Media articles & stats: Tigers thump Hawks to secure finals berth

[one-eyed]

Lynch bags eight as Tigers thump Hawks to secure finals berth

By Ben Somerford
afl.com.au
14 August 2022

RICHMOND             6.2       9.3        18.5       20.8 (128)
HAWTHORN            1.1       4.5        5.10        9.13 (67)

GOALS 
Richmond: Lynch 8, Cumberland 2, Edwards 2, Prestia 2, M.Rioli 2, Bolton, Castagna, Cotchin, Miller
Hawthorn: Breust 2, Gunston 2, Koschitzke, McEvoy, Serong, Shiels, Sicily

BEST 
Richmond: Lynch, Prestia, Cotchin, D.Rioli, Short, M.Rioli
Hawthorn: Sicily, Newcombe, Scrimshaw, Maginness, McEvoy, Mitchell

INJURIES 
Richmond: Graham (ankle)
Hawthorn: Nil

SUBSTITUTES 
Richmond: Jason Castagna (replaced Graham at three-quarter time)
Hawthorn: Connor Macdonald (unused)

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Tom Lynch booted an equal career-best eight goals as Richmond flexed its muscle to confirm a finals spot with a 61-point thrashing of Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday.

Lynch kicked four of his eight in a remarkable third-quarter display from the Tigers, who piled on 9.2 from 13 inside 50s to pull away for a 20.8 (128) to 9.13 (67) win, clinching a return to the finals after missing out in 2021.

The Tigers' third-quarter score was their best of the season, while their final score was their equal second best of the year, behind only the 25.15 (165) in the 111-point mauling of West Coast in round seven.

It also marked the third game in a row Richmond scored 100-plus points as it tunes up for a finals charge.

The reality is Richmond was always in control, led well around the ball by Dion Prestia, who had 30 disposals with a game-high 11 clearances and two goals, along with former skipper Trent Cotchin, who had 30 touches with a game-high 17 contested possessions.

Maurice Rioli jnr's forward pressure was a highlight, booting two goals, along with Noah Cumberland, Prestia and Shane Edwards, but it was the Lynch show up forward, with his haul taking his season tally to 55 goals to be within seven of Coleman Medal leader Charlie Curnow (62) with one round to go.

The victory, Richmond's third in a row after going winless across three rounds, moves the Tigers above Carlton into seventh spot with Essendon to come in round 23.

But the Tigers will be sweating on an injury concern to Jack Graham, who was subbed out at three-quarter time with a right ankle issue.

Hawthorn had few winners for the day, although tagger Finn Maginness claimed another scalp, restricting Shai Bolton to 13 disposals.

Retiring captain Ben McEvoy, in his penultimate game, Jai Newcombe and makeshift midfielder James Sicily tried hard for the Hawks, while veteran forwards Jack Gunston and Luke Breust finished with two goals each.

The Tigers jumped out of the blocks to open up a 31-point quarter-time lead with 21-6 inside 50s with 5-1 centre clearances. Lynch relished the supply with three contested marks and three goals in the first term, including his 50th for the season from a tough set shot, while he laid off the pass for Ben Miller's major.

Hawthorn responded in the second, getting the edge in contested possessions (38-36) to enjoy plenty of territory but was left to rue missed opportunities, managing 7-3 marks inside 50 but kicking 3.4 for the term.

Richmond showed no mercy in the third quarter, despite losing the inside 50 count 14-13, with its ruthless efficiency leading to nine goals, including eight in a row.

Gunston kicked a couple of consolation goals for Hawthorn, which claimed a small victory by winning the fourth term with four goals to two, as the Richmond crowd willed Lynch to more majors which never came.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/822189/lynch-bags-eight-as-tigers-thump-hawks-to-secure-finals-berth

[one-eyed]

TIGER TRAIN STEAMS INTO FINALS

David Zita
Foxsports
14 August 2022

Some tight losses had Richmond‘s finals hopes in jeopardy for a period of time, but it’s official: The Tigers are back in the finals.

The way they performed at times against Hawthorn on Sunday suggested they‘re going to cause whichever side they play come September a hell of a lot of problems.

Their pressure game was at its peak, with forward-half turnovers the norm.

Maurice Rioli Jr didn‘t have a lot of the footy but it’s what he did with and without it that typified the Tigers’ attack on the ball.

The third quarter was as big a flex as any team has put in this season, with a staggering eight unanswered goals.

Geelong and Collingwood‘s win streaks have been the talk of the town, but the reality is Richmond hasn’t lost a game by more than a goal since round six.

They‘ve shot themselves in the foot in some games, but it has been a rare vein of form Richmond has been enjoying and may continue to enjoy heading into September.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/live-afl-scores-updates-2022-richmond-tigers-vs-hawthorn-hawks-round-22-live-stream-details-video-result-blog/news-story/9e76048bab60487cc6adc4fed6174584

[one-eyed]

Tom Lynch kicks eight goals as Richmond seals return to finals footy

Ed Bourke
HeraldSun
August 14, 2022 - 4:47PM

A monster eight-goal haul to Tom Lynch has sealed Richmond’s return to finals footy as the Tigers romped to a 61-point win over Hawthorn at the MCG.

Lynch was too strong and too aggressive in the air for Hawthorn’s young key defenders, effortlessly taking four contested marks within 15 metres of goal as he kicked perfectly to finish with 8.0.

With only 35 AFL games between them, James Blanck, Emerson Jeka and Denver Grainger-Barras all spent time on Lynch with very little success as they received a brutal education from the Tigers’ talisman.

Richmond looked vastly superior from the opening bounce as they denied Hawthorn a single forward 50 entry for the first eight minutes, the Hawks managing only six for the quarter.

Dion Prestia had a dominant first term with 10 disposals and five clearances as Richmond claimed five centre clearances to one, while Daniel Rioli roamed freely off halfback with 10 possessions of his own.

Lynch booted three consecutive goals in the first quarter and then helped himself to another three in a row during the third as part of a Tiger onslaught of eight unanswered majors.

His finest goal was his seventh, a snapped set shot from the boundary line after a beautiful pass from Maurice Rioli Jnr, who played with ferocious intensity all afternoon for 2.0 and eight score involvements.

James Sicily was used regularly at centre bounces and was the Hawks’ best with 30 disposals and a goal, but their best defender was not sent to Lynch until late in the third quarter when he already had seven goals to his name.

Jai Newcombe lost no admirers as he battled Prestia and Trent Cotchin on the inside, but the Hawks looked tired and impotent up forward in a performance that would worry Carlton fans riding the result of next week’s clash against Western Bulldogs in Launceston.

Tigers’ third-quarter feast

Richmond piled on eight goals in a row from just 11 inside 50s in a clinical 20-minute period that served as a fierce warning to other finals contenders.

Lynch had four kicks for four goals, dobbing two from near the boundary and breezily emerging with a mark from a pack of five to convert from straight in front.

Skipper Trent Cotchin led the third quarter onslaught from the midfield with eight disposals and a goal, while Noah Cumberland and Shane Edwards grew increasingly dangerous as Hawthorn defenders were drawn to the red-hot Lynch whenever the Tigers launched into attack.

Flag heroes farewell the ‘G

A trio of premiership players said goodbye to fans at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, with Richmond fans turning out in strong numbers before the game to send off retired Tigers Kane Lambert and Josh Caddy, who walked a lap of the ground together.

Hawthorn skipper Ben McEvoy’s final game on the hallowed turf was one of his best for the season, gathering 11 contested possessions, four clearances and a goal.

If triple premiership Hawk Liam Shiels leaves the club at the end of the year, his Melbourne swansong was typically understated.

The tough midfielder has been solid all season but often overlooked for younger players, only playing 12 games including several substitute appearances.

After 255 games at Hawthorn the 31-year-old may look to link up with Alastair Clarkson’s new side in the off-season.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/tom-lynch-kicks-eight-goals-as-richmond-seals-return-to-finals-footy/news-story/edd68950953895209b4d29a4dd7cecd2

[one-eyed]

Imposing Lynch boots the Tigers into the finals with eight goals

By Marnie Vinall
The Age
August 14, 2022 — 5.23pm

Richmond have secured their spot in the finals after a comprehensive win over Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, with Tom Lynch having a day out with eight goals and the side proving its surge-style footy will be a threat come September.

The Tigers have now leapfrogged Carlton for seventh spot and are a game clear of the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda, who are nipping at the heels of the top eight, after a runaway 61-point win over the Hawks.

Hawthorn had won four of their last five and, out of finals contention, looked like they might play finals spoiler in their last two rounds of the home-and-away season, but were simply outclassed as Richmond continued to find avenues to goal, outworking the Hawks across the park and continually applying the pressure.

Richmond put Hawthorn under siege early on, booting five in a row in the opening term, and kept control of the game from the get-go. The Tigers beat the Hawks in all areas, winning hitouts, clearances, inside 50s and possessions.

“We couldn’t handle their forward potency and we couldn’t lock it in our front end either, so we sort of just had trouble at both ends of the field,” Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said afterwards.

“Scores in particular were concerning but I think they’re [Richmond] playing some good footy, winning a lot of statistics over the last four to six weeks. I think they’re going to be formidable in the next few weeks as well.”

Some poor defensive structure from Hawthorn leaked goals to Richmond’s potent and crafty forward line, with nine different Tigers players contributing majors. They had no answers to Lynch’s height and damaging kicking boots.

When the Tigers moved the ball quickly, the Hawks struggled to get back and set up behind the ball fast enough. This was a particular issue in the opening term before Hawthorn tightened up in the second quarter, where each side kicked three apiece, but Richmond had already established a 28-point lead.

From halfway through their nine-goal third quarter, Richmond seemed to just be having some fun, seeing how far they could push the margin, while Hawthorn were on damage control.

James Sicily was everywhere, applying defensive and offensive pressure, spending time at the coalface and kicking his first of the season. Jai Newcombe also finished the day was 29 disposals.

Dion Prestia was crafty as ever in the midfield and registered two goals, youngster Tyler Sonsie was impressive and Maurice Rioli did a lot with the ball whenever he got hands on it, but it really was all the Lynch show.

Can’t give Lynch an inch of space

Richmond’s key forward proved once again he can’t be given even a sliver of space, finishing the afternoon with eight goals, never faltering once from a set shot. The tall marking target was a thorn in Hawthorn’s defensive side, able to repeatedly get his hands on the ball, taking seven contested marks and then finishing the job.

Hawthorn defenders rotated matching up on Lynch, including Sicily, Emerson Jeka, James Blanck and Denver Grainger-Barras all having a go on the big man and attempting to put some bodywork on him. But whenever he was able to get in front, the ball was his.

With Richmond away from the main break onwards, the narrative of the day quickly became: just how many could Tom Lynch get?

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RICHMOND    6.2   9.3   18.5    20.8 (128)
HAWTHORN   1.1   4.5    5.10     9.13 (67)

GOALS
Richmond: Lynch 8, Cumberland 2, Prestia 2, Rioli 2, Edwards 2, Cotchin, Castagna, Bolton, Miller.
Hawthorn: Breust 2, Gunston 2, Koschitzke, Sicily, McEvoy, Serong, Shiels.

BEST
Richmond: Lynch, Prestia, Rioli, Short.
Hawthorn: McEvoy, Sicily, Newcombe, Mitchell.

INJURIES
Richmond: Graham (ankle).

CROWD 59,338 at the MCG.

VOTES

T. Lynch (Richmond) 9
J. Sicily (Hawthorn) 8
D. Prestia (Richmond) 8
T. Cotchin (Richmond) 7
J. Newcombe (Richmond) 7

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/imposing-lynch-boots-the-tigers-into-the-finals-with-eight-goals-20220814-p5b9of.html

[wayne]

VOTES

T. Lynch (Richmond) 9
J. Sicily (Hawthorn) 8
D. Prestia (Richmond) 8
T. Cotchin (Richmond) 7
J. Newcombe (Hawthorn) 7

Seagull Sicily better than Prestia, Cotch and even D. And M. Rioli?