Draw like horror Ashes tour, says Jade RawlingsMark Stevens | July 19, 2009
JADE Rawlings, a self-confessed cricket tragic, could not resist comparing it to the horror Ashes tour. After watching his side blow a 43 point lead to draw with North Melbourne, Rawlings mused: "It's like the nine wickets Australia got in the Test ... you come away pretty hollow".
Rawlings said the result felt like a loss and went as far as renewing calls for extra-time to split teams level on the siren.
"I reckon it would be great ... two minutes each way or first score," Rawlings said.
"It would be gold. I would rather feel worse for losing or elated at winning than sitting there feeling nothing."
Rawlings' brother, Kangaroos midfielder Brady, perhaps summed it up best when he said only three people in the world be happy with the result – their mum, dad and sister.
Tigers' head of football Craig Cameron, the key man in the Richmond coaching appointment, watched the drama unfold in the role of "box supervisor".
And Cameron would have been thrilled with proceedings when Richmond shot out to its biggest lead of the game when Shane Edwards goaled eight minutes into the third term.
But the Tigers could not muster another goal until Mitch Morton levelled the scores with 58 seconds left.
The Tigers won the final centre clearance, but the Kangaroos won the ball and surged forward, ending in what seemed like a legal chest mark to David Hale 45m out.
But Hale, who had forced his way to the front of opponent Jarrod Silvester, was penalised for holding.
"I thought we were gone," Rawlings said of the final telling play.
"I really admired Silvester, who had been terrific all day against a quality player, to assume front position."
Rawlings said the free-kick was reward for courage to back himself and be proactive.
"It's got a funny way of working," Rawlings said.
Despite what appeared to be a lucky break with the Hale decision, Rawlings and his players were left shattered.
"You commit to it and then you get in a position to win, after having three losses against good opposition, and you don't, it's very, very unfortunate," Rawlings said.
"That's the flattest I've seen the group. Today, they were devastated.
"It is unfair for our supporters and players themselves not to feel the buzz of winning. We should have won today."
The tanking conspiracy theorist will thrive on the extraordinary finish, with the Kangaroos still in contention for a priority pick and the Tigers still able to win one more, but the mood in the rooms suggested winning less than five games was a world away from everyone's thoughts.
Richmond moved the ball cleanly and swiftly in the first half, under little pressure from an inept Kangaroos outfit.
But as the tension mounted, the young Tigers became indecisive and sloppy by foot.
"I think they went out after half-time thinking the game was going to be played how it ended at half-time," Rawlings said.
Rawlings said the Tigers had dominated the first half with their ability to "run, carry and spread"
The game turned when the Roos closed down much of the run and began winning key clearances in the third term.
Rawlings said youth was a factor, declaring not enough to the inexperienced Tigers were prepared to run hard, take a risk and try and win the game.
He said it would be an important step in improving the strength and resistance of the group.
"They are improving immensely, but when a team challenges, they are still not able to hang tough enough for long enough to resist that surge and get it back on their terms," Rawlings said.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25805402-19771,00.html
