Media articles & stats: Tigers fall in soggy slog-fest against Magpies

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Pies prevail in soggy slog-fest against the Tigers

By Josh Gabelich
afl.com.au
31 March 2023

COLLINGWOOD     2.6     3.10    7.15     8.15    (63)
RICHMOND            1.0     1.3      4.5      7.7      (49)

GOALS
Collingwood: Elliott 2, Pendlebury, Mihocek, Johnson, Hill, J. Daicos, McStay
Richmond: Riewoldt 2, Mansell, Clarke, Bolton, Lynch, Ross

BEST
Collingwood: De Goey, J. Daicos, N. Daicos, Sidebottom, Frampton, Mitchell, Crisp
Richmond: Baker, Taranto, Rioli, Bolton, Vlastuin, Ross

INJURIES
Collingwood: Mihocek (face), Cameron (knee)
Richmond: None

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Josh Carmichael replaced Darcy Cameron in fourth quarter
Richmond: Noah Cumberland replaced Samson Ryan at half-time

Crowd: 85,241 at the MCG

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CRAIG McRae spent five years working under Damien Hardwick at Punt Road, but on Friday night the Magpies ensured Richmond’s triple premiership coach couldn’t celebrate his 300th game in charge of the Tigers with a win.

It wasn’t pretty – and the margin should have been more – but it was more than enough for the Magpies to make it three from three to start 2023, recording a 8.15 (63) to 7.7 (49) on a slippery night in front of 85,241 people at the MCG.

Richmond star Shai Bolton kicked the opening goal of the game inside three minutes, but from the moment Collingwood recruit Bobby Hill responded five minutes later, the Magpies never relinquished the lead.

Emerging superstar Nick Daicos absorbed the focus of the football world to produce another impressive performance. It wasn’t quite as box office as the first fortnight of the season, but it was a third consecutive 30+ effort to start the season from the 20-year-old that will give the umpires something to think about when they submit the Brownlow Medal votes.

Jordan De Goey will certainly attract the umpires’ attention after producing a dominant display, amassing 35 disposals, ten clearances and 597 metres gained, while Josh Daicos continued his blistering start to the year with 28 touches, seven clearances and 503 metres gained and Tom Mitchell found the ball 30 times.

With rain sweeping across the Melbourne all afternoon and drizzling before the bounce, the game was a scrap from start to finish, despite the rain clearing in the first half.

It should have almost been over at half-time. The Magpies dominated the first half, recording eight more inside 50s, 18 more contested possessions and nine more scoring shots, but they didn’t capitalise, reaching the main break only 19 points ahead.

Hardwick needed a response and got one after activating the sub at half-time, swapping a tall for a small and Noah Cumberland made an instant impact inside 50 after replacing Samson Ryan.

The Tigers kicked the first three goals in the first ten minutes of the second half to get within a kick and breathe life into a contest that struggled for air in the first half. And Cumberland was in everything.

But just as Collingwood was challenged, they responded. Josh Daicos and Jamie Elliott both kicked goals to steady the ship, before Scott Pendlebury weaved through traffic at the city end, in a moment of pure class by the man with 361 games next to his name. Elliott kicked a second to put the Magpies 28 points up at three-quarter time, enough to keep the Tigers at bay.

After two box office performances to start this year, this wasn’t one for Name A Game. Collingwood nailed the brief and now move on to face Brisbane at the Gabba on Easter Thursday.

While Hardwick has three premiership cups sitting in the Swinburne Centre, McRae now has 19 wins from his first 25 games as a senior coach.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/892697/pies-prevail-in-soggy-slog-fest-against-the-tigers

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Wayward Magpies put foot down to overcome Tigers

Marc McGowan
The Age
April 1, 2023

It’s now undeniable. Collingwood are a seriously good football team.

Perhaps underestimated because of their amazing run of victories in close games last year, Craig McRae’s Magpies have proven within three weeks of the new season that their success was no fluke.

The newly minted premiership favourites overcame a wayward night in front of goals and Richmond’s third-quarter surge to win by an unflattering 14 points on a wet and slippery MCG in front of 85,241 fans on Friday night.

Unbeaten Collingwood made life difficult for themselves with a series of misses – some easier than others – with Jordan De Goey headlining the culprits with three behinds.

They went to half-time with only a 19-point edge, via a 3.10 scoreline, despite having nine more scoring shots and looking the far superior team, from running in waves to maintaining their new-found contested-ball prowess.

The Tigers’ defence – missing the suspended Nathan Broad and injured pair Robbie Tarrant and Josh Gibcus – were under siege for long periods, with even Dylan Grimes looking vulnerable at times.

But the Pies’ errant goalkicking left the door ajar for Richmond, who threatened to make them pay when they kicked three goals inside the first 10 minutes of the third term, after managing just one in the first half.

That burst slashed Collingwood’s lead to only three points in a remarkable turn of events, only for the Pies to belatedly find their goalkicking radar but still never quite put their opponents away.

Scott Pendlebury, who danced around multiple Tigers defenders to smash home a close-range goal during the third quarter, and Jamie Elliott should take plenty of credit for that, but the Magpies had an army of contributors.

Steele Sidebottom was brilliant from the outset, whether setting up scoring opportunities with silky passes or cutting off Richmond forays, while De Goey made up for his goalkicking woes with an otherwise superb display.

The Daicos brothers had leather poisoning again, Tom Mitchell’s outstanding start to life with Collingwood also continued, and Billy Frampton was the best defender on the ground with a great shutdown job on Tom Lynch.

The sole negative was ruckman Darcy Cameron’s knee injury, which saw him exit the match late in the third quarter and leave Ash Johnson and Dan McStay to carry the big-man duties.

Liam Baker was resolute down back in a losing cause for the Tigers with 33 disposals and 12 intercept possessions to be comfortably his side’s best player.

They will be desperate for reinforcements to arrive ahead of another tricky encounter next week against the Western Bulldogs.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/wayward-magpies-put-foot-down-to-overcome-tigers-20230331-p5cx7j.html

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Magpies gain momentum, Tigers need poise and polish

Greg Baum
The Age
April 1, 2023

Surveying the murk at the start of this classic match-up, Collingwood assistant coach Justin Leppitsch said: “It might not make good TV.”

So it proved. As conditions blunted the edge of both teams, the Magpies slogged their way to their third straight win of the season. They will value it for the way it sustains their momentum, and Richmond will try to keep it in perspective, since they were much reduced in manpower.

This was the third of a testing four-match set to begin the season for the Magpies against opponents all expected to be in contention, and they’ve won them all in different ways. The others were for show, good for TV. This was for the premiership points. The fourth will be played on different terms again, in the humidity of Brisbane next Thursday.

In truth, the Magpies won this by the margin between the teams on the teamsheet, whereas the Tigers were decimated. It was made to look closer on the scoreboard than on the ground by Collingwood’s wastefulness in front of goals for three quarters, a form of generosity the Tigers later reciprocated. Collingwood claimed an 8.15 (63) to 7.7 (49) win.

Still, to build a substantial season, a footy team must be able to win in all ways. The Magpies will take heart from both ends of their list. Ancient wingman Steele Sidebottom controlled this match when it was still at issue, and Scott Pendlebury was Scott Pendlebury; enough said.

At the other end of their personnel, Ash Johnson came from the seconds with a bag of tricks and pulled most of them out. His responsibilities grew when Darcy Cameron had to be subbed out of the match with a knee injury and he graduated from relieving ruck to No.1.

Cameron’s importance became more acutely obvious in what was otherwise a formality of a last quarter when the Magpies were unable to maintain their sway at the fall of the ball. Cameron’s status now became a very watched space. The early indications are grim.

Johnson is an intriguing footballer. He took beautiful overhead marks, made three-storey leaps in ruck duels, pulled off a couple of overhead, no-look handballs and tried a couple of banana kicks at goal. Not all came off, but the Pies will not deter him as long as he does his bread-and-butter stuff, too.

At the farther end of the ground, Adelaide emigree Billy Frampton played perhaps his best game of AFL footy. As understudy to the injured Jeremy Howe, Frampton will be held to impossibly high standards. This night, he earned his black-and-white stripes. Admittedly, it was a night when conditions militated in his favour.

He stood up in marking duels with Tom Lynch, but just as pleasing for the Pies would be the several times he judged the moment to come off his man and affect spoiling play further up the field. This is the way Pies played; he has learned what he must do to maintain respect and his place.

In a sense, this was Richmond-minus versus Richmond-plus. Collingwood coach Craig McRae and assistant Leppitisch both spent periods at the Tigers with Damien Hardwick as they developed their patent run-and-gun game. It has evolved under McRae at the Magpies, hence the plus. And Tigers were significantly undermanned this night, hence minus.

The manner of the game was dictated by an hour of showers before the game, slicking up the MCG surface. It made for basic footy, prioritising territory over possession. The Magpies excelled in getting the ball and hammering it forward, but were unusually profligate. In the first quarter, they hit the post three times and Nick Daicos kicked a regulation set shot out on the full.

Richmond, even when undermanned, will never be less than driven. So it was that their finest early moments were run-down tackles of Josh Daicos, a rarity, and Pendlebury, perhaps a first, and a desperate, flying lunge by Noah Balta to deny a mark to Brody Mihocek. It was the epitome of commitment. But when pressing forward, commitment translated only into mishandling.

A look became a pattern. Johnson took a feather-soft mark and kicked a long goal in the first minute of the second quarter and that was it. Collingwood continued to force the ball forward and squander it. At one stage, the Magpies had had 14 shots to the Tigers’ two.

In the third quarter, the Magpies’ extravagance came back to bite them. Richmond yielded to the conditions, subbed out the tall Samson Ryan and introduced the speedy Noah Cumberland. More nimble now, the Tigers began the third quarter with a trio of quick goals and the match, like the weather, changed in a way that could be read on a barometer. The margin narrowed to three points.

Just as quickly, the needle swung again. Three in three minutes for the Pies ensued, the last a vintage weave and snap from Pendlebury. In an equal and opposite action, Tom Lynch then missed two sitters. He would finish the night with one consolation goal, kicked in junk time. Rhyan Mansell missed another at the start of the last quarter and that pretty much was that.

As the Tigers, they lost nothing for effort on the night, but needed more poise and polish. They will be better than this when their list is healthier than this. They’ve already shown it. More than 85,000 braved uncertain weather this night to lend their voices. They’ll be back for more big ones, and so will both these teams.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/magpies-slog-their-way-to-third-straight-win-20230331-p5cx70.html

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MATCH REPORT: WAYWARD PIES WIN BLOCKBUSTER AT THE ‘G

Ronny Lerner
HeraldSun
April 1, 2023

New premiership favourites Collingwood have overcome a horrible goalkicking display to maintain their undefeated start to the season with a gritty 14-point win over Richmond at the MCG on Friday night.

But the victory came at a cost for the Magpies with Darcy Cameron subbed out at three-quarter time with a knee injury.

It was a far cry from the freewheeling style of the Magpies’ first two games this year, and in front of 85,241 fans – the third biggest home-and-away crowd between these two famous clubs - alarming inaccuracy prevented Collingwod from ending the contest early. The Pies registered 13 of the first 14 scores, but could only manage 3.10 and a lead of just 22 points in the second quarter.

Richmond, who were missing Dustin Martin (hamstring), Jacob Hopper (knee), Nathan Broad (suspension) and Jayden Short (calf), then subbed Noah Cumberland in at half-time, at the expense of Samson Ryan, and the small forward had an instant impact, setting up the Tigers’ next two goals.

Richmond ramped up the pressure, and after managing just one goal from 21 inside-50s in the first half, their forward efficiency skyrocketed as they helped themselves to the first three majors of the third term to slash the deficit to three points.

But rather than drop their bundle after having little to show for their domination of general play, Collingwood regrouped and responded strongly, booting the next four goals, including two to Jamie Elliott, to open up a game-high 28-point lead at three-quarter time.

A couple of quick goals from Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch in the final term gave the Tigers a glimmer of hope, but Collingwood never looked seriously troubled, and when Dan McStay drilled a set shot with less than five minutes to go, the result was put to bed.

Jordan De Goey was outstanding with 35 disposals (15 contested), 10 clearances and eight inside-50s, and the Nick Daicos tag failed again. After the reigning Rising Star towelled up Port Adelaide’s Lachie Jones last week, he did a similar job on Jack Graham this week, accruing 33 touches.

Meanwhile, Billy Frampton played the best game of his career, keeping Lynch to just one goal, which was scored midway through the final term.

After smashing Port Adelaide in contested possessions by 57 last week, Collingwood produced a similarly strong showing in that department again, thumping Richmond by 23 (161-138 ). The Pies also dominated the forward entries (59-41) but poor goalkicking cost them a bigger win.

PENDLES RISES TO THE TOP

Late in the third quarter, with Collingwood on a roll, the evergreen Scott Pendlebury joined the party with considerable class as he gathered the loose ball deep in attack and weaved his way through, not one, not two, but three Tigers in Noah Balta, Daniel Rioli and Nick Vlastuin, before snapping truly from the top of the goal square to extend the Magpies’ lead to 22 points.

LYNCH LETS OFF PIES

Shortly after, Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch had a couple of chances to cut back the margin, but the big Tiger missed a pair of straightforward set shots in the space of a couple of minutes to cap off a dirty night for the reigning best-and-fairest who was well held by Billy Frampton.

TIGERS’ HISTORIC LOW

Richmond’s half-time score of 1.3.9 was their lowest since Round 19, 2016 (1.2.8 against GWS) and their worst against Collingwood since Round 10, 1955 (1.2.8 ).

HARDWICK MILESTONE

Damien Hardwick became the first man in VFL/AFL history to coach Richmond in 300 games on Friday night. He’s also the club’s second-most successful coach, guiding the Tigers to three premierships, one shy of the great Tom Hafey who oversaw four flags between 1967-74.

SCOREBOARD

MAGPIES 2.6, 3.10, 7.15, 8.15 (63)

TIGERS 1.0, 1.3, 4.5, 7.7 (49)

LERNER’S BEST

Magpies: De Goey, N.Daicos, Frampton, Sidebottom, Elliott, J.Daicos, Pendlebury.

Tigers: Baker, Bolton, Ross, Taranto, D.Rioli

GOALS

Magpies: Elliott 2, Hill, Mihocek, Johnson, J.Daicos, Pendlebury, McStay.

Tigers: Riewoldt 2, Bolton, Mansell, Clarke, Lynch, Ross.

INJURIES

Magpies: Cameron (knee), Mihocek (cut eyebrow).

Tigers: Nil.

UMPIRES: Fisher, Stephens, Heffernan, Mollison

VENUE: MCG

CROWD: 85,241

PLAYER OF THE YEAR- LERNER’S VOTES

3 Jordan De Goey (Coll)

2 Billy Frampton (Coll)

1 Nick Daicos (Coll)

https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/afl-collingwood-vs-richmond-all-the-news-from-friday-night-footy-at-the-mcg/news-story/85d72f55f5f8da7d8c6276a9b282ca1d

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‘Should have been belted’: ‘Terrible’ Tigers their own worst enemy as finals credentials doubts emerge

Catherine Healey
Fox Sports
April 1st, 2023

Richmond won’t be able to compete with the top teams come September, Fox Footy’s Cameron Mooney has warned after the Tigers suffered a 14-point loss to Collingwood on Friday night.

The Tigers kicked just one goal for the first half as the match was essentially played in the Magpies forward half.

Mooney said the Tigers “should have been absolutely belted” as a wayward Collingwood blew plenty of chances to finish with 8.15.

“23 shots to 14 … I think they got away with one not being absolutely smashed,” he said on Fox Footy Live.

“I think when they are playing the absolutely best teams in the competition, that’s what you are going to see.

“I don’t think they’re going to match it with those top teams. I still think they’ll play finals but be in the bottom half of the top eight.”

The Tigers entered the match without Nathan Broad (suspension) and injured trio Dustin Martin, Jacob Hopper and Jayden Short, but Mooney said that mattered little.

“They weren’t missing anything else other than Dusty – Dusty’s your main man,” he said.

“I think your Hopper and (Tim) Tarantos weren’t about this year.

“I just look at Richmond and think everyone thought this was going to be a premiership team or premiership chance and I just didn’t see it.

“I just think tonight showed me against the top teams, I don’t think they’re going to compete.”

Fellow Fox Footy Live panellists Nick Dal Sato and Brad Johnson agreed the Tigers were their worst enemy at the MCG in a match that started in wet conditions.

“They turned the ball over 28 times in defensive half,” Dal Santo lamented.

“They weren’t clean enough.

“Some of them are just blatant clangers – they probably didn’t get punished as they normally would.”

“They were terrible by foot. Their exit from D50 was no good at all,” Johnson added.

Despite winning the clearance count, the Tigers had a whopping 81 turnovers for the match and took just nine marks inside 50 – the majority of those coming in the final quarter.

Fox Footy’s Garry Lyon described the Tigers as “unrecognisable” from their days as three-time premiers.

“It could have been a lot worse,” he said of the Collingwood loss.

“I don’t think they are the Richmond of (the past), they’re not going to maintain the standard of when they won three premierships in four (years).

“Some of their guns, their most influential players are getting older and that’s just life.

“It’s going to happen to Jack (Riewoldt), it’s happening to Trent (Cotchin), Dylan Grimes.

“They’re not the players they once were.”

The Tigers now face a tough three weeks against the Western Bulldogs, who suddenly found form on Thursday night, the Swans in Adelaide for Gather Round and then Melbourne back at the MCG.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/should-have-been-belted-terrible-tigers-their-own-worst-enemy-as-finals-credentials-doubts-emerge/news-story/f0aa2ee9d01d5c90113eb9180d62ec03