HeraldSun's match reportRonny Lerner
HeraldSun
23 September 2023Richmond is knocking on the door of the AFLW top four after edging out Carlton by seven points in a gripping arm wrestle at Princes Park on Saturday.
In an entertaining prelude to the venue hosting a live site for the men’s preliminary final, the Tigers made a ferocious start with four of the first five goals, including a pair to captain Katie Brennan, to lead by 16 points after just 14 minutes.
But Carlton abruptly put the brakes on Richmond’s scoring and kicked the next four goals to lead by seven points shortly after halftime.
Richmond was held goalless in the middle two periods, and had to wait almost three full quarters before finally kicking their fifth goal via Caitlin Greiser, who handed them back the lead early in the final term. Two more majors from Stella Reid and Courtney Jones sealed the 7.5 (47) to 6.4 (40) result.
Ultimately, the Tigers’ huge advantage in inside-50s (40-26) proved telling.
“The group is amazing,” Richmond coach Ryan Ferguson said of his team post-match.
“Their resilience for many years now is just growing and growing and growing. They were banged up last week, we were running on empty but still ran the game out really strong (against GWS).
“The group is just full of resilience and just such a strong resolve, and how they played that last quarter was a really professional effort.”
Richmond and the Blues headed into the match level on two wins apiece in eighth and ninth spots respectively, ensuring the game was an old-fashioned “eight-pointer”, and the Tigers came out on top to improve their record to 3-1.
The result saw Carlton miss a big chance to enter the top eight for the first time this year, and the Blues could drop to as low as 13th on the ladder by the end of the weekend.
SHERAR, CONTI DO BATTLECarlton’s Keeley Sherar was given the huge job of tagging Richmond superstar Mon Conti for the entirety of the match, and the pair had a gripping duel.
Sherar probably had the better of Conti in the first half, but the Tigers midfielder hit back after the main break to slightly edge her minder in the end.
Conti finished with a game-high 30 disposals (12 contested) as well as five tackles and five clearances. But Sherar was far from disgraced, recording a team-high 27 touches and laying five tackles herself.
“I thought Keeley played a good game,” Carlton coach Mathew Buck said post-game.
“She’s got great speed and tenacity at the ball, so I thought she was strong at the contest and got to the outside, but used her foot skills as well, which was great.
“She’s an exciting young player who’s got a great future.”
Conti also enjoyed sound support from Grace Egan, who racked up 28 possessions (16 contested), 10 tackles and seven clearances, while Brennan was superb with 18 disposals (10 contested) and two goals.
For the Blues, Mimi Hill had a huge impact with 24 possessions (10 contested) and seven tackles, and Abbie McKay had a great game with 19 touches and a goal.
Richmond’s Gabby Seymour (17 touches and 15 hitouts) had an enthralling battle in the ruck with Carlton’s Jess Good (18 and 27).
BLUES RECOVERThe Tigers led the tackle count 17-7 at one stage in the first term, and Carlton struggled to deal with the pressure.
But the Blues settled into the game and responded with the next three majors to lead by two points at halftime, after dominating the territory battle with nine of the first 10 inside-50s in the second term.
The Tigers were held scoreless in the second quarter, after their barnstorming start to the match, and the Blues continued to stifle them into the third period.
Richmond absolutely dominated the forward entries in the third stanza (17-3), but were extremely wasteful in front of goal, managing just four behinds.
Carlton’s besieged backline was given a reprieve by the Tigers’ inefficiency, but the dam walls finally burst in the final quarter and Richmond belatedly capitalised on their territory ascendancy.
“I thought we really controlled the third quarter but just got so rushed and so hectic, so we got no reward for effort, and that’s on us,” Ferguson said.
“So being able to reset at three-quarter time and just understand that the intent and pressure had to stay, but just ball in hand we had to use a bit of the outside run and lower the eyes and get it to advantage rather than that rushed kick long where they (Carlton) were waiting back for it.”
TIGER IN TROUBLE?Richmond’s Jemima Woods could find herself in hot water with the MRO after a clash with Carlton’s Amelia Velardo in the second quarter.
Both players were competing for a loose ball on the wing, but in doing so, Woods’ shoulder barrelled into the side of Velardo’s head, leaving her grounded for a fair period of time, before being helped from the field by medical staff and assessed in the rooms.
While it looked like a genuine contest, with both players having their eyes on the ball, the league is extremely conscious of any contact with the head.
Velardo was able to resume her place in the game in the second half, albeit with a heavily bandaged head.
Scoreboard
BLUES 2.2, 4.3, 5.3, 6.4 (40)
TIGERS 4.1, 4.1, 4.5, 7.5 (47)
LERNER’S BEST
Blues: Sherar, Hill, Good, McKay, Skepper.
Tigers: Conti, Egan, Brennan, Seymour, Dempsey.
GOALS
Blues: Moody 2, Austin 2, McKay, McWilliams.
Tigers: Brennan 2, MacDonald, Yassir, Greiser, Reid, Jones.
INJURIES
Blues: Velardo (head). Tigers: Jemima Woods replaced Bec Miller (finger) in Richmond’s selected line-up.
Umpires: Heffernan, Mitchell, Stark
Venue: Princes Park
https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/aflw-2023-all-the-news-and-results-from-round-4/news-story/66e15cba9b7c9551bdefe42bd87bd341
