Media articles & stats: Young Tigers fall short against the Giants

[one-eyed]

Young Tigers fall short against the Giants

By Martin Pegan
RFC/AFL websites
31 May 2025

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY          2.1     4.3        7.6       12.8 (80)
RICHMOND                                  6.5     7.11     10.16     10.17 (77) 

GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Brown 3, Riccardi 2, Cadman 2, Green, Angove, Greene, Briggs, McMullin
Richmond: Taranto 2, Green 2, Lynch 2, Prestia, Faull, Hopper, Sonsie

BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Ash, Green, Brown, Whitfield, Jones, Kelly
Richmond: Hopper, Taranto, Prestia, Nankervis, Banks

INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Ward (knee)
Richmond: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Greater Western Sydney: Toby McMullin (replaced Callan Ward in the first quarter)
Richmond: Kamdyn McIntosh (replaced Luke Trainor in the fourth quarter)

Crowd: TBC at Engie Stadium

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After a dream start for the travelling Tigers, the young side couldn't hold on, going down by three points late in the fourth quarter to a gutsy Giants outfit.

Richmond managed to pile on six goals in the opening term, charging forward to a 28-point quarter-time lead over the Giants, who managed just two majors.

The early surge was led by returning veteran Dion Prestia, who snapped a crucial goal in the opening minutes to announce his comeback to the big time perfectly. It added to a strong quarter through the middle, where he found the ball for 11 disposals.

Prestia was critical to the Tigers breaking the game open in his first match of the season as their onball brigade controlled the stoppages with 16-6 clearances just in the opening term.

Goals followed suit from Jonty Faull, Steely Green, Tom Lynch and Tim Taranto (2), who kicked an energy-booster after the siren.

While it took a while to get into the groove in the second term, it was fitting that Jacob Hopper would break the goal dry spell with just over five minutes remaining before halftime.

Naturally, an experienced Giants side fought back in the second quarter, reducing their deficit to 26-points at the main break.

To the half-time siren, Hopper had already notched up 17 disposals, with Prestia nabbing 16 touches.

The switch was flicked back on in the third term, with a stellar dribble goal from Tyler Sonsie on return from a stint in the VFL, before Green added his second major to the tally.

Strong defence, led by veterans Nick Vlastuin and Nathan Broad, helped keep a surging Giants side at bay heading into the final break, retaining a 28-point lead that mirrored quarter time.

However, the young Tiger outfit wasn't able to defend against a gutsy run from the Giants in the fourth quarter, where they piled on five unanswered goals to take home the three-point win.

The side can take positives from the return of Dion Prestia, where he finished with 31 disposals, seven clearances and a goal, while former Giants Jacob Hopper (29, 13, one) and Tim Taranto (23, five, two) also set the tone.

The Tigers trio combined for 19 clearances to the last change while the Giants as a team could only gather 17 to the same point before the contest was flipped on its head in the final term.

Tigers spearhead Tom Lynch booted two majors as Giants defender Sam Taylor lowered his colours on a rare off day, while Steely Green also finished with a pair of goals as the young visitors impressed until overrun.

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1795555/round-12-match-report-richmond-gws

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NOT EVEN TIGERS’ YZE-FIRST ENOUGH AS ‘UNFORGIVABLE’ FLAW UNDOES UPSET BID

Foxsports
31 May 2025

At three-quarter-time, up 28 points, the Tigers were in pole position to cause one of the boilovers of the season — but missed opportunities played a key part in a final-quarter fadeout as the Giants stormed home.

GWS kicked five unanswered majors in the final term as an inaccurate Richmond had earlier failed to put the hosts away with their chances in front of the sticks. It went the final 48 minutes without a goal.

Richmond conceded the first goal at ENGIE Stadium but piled on the next five in an early domination to lead by 28 points at quarter-time.

The visitors’ 6.5 (41) is the Tigers’ best first-quarter effort under Adem Yze.

Yze’s charge eviscerated the Giants at the contest in the early going, leading the first term contested ball count 52-28; paving the way for an early 20-8 inside-50 lead.

“The yellow and black were nothing short of fantastic in that first quarter,” Dunstall said.

Richmond couldn’t capitalise on its second-quarter chances, however, kicking 1.6 to hold a 26-point advantage at the main change.

Dunstall said on Fox Footy’s half-time coverage: “You could basically throw a blanket over the entire Richmond midfield; they have been dominant.

“(Tim) Taranto has certainly been at the top of the tree. 15 possessions, nine of them contested and two goals (to half-time) … this is what turns a good game into a great game, is when you can start hitting the scoreboard.”

Montagna added: “I think their leaders have been fantastic for the majority of the season … and once again, they’re getting the job done.”

The Tigers turned the tables on their poor clearance output from the previous fortnight — when they finished -22 against North Melbourne in Round 10 and -21 vs. Essendon last Saturday — finishing the day +13.

“The last two weeks … they were -43 in clearances; absolutely horrific numbers,” Geelong great Cameron Mooney said on Fox Footy at half-time.

“But today already, (they’re) +9 already at the half. That’s been the big turnaround.

“Hopper and Prestia in particular have 12 clearances between them. That’s where the game is won and lost generally, through that midfield.”

Dion Prestia was instrumental in his first senior appearance since Round 24 last year, finishing with 31 disposals, seven clearances and a goal.

But not even his, Jacob Hopper’s or Tim Taranto’s efforts could stem the Giants’ monstrous last-quarter flow.

“The supply has dried up … it’s going to take something special,” Dunstall said. “But maybe now it changes the mindset of the Tigers.”

The Tigers went the final 48 minutes without a goal, as Dunstall said after the final siren: “They look disappointed and they should be, because that’s one that’s slipped through their fingers.

“Just lacked composure (in) the last quarter and a bit, when they had some opportunities they didn’t take them, and we spoke about all the misses and (whether) it would come back to haunt them. Bad kicking for goals, bad football.

“But they gave themselves a lot of really good looks and created a lot of great opportunities — there is something to work with there; there is promise.

“And the youngsters; the pressure that they brought for the first three quarters was intense, it was fantastic — but when you look at the shots that were missed … there’s some unforgivable misses there.”

The Tigers managed a measly 4.11 (35) from shots from the 30-50-metre range.

https://www.stuff-but-tigers-call-on-big-guns-in-bid-for-huge-upset/news-story/ad582f49facb5f8ffd76d58b4d3150b9