The Club's VFL match report.
VFL Tigers overcome Swans on Easter SundayRichmond VFL made it back-to-back wins with a 12-point victory over Sydney on Easter Sunday at the Swinburne Centre.
Off the back of their Round 1 win against reigning premier Gold Coast Suns at People First Stadium, the Tigers continued their good form into Round 2 of their 2024 Smithy’s VFL Campaign, overcoming the Swans 13.6 (84) to 10.12 (72).
In the curtain-raiser to the AFL match up between the two sides, both the Tigers and Swans outfits were looking to back up their respective Round 1 wins.
But unlike the first quarter of Round 1, it was Richmond’s opposition that started fast.
Led by Taylor Adams, who was strong in the opening term for the Swans, the visitors scored the first three majors of the match.
The Tigers hit back through debutant Liam George, who scored his maiden goal with his first kick.
On the breath of quarter time, the Swans extended their lead to 19 points through Phill Moi Moi, who slotted his third of the quarter and was posing problems for the Tigers’ defence.
Early in the second, prolific Tiger forward Cam Olden slotted his first major from a set shot. He was then given a free kick from the same spot immediately after, making it back-to-back goals and putting the Tigers within one goal.
Richmond made it three in a row through Austin Johnson, who beautifully bent through his first major of the afternoon to level things up at 33 apiece.
All of a sudden, the Tigers had undone the Swans’ early work, and their dominance saw them controlling the game in strides.
From a standing start right on the 50-metre arch, Hugo Ralphsmith then gave the Tigers the lead.
Shortly after, Mohammed Yassine’s flashy goal made it five in a row, and as many unanswered goals in the quarter for the Tigers.
Led by Kane McAuliffe (13 disposals), skipper Lachlan Street (12 disposals), Johnson and Chad Harris (11 disposals each), the Tigers overturned a 19-point deficit to lead at the main break by 12 points.
Scoring opened in the second half through the fast-starting Swans. Within a minute of the third term, they were on the board and had cut the margin down to six points.
Courtesy of Yassine’s crafty work, Samson Ryan kicked his first goal of the afternoon, to restore a two-goal Tiger lead.
Richmond and Sydney went goal-for-goal until Steely Green broke the sequence, slotting through his first major to put his side up by 17 on the stroke of three-quarter time.
Ryan then opened the scoring in the final term for the Tigers, slotting his second to extend his side’s lead out to 22 points.
The excellent defensive showing by the Tigers after quarter-time was personified by Mutaz El Nour’s efforts, both aerially and on the ground.
Despite being down by 22 points early in the final term, the Swans would never say die. They kicked back-to-back majors to get to within nine points and give themselves a fighting chance.
However, Ryan’s third goal sealed the contest shut before Sam Naismith’s second, the icing on the cake.
Plenty of Tigers shined on Sunday afternoon, including McAuliffe (26 disposals, nine clearances), Naismith (19 disposals, 18 hitouts, two goals), Street (22 disposals), Harris (22 disposals), Kaleb Smith (19 disposals) and Johnson (17 disposals, one goal).
The Tigers will head into the Gather Round bye with a 2-0 record from their opening two matches, shifting their attention to their Round 3 clash with 2023 Grand Finalist Werribee at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday, April 13.
Richmond 2.1 7.6 10.6 13.6 (84)
Sydney 5.2 5.6 7.8 10.12 (72)
Best: McAuliffe, Naismith, Street, Harris, Smith, Johnson
Goals: Ryan (3), Naismith (2), Olden (2), George, Green, Johnson, May, Ralphsmith, Yassine
https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1519592/vfl-tigers-overcome-swans-on-easter-sunday
