 quarters so something there to be worked on

[one-eyed]

Match highlights: https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/1047249/aflw-r2-match-highlights


Coach Ryan Ferguson's post-match presser: https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/1047292/aflw-r2-ferguson-post-match

[Knighter]

More match stats:

What was the free kick count - 25 to 5?

[WilliamPowell]

What was the free kick count - 25 to 5?

Rich 22 to Melb 24

https://www.womens.afl/match-centre/2022/3740/rich-v-melb#teamstats