Game turns on a kick as Tiges fall short
Rohan Connolly | June 8, 2008
THERE are moments that turn games of football, incidents that can signal an important shift in momentum … or sometimes, rupture the dam wall that collapses on one team with crushing impact. Such was the case with Adelaide's win over Richmond yesterday.
The Tigers had been admirable for a half, leading their more fancied opponents by 14 points at the long break, and were still hanging in there, and in front, approaching time-on of the third quarter.
Then came the passage of play that not only served to demonstrate the difference in efficiency and execution between these two teams, but was the trigger for an Adelaide onslaught that saw it kick eight of the next nine goals, and 12 of the final 15, turning what was at one stage a deficit of four goals into a thumping 50-point win.
Joel Bowden had just put the Tigers a goal up, and they attacked again, Brett Deledio snapping from about 25 metres. His kick was straight, but with little power, and Adelaide key defender Nathan Bassett was able to snatch the ball right on the goal line. He fed it immediately to Brent Reilly, who booted long to Luke Jericho, and the Crow forward banged it straight through.
It all happened in about 20 seconds — clean, quick and very effective. Within 10 minutes, the contest was all but over. A forward set-up that had looked cumbersome early suddenly looked likely to score every time the ball went forward; Andrew McLeod's shift to half-forward immediately bringing him into the picture.
That goal was just one of four booted by Jericho for the term. Chris Knights and Scott Thompson would add a couple more as the Crows went into the final break 26 points up, while Tiger heads were bowed.
In the end it was a feast, 22.14 the final tally. Jericho would finish with five, Bernie Vince and Jason Porplyzia three each, not to mention the amazing game of Thompson.
It was he who had helped keep Adelaide at least competitive in the middle when the Tigers were on an early roll. Then he'd go forward for a rest and become the Crows' biggest goalkicking threat. He finished with six of them, 23 disposals, six clearances, and another chapter written in a book of incredible consistency since returning to his South Australian home from Melbourne in 2005.
That's the sort of delivery of which Richmond must dream. But the Tigers, both individually and collectively, just can't seem to string it together long enough to win a game, let along a string of them.
Last week, in Sydney, after having turned in a month of solid performances without necessarily landing the material rewards, Richmond came apart in the first half. Yesterday, it was the second that left Tiger fans shaking their heads.
It hadn't started well. Knowing Richmond's history, it was tempting to write this one off as another of those days as early as eight minutes into the match.
By then, Vince and Thompson had goaled for the Crows within six minutes, and Greg Tivendale, as he's been wont to do over the years, squandered a good chance for a reply and a good pass from teammate Matt White.
Adelaide had been on the end of some good umpiring fortune, it must be said, Vince booting the first after a very soft 50-metre penalty on Kelvin Moore, and Tivendale pinged for a pretty unlucky holding-the-ball decision.
But Richmond's impending surge was kick-started by a bit of umpiring luck, too, Matthew Richardson the beneficiary of another softish free kick against Ben Rutten. If that evened the ledger somewhat, the Tigers were about to tip the scales heavily their way.
They slammed on six goals in a row, Troy Simmonds following Richo's effort with a strong goal-square mark, ominous-looking rookie Trent Cotchin slotting a left-foot snap, acting skipper Nathan Foley converting a lovely pass from Cotchin, Richardson kicking his second after another dubious 50-metre penalty, then Adam Pattison earning yet another doubtful free kick, which he duly put through.
That gave the Tigers a four-goal lead and plenty of hope. Cotchin was on fire, Nathan Brown providing the class that Terry Wallace's team badly needs, Deledio similarly silky.
But the propensity to let a lot of hard work be spoiled by a few costly minutes of mediocrity reared its head even at the end of the first term, when Adelaide kicked the final three goals of the quarter. It appeared again after the Tiges clawed back to a three-goal lead midway through the second. And again, most devastatingly, when Deledio's third-quarter shot fell just that little bit short.
Richmond fans were gnashing teeth that he hadn't made the distance. Thirty or so minutes later, with another hiding coming their way, that seemed like a minor quibble indeed.
BEST Richmond: Brown, Cotchin, Deledio, Richardson, Newman.
THE UPSHOTThe Crows remain in the top four with the win and showed they have a very good chance of staying there, even with their young side. For the Tigers, although they improved on last week, it's back to the drawing board after their second big loss. The axe is likely to come down on a number of players.
TALKING POINTHe probably would not have made the side had Brett Burton not gone head-hunting and cost himself two weeks, but Luke Jericho was a revelation for Adelaide in the second half — especially in the third term, when he booted four of his five goals. He gets another chance to cement a regular spot with Burton still out next week.
HOT AND COLD The Tigers were hot, then cold, when you assess their two halves of football yesterday. Nathan Brown and Brett Deledio dominated the first half, but were ineffective in the second. Nathan Foley had his quietest game this season with only 13 possessions. Trent Cotchin was marvellous, at least for the first half before his lack of fitness — a result of having no pre-season training due to injury — got the better of him.
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