Coaches support Bowden's tactics
Chloe Saltau | The Age | July 20, 2008
JOEL Bowden was perfectly entitled to kill time by rushing behinds in the closing seconds of Richmond's four-point victory over a gallant Essendon at the MCG, according to his former Punt Road teammate, Bombers coach Matthew Knights.
Bowden's contentious tactics dominated discussion after the Bombers, down to 19 men from early in the third quarter, missed several chances and then were frustrated as the Tiger veteran wound down the clock.
Bowden found allies in both Knights and Richmond assistant coach Brian Royal, who was sharing the coaching duties with an ailing Terry Wallace and angrily rejected suggestions he had not played in the spirit of the game.
In fact, Royal thought it was "fantastic" that Bowden used his immense experience to sum up the situation when he came back on the ground with three minutes remaining and Essendon within two kicks of victory.
After a Brent Stanton miss made the difference six points, Bowden twice conceded rushed behinds rather than bring the ball back into play.
"If you're going to ice the clock … if you're going to lose by one point or five points, what's the difference?" Royal said. "I just spoke to Joel then, he was prepared to do it a couple of more times. I think we iced it for 45 seconds that way," Royal said.
"You can make it a rift if you want to make it a rift. We're about winning four points, and if it's doing what Joel did … that's smart play. You couldn't tell me that if Essendon were in the same position they wouldn't have done the same thing."
Judging by Knights' reaction, Royal was right. The Essendon coach remained calm in the coach's box and said Bowden was within his rights. Knights was more concerned about the Bombers' wasted chances, after Jason Laycock kicked 1.3 in the last quarter.
"Joel did what he had to do to win the game," he said. "We were pressing. We had three or four shots in the last four or five minutes. I just felt if we could get the ball back in play we might have another opportunity to score. Good play by Joel Bowden.
"I could tell what he was doing after he did the first one and I knew time was going to be chewed up. It was out my hands at that stage so I was reasonably calm. When you get opportunities you've got to take them yourself, and we did have those opportunities."
While Richmond's seventh win of the season keeps it in touch with the top eight, the Bombers are facing an injury crisis with potentially only 26 fit players to choose from for next Saturday's match against Collingwood.
Dustin Fletcher withdrew with an ankle injury, joining key players Mark McVeigh (knee) and Andrew Lovett (suspension) on the sidelines. In-form tagger Andrew Welsh was concussed in the first quarter, while Angus Monfries and Jay Neagle both injured ankles and, along with Fletcher, will have scans tomorrow.
However, Knights refused to make excuses for the last-quarter fade, after his team went into the last break leading by four points.
"The second half with 19 (fit players) was gallant, and they certainly played better football in the second half with 19 than in the first with 22, which was not ideal," he said.
"I don't care if we're down to 16 or 17. When you're there to win the game with 10 minutes to go, that's a disappointing loss. You're there to get the chocolates and have a win. No excuses. We were down to 19, that was a fact. We just had to deal with it."
It was the Tigers' second win without champion Matthew Richardson, but Royal was not ready to discuss finals.
"We've got Brisbane next week, we've just gotta keep knocking 'em over. Now whether that becomes a finals appearance, we don't know," he said.
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