Mistakes cost Tigers a win
Lyall Johnson | April 29, 2007
The Age
NO TEAM likes to be called "gallant in defeat", but second-bottom Richmond yesterday took it to the reigning premier and almost pulled off a miracle win when just about the entire football world had predicted a monumental thumping.
And in the end — indeed, as it was throughout the day — it was not so much the Eagles' class but the Tigers' lack of it when it counted that cost them their first win of the year. Tiger fans might blame the umpires, but turnovers and poor decision-making were what killed them.
With the clock passing the 10-minute mark of the last quarter, Richmond had regained top gear and was pressing hard.
It had led at quarter-time by 15 points but fell three goals behind as the Eagles re-established order in the second and third terms. In the last term the Tigers showed enough spirit to give them a sniff of an unlikely win.
Young Cleve Hughes, in for his first game of the year, had just kicked a long goal off one step and Joel Bowden had snapped truly to put the Tigers only four points down.
But as Richmond piled on the pressure and the Eagles threatened to founder, the Tigers suddenly started making fundamental errors when precise execution was required.
Richard Tambling, who in the first quarter was brilliant with four straight goals to give the Tigers the start they wanted, was one of their best … and worst.
After splitting a pack on the half-back flank, he streamed toward the centre and drilled the ball straight over the head of Matthew Richardson in the centre square. It was pure luck that the turnover didn't result in a goal.
Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, in only his fifth game, chipped a kick to the "hot spot" from 50 metres when he should have shot for goal. Jake King, in only his second match, shanked a kick out on the full from the same distance. Nathan Foley ducked through a pack only to handball over the head of a teammate and straight to an opponent.
In the first quarter, Jay Schulz squandered the chance to blow the game apart when he missed three set shots in a row from only 30 metres. He finished with four behinds.
The pressure was released, the Eagles jumped off the hook and made the Tigers pay with the sort of one-touch football that sets them apart.
With goals to Ashley Hansen, David Wirrpanda and Hansen again late in the quarter, West Coast saw off the challenge and sealed the 23-point win.
Having recovered from a slow start, the midfield class of Andrew Embley, Chris Judd, Daniel Kerr, Adam Selwood and Tyson Stenglein set up the win, the second quarter a six-goal-to-one effort.
Embley was brilliant, moving from half-forward into the middle where he consistently found his way through traffic and delivered accurately. Judd, as usual, performed under pressure, at times collecting the ball without a fumble under heavy pressure and finding a teammate with a precision pass. That's when he and Kerr weren't running down opponents with telling tackles.
Quinten Lynch was also back near his best, leading strongly and kicking four goals, one a monster from 55 metres.
But the Tigers were far from disgraced and coach Terry Wallace would have plenty to be pleased with. Notwithstanding the extra man posted permanently across half-back, the Tigers were as hard at the football as the Eagles, won many of the contested balls, ran as hard, if not harder at times, than West Coast and used the corridor well. They also had a number of younger players — and one new to the club in Graham Polak — step up.
Polak played easily his best game for his new side, patrolling the backline and taking strong marks to repel West Coast thrusts. Hughes might need to work on his marking, but is a likely type. Oakley-Nicholls knows where the ball is and uses it well, and Luke McGuane is an exciting and hard-working defender who put in his claim for mark of the year with a spectacular grab.
Andrew Raines, despite going quiet for parts of the match, was also back near his best and giving the team plenty of drive from defence.
For much of the day the Tigers looked an impressive unit that belied their standing on the ladder.
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