How the Tigers tamed ladder-leading LionsGemma Bastiani
womens.afl
27 September 2022SITTING atop the ladder, tossing aside opponent after opponent, Brisbane has been the team to beat this season. On Saturday, Richmond did just that without captain Katie Brennan, vice-captain Sarah Hosking and key defender Bec Miller.
But how did they do it?
Make ball movement toughStatistically the Lions won most metrics around the ground. They were +11 in clearances and +31 in tackles but struggled to find any meaningful ball movement, going at just 56 per cent disposal efficiency. This was down to the Tigers' desire to create chaos and really attack the contest.
In recent seasons Brisbane has built its game on one percenters - team first actions - but it was the Tigers who came to the fore in that respect on Saturday, registering a club-high 38 one percenters, +10 for the game. Recruit Libby Graham led the side in the metric, racking up 10 one percenters for the game - the equal-second most in competition history.
Added to this, relative to Richmond's season to date, there was a significant shift in its contested possession rate against Brisbane, with 56 per cent of the side's possessions contested compared to 49.4 per cent across the opening four rounds.
Tigers coach Ryan Ferguson sent Meg Macdonald to tag Emily Bates, and she wore her closely all day, while Brisbane star Ally Anderson had a rare quiet day of her own, greatly limiting the visitors' usual dominant duo at the contest.
Richmond's ability to make the game chaotic and unpredictable didn't allow Brisbane to settle into the game, methodically craft passages of play and dominate with a forward-half game.
Can't stop them going forward? Then make it hard to scoreEven without their usual control through the middle of the ground, the Lions still sent the ball forward 32 times - six more than Richmond - but once they were in attack their efficiency was exceptionally poor.
Brisbane scored from 37.5 per cent of its forward entries - its lowest since last season's preliminary final loss - and goaled from just 3.1 per cent - its lowest in club history.
The Tigers' work higher up the field forced uncharacteristically poor inside 50s from Brisbane, which then played into the hands of Richmond's defensive unit. The trio of Laura McClelland, Eilish Sheerin and Maddie Shevlin combined for 30 intercepts and 18 rebounds out of the defensive 50.
At the other end of the ground, it didn't get a whole lot easier for Richmond's attack, scoring from 34.6 per cent of their own attacking forays, but the difference was ultimately their own goal accuracy of 22.2 per cent compared to the Lions' 8.3 per cent.
Don't let upUltimately this game was defined by a single moment - Dakota Davidson's choice to attempt a quick snap from a set shot that was dramatically smothered by Gabby Seymour.
Davidson's decision to rush the kick was a result of a build-up of tight footy, perceived pressure and a desperation to score. Seymour's smother was emblematic of the grit and determination Richmond had shown throughout the game.
It was Shevlin's relentless rebounding, and 658 metres gained to limit Brisbane's possession in attack. It was Macdonald's willingness to stick to a tiring, selfless task on one of the best players in the competition. It was the reliability of Wakefield in front of goal to take her chances. It was Seymour's smother.
Above all, it was the team's willingness to stick to the plan. It wasn't always going to be pretty footy but it was a plan that required all Tigers to buy in and do so right until the very last siren.
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