'A' for effort but still the 'what ifs' haunt Tigers
Rohan Connolly at the McG
The Age
August 6, 2006
YOU could see the pattern of the Western Bulldogs' 22-point win over Richmond yesterday unfolding early: in one corner, plenty of gut-busting effort and running complemented by silky skills, pinpoint disposal and accurate conversion; in the other, equivalent effort, no less run and admirable spirit, but without anything like the polish required to finish it off.
No prizes for guessing which team played which role. Richmond supporters have spent plenty of time in the last couple of largely fruitless decades wondering "if only" and did so again yesterday.
The Tigers had more of the ball than their more highly rated opponents, took more marks and had more shots at goal. But they just couldn't use it well enough to give the Doggies anything more than a bit of a fright after having fallen at one stage more than seven goals in arrears.
It was happening within minutes of the start. Bulldog champion Chris Grant's record-breaking game began like a fairytale, his handball to Brad Johnson giving the Dogs a goal within 30 seconds, and kicking their second within four minutes after being hit lace-out on a lead by Sam Power. A free kick converted by Adam Cooney, then a cool Rohan Smith shot on the run and it was four goals to none.
But it shouldn't have been. Richmond kept plugging away to earn some hard-won chances only to butcher the ball in at times comical fashion, particularly when it came to shooting at goal. By the time Patrick Bowden had sprayed his second very gettable chance, the scoreline was 0.5 to 4.1 and the Tiger faithful could only mutter "here we go again".
It just kept happening, most notably in the second quarter, when Richmond's pressure and tackling went up another notch, but not, unfortunately, its decision-making; inability to hit targets and turnovers by even the likes of skipper Kane Johnson pounced on by the slicker Bulldogs.
Lindsay Gilbee was probably the pick of the Dogs yesterday and was a constant source of attack, sweeping up the crumbs then distributing them with cutting precision. Nathan Eagleton was another whose touches really hurt the Tigers. So did those of veteran Smith, while Matthew Boyd and Daniel Cross' industry were the perfect foils.
Richmond had plenty of good performers, too. The Bowden brothers ended with more than 60 disposals between them, Patrick wasteful near goal, but Joel a terrific competitor on Brad Johnson. First-gamer Cameron Howat was another revelation in a year in which the Tigers have had several, his 22 possessions and left-foot snapped goal in the third quarter a highlight, and Andrew Raines firmed a little more in Rising Star betting with another accomplished display in defence.
Plenty of plusses. It was just that every time the Tigers threatened, they'd shoot themselves in the foot. It happened again in the third term, Howat's goal turning things around after an early Bulldog barrage, but then Andrew Krakouer and Richard Tambling missed at the finish of a superb passage of end-to-end ball movement more like we've come to expect from their opponents.
Even after Travis Baird's goal at the start of the last term gave the Doggies their biggest lead of the day, Richmond came again, two goals to Jay Schulz and Matthew Richardson's second giving the Tigers genuine hope.
With 10 minutes to go, "Richo" marked again within range with the opportunity to reduce the rapidly shrinking gap to just 17 points.
It was close, but the big-hearted key forward missed, leaving him with 2.3 for the day. At the other end, Bulldog Brad Johnson had probably been beaten by Joel Bowden, certainly had less of the ball and few shots at goal, but his clincher at the 27-minute mark gave him, in contrast, three goals straight, the ultimate team tale told in the returns from set shots Richmond with 5.11, the Bulldogs 8.3.
The Bulldogs have hung in magnificently this year and yesterday their skill level was a major factor.
Richmond will walk away from yesterday's game knowing its longer-term future also looks pretty bright. But the Tigers must be getting pretty sick of the "what ifs".
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