What they got rightShowed some sort of fightAfter a dreadful first half, the Tigers at least showed a bit of fight in the second half for just over a quarter.
Adem Yze must have had some choice words at the main break because his side was remarkably different in the third term when piling on six goals to none.
Some players were thrown around and had an impact, namely Noah Balta who went into the ruck and up around the ball, and Jack Ross who had an immediate impact after coming on as the sub.
It was a poor day but at least there were some tiny positives to hold onto.
Debutant SethA quick nod to rookie draftee Seth Campbell who played well on debut.
He finished with two goals, which could have been three, and looked comfortable at the level.
It was a bad day for the Tigers but they would have been happy to see a rookie selection go well.
What they got wrongAbysmal beginning
Apart from Shai Bolton’s opening goal, the fist half was abysmal.
Richmond conceded 11 straight goals from the five-minute mark to half-time, appearing helpless at stages.
It all started in the middle where they were utterly slaughtered from the very start.
Annihilated at stoppage and clearanceIn the first half, Richmond’s starting midfield of Tim Taranto, Dion Prestia and Jacob Hopper combined for 32 disposals and eight clearances.
Gold Coast trio Matt Rowell, Touk Miller and Noah Anderson came together for 49 disposals and 17 clearances. This is where the game was won and lost.
Rowell was able to do as he pleased to finish with a massive 20 clearances, the Tigers unable to get anywhere near his maniacal attack on the ball.
It was a colossal smacking in the middle despite Sam Naismith holding his own in the ruck against Jarrod Witts.
As Yze said, they were “all over the shop” in the first half.
Ill-disciplined actThe Tigers shot themselves in the foot when the game was potentially there to be won.
Ill-discipline, which plagued the team during the latter years of Damien Hardwick’s reign, reared its ugly head when former captain Dylan Grimes let his ego creep in by felling Tom Berry off the ball after an inexplicable kick on the full under no pressure.
If they had avoided the ensuing goal and managed to haul the margin in below 20 points, who knows what would have happened.
But they never got that chance due to Grimes’ indiscretion before a somewhat questionable umpiring decision for a deliberate rushed behind against Nathan Broad.
However, the damage had well and truly already been done earlier.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/03/11/what-they-got-right-and-wrong-each-clubs-wins-and-woes-from-opening-round/
