Media articles & stats: Oh No-ah: Tigers miss two late chances in Dockers draw

[one-eyed]

Oh No-ah: Tigers miss two late chances in Dockers draw

Noah Balta and Noah Cumberland both missed late chances to snatch the lead late, leaving Richmond to draw with Fremantle on Friday night

By Nick D'Urbano
afl.com.au
23 July 2022

RICHMOND        3.5     5.8    6.10   7.10 (52)
FREMANTLE       3.3     5.5    5.9     7.10 (52)

GOALS 
Richmond: Bolton 2, Cumberland, Riewoldt, Balta, McIntosh, Sonsie
Fremantle: Logue, Aish, Brodie, Fyfe, Walters, Taberner, Banfield

BEST 
Richmond: Bolton, Cotchin, Prestia, Tarrant, Broad
Fremantle: Young, Brayshaw, Brodie, Ryan, Clark, Serong

INJURIES 
Richmond: Broad (knee), Grimes (hamstring), Miller (groin)
Fremantle: Fyfe (hamstring), Peace (head)

SUBSTITUTES 
Richmond: Maurice Rioli jnr (replaced Ben Miller in the fourth quarter)
Fremantle: Travis Colyer (replaced Nat Fyfe in the third quarter)

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RICHMOND has fallen short of a win for the third-straight week, missing two late chances to get its nose in front of Fremantle as the two sides played out the season's first draw in a heart-stopping contest at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.

In an ending befitting the see-sawing contest which saw momentum swing between both sides, the Tigers and Dockers were unable to be separated, with the game finishing with a 7.10 (52) to 7.10 (52) scoreline.

Tigers Noah Balta and Noah Cumberland each had an opportunity to take a shot on goal in the final two minutes, where any score would have put Richmond in front.

Balta had the chance to give Richmond the lead from a set shot, but was called to play on and had his kick smothered, before Cumberland had another opportunity to win the game for the Tigers but played on just as the siren went.

Like a nagging final level on a video game, Richmond have been unable to end their final quarter hoodoos and win the close ones as they hang on precariously to spot inside the top-eight, only two points ahead of the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda.

Fremantle, on the other hand, had the ascendancy for much of the final term and looked to be coming home with a wet sail after being behind for each of the first three quarters - kicking two goals to Richmond’s one in the last quarter.

After Matt Taberner and Shai Bolton traded last-quarter goals, Bailey Banfield snapped an incredible goal to tie the scores with about eight minutes to go - which in the end ensured the contest would end all square.

The draw takes the Dockers back into third spot for the time being, but Brisbane and Collingwood are nipping at their heels, and should they both win, Justin Longmuir’s side will be outside the top four at the end of the round.

The Tigers’ pre-game banner called for a spark and the players responded accordingly from the outset as Hardwick’s charges brought their trademark high-tempo footy to the fore - particularly in the second term as they laid a whopping 20-4 tackles - allowing them to lock the footy in their forward half and put Fremantle’s defence under the pump.

But despite the tidal waves of unrelenting pressure, Fremantle was able to withstand the Tigers storm and stay right in the fight at half time with Richmond being unable to make the most of their territorial dominance on the scoreboard as inaccuracy plagued them yet again.

The first half arm-wrestle failed to subside after the major break, with only one goal kicked between the two sides and a number of opportunities squandered at either end - as Fremantle, for a second straight week, uncharacteristically went goalless in the third term.

Tyler Sonsie’s solitary third-quarter goal gave Richmond a slight buffer heading into the third quarter before all chaos ensued in a dramatic final term.

Fremantle will also be sweating on the fitness of Nat Fyfe who was subbed off in the third term with a suspected hamstring injury.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/803278/all-tied-up-tigers-freo-arm-wrestle-ends-in-a-draw

[one-eyed]

Richmond and Fremantle draw after Tiger lapse

Peter Ryan
The Age
July 22, 2022 — 10.40pm

Richmond and Fremantle have played out a thrilling and bizarre draw after Tiger Noah Cumberland played on after taking a mark inside 50 and the siren went before he had his kick.

The moment came just minutes after Noah Balta was called to play on when the shot clock expired as he lined up to put the Tigers in front and he failed to get the kick away.

Balta told Channel 7 post match that he did not hear the umpire call play on as Fremantle’s Michael Frederick moved in to smother the ball. He said he had taken his time after Jack Riewoldt told him to take the 30 seconds available before kicking.

“What do you do? That’s the game of footy and it’s why we love the game,” Balta said. “The game is over now, there is nothing you can do about and there is no point in moaning and whinging, just move on to the next week.”

Once again however as Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said last week, it was Richmond killing Richmond as the mistakes cost them the game they should have won with Fremantle losing Nat Fyfe to a hamstring injury just after half-time.

It was again heartbreak for Tiger fans who had lost three of their past four games by less than a kick and sit just inside the top eight, now two points ahead of their rivals while the Dockers moved two points clear of Collingwood in the top four with the Magpies playing Essendon.

The game was dominated by defences with both teams struggling to get the ball past half forward in a second half that saw just four goals scored. Both teams had their chances but Richmond kicked 2.5 from set shots with Balta missing a chance midway through the third quarter to put them 14 points ahead with momentum.

Fremantle, led by the brilliant Hayden Young, kept coming with goals to Matt Taberner and Bailey Banfield either side of Shai Bolton’s second keeping the scores level.

Richmond could not be accused of lacking effort but their polish doesn’t shine as bright as it once did.

Their tackling in the first half was ferocious as they drove their Fremantle opponents into the ground every chance they had. It gave them the intercepts they wanted to create scoring chances but without Tom Lynch they tried to play ruckman Toby Nankervis and Ivan Soldo as deep forwards.

They were reasonable in the air, but they inevitably slowed the Tigers’ offensive transition with each Nankervis possession like hitting gravel on a bitumen highway.

Fremantle were either hanging on in defence or scoring freely from a centre clearance with two goals from that source in each of the first two quarters.

The first via Will Brodie was the result of a series of linking handballs out of the square. The second was football in its most pure form when Caleb Serong kicked to a leading Fyfe who took the ball in front of his eyes with champion defender Dylan Grimes inside his jumper.

Nick Vlastuin was very influential as a spare but the Tigers could not get past Alex Pearce or Luke Ryan in a frenetic last quarter that will see both sides rueing their missed opportunities as the two teams played out their first draw.


RICHMOND 3.5 5.8 6.10 7.10 (52)
FREMANTLE 3.3 5.5 5.9 7.10 (52)

Best:
Richmond: Vlastuin, Tarrant, Pickett, Prestia, Cumberland.
Fremantle: Young, Brayshaw, Pearce

Goals:
Richmond: Bolton 2, Cumberland, Riewoldt, Balta, McIntosh, Sonsie.
Fremantle: Logue, Aish, Brodie, Fyfe, Walters, Taberner, Banfield

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-and-fremantle-draw-after-tiger-lapse-20220722-p5b3v4.html