Media articles & stats / Tigers fall short against the Cats

[one-eyed]

Tigers fall short against the Cats

richmondfc.com.au 
May 2, 2015 4:23 PM


Richmond has suffered its third defeat in the opening five rounds of the 2015 season, falling to Geelong by nine points at the MCG.
 
A four-goal burst late in the second quarter proved the difference between the two sides, with a late Tiger rally not enough in front of 45,228 fans.
 
The Tigers were a vastly different side in the second half, after kicking just two goals in the opening two quarters.
 
Bachar Houli was Richmond’s most consistent performer over four quarters, winning 33 disposals and laying eight tackles.
 
Brandon Ellis (32 possessions), Dustin Martin (31) and Trent Cotchin (28) got plenty of the ball, and Jack Riewoldt was the Tigers’ only multiple goalkicker, with three.
 
Shaun Grigg was given the task of minding Joel Selwood, and he was excellent during the three quarters he spent on him, keeping the Cats skipper to 11 disposals.
 
As in previous weeks, Richmond won the key statistical categories, including overall disposals, clearances, tackles and inside 50s.
 
On a perfect day for football, Richmond was held goalless in the first term, though it missed three gettable set shots, and had four of the last five scoring shots.
 
Conversely, Tom Hawkins booted two goals from his three opportunities to give the Cats a nine-point lead at quarter time.
 
Playing his first game of the season, Ty Vickery bobbed up to kick the first goal of the season term after he was set up by Steve Morris.
 
Shane Edwards capitalised on a defensive error from Geelong to dribble through a response to a Josh Walker six-pointer to make it a two-point ball game midway through the quarter.
 
But a four-goal burst from the Cats, three as a result of Richmond turnovers, put 28 points between the sides at half time.
 
The Tigers swung David Astbury forward at the start of the third quarter, and the margin was reduced when Bachar Houli kicked truly from a set shot.
 
In a brief period of dominance from the home side, Jack Riewoldt kicked two goals in as many minutes, to bring the margin back to 15 points.
 
Cotchin collected 11 disposals and kicked a goal in the third stanza, to help inspire his team.
 
But it was in vain, with Steven Motlop effectively ending the contest with a goal in the first 30 seconds of the last term.
 
The Tigers rallied late, kicking the last four goals of the game, including the first for the career of Corey Ellis, who had 13 disposals in an encouraging debut.
 
FINAL SCORES
Richmond            0.5          2.6          6.8          11.10.76
Geelong               2.2          7.4          9.9          12.13.85
 
GOALS
Richmond: Riewoldt 3, Vickery, Edwards, Houli, Cotchin, Grigg, Ellis, Miles, Astbury.
Geelong: Hawkins 3, Walker 2, Duncan 2, Kersten, Lang, Blicavs, Motlop, Johnson.

BEST
Richmond: Cotchin, Houli, Grigg, Rance, Riewoldt, Maric
Geelong: Duncan, Rivers, Hawkins, Taylor, Walker, Motlop

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2015-05-02/tigers-fall-short-against-the-cats

[Chuck17]

Thread title has shot instead of short, pls fix

[dwaino]

Thread title has shot instead of short, pls fix

I agree. Very misleading title.

[one-eyed]

Geelong hang on for second win against game Tigers

Peter Hanlon
The Age
May 3, 2015

GEELONG   2.2  7.4  9.9  12.13 (85)
RICHMOND 0.5  2.6  6.8  11.10 (76)

Goals:
Geelong: T Hawkins 3 J Walker 2 M Duncan 2 D Lang M Blicavs S Johnson S Kersten S Motlop.
Richmond: J Riewoldt 3 A Miles B Houli C Ellis D Astbury S Edwards S Grigg T Cotchin T Vickery.

Umpires: Simon Meredith, Jacob Mollison, Nicholas Foot.
Venue: MCG

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Geelong have  brought themselves some respite and ensured football's critical eye will continue to be trained on Richmond with a nine-point win at the MCG that became more nerve-jangling than seemed likely when they led by 31 points early in the last quarter.

The Cats led a muddling game from the outset but were made to sweat as Richmond kicked the last four goals of the game. Trent Cotchin inspired his team's resurgence, but his efforts in the big moments were matched by opposing captain Joel Selwood, who willed himself to become the game's most decisive player at the contest's most critical time after being shut down early by Shaun Grigg.

Richmond had control of a significant chunk of the first half for precious little reward, going to the break with just two goals from 18 inside 50s and trailing by 28 points. Jack Riewoldt was at that point unsighted, while Ty Vickery's knack of being a threat to the opposition one minute and to his own team the next continued.

The game began with Harry Taylor loose in the defensive 50 and the only thing missing from the control he exerted was a conductor's baton. The first two goals came off Tom Hawkins' boot, setting off immediate alarm bells over his 15-kilogram advantage over David Astbury. He should have kicked a third, and started the second term with Alex Rance for company.

Vickery fumbled his first marking attempt, 15 metres out, clear of his man. The Tigers' first two scores were posters. Richmond fans were groaning.

There were snatches of hope - Grigg made Selwood wait 23 minutes for his first touch (a free for high contact), and Steve Johnson's return to footy without a green vest was still colourful, in an eccentric manner that counted as a Richmond win.

In acres of space closing on an open goal, Johnson was almost comically blinded by the sun. Then he was penalised for an off-the-ball headlock on Cotchin that sabotaged a Cats' attack. Then came a shanked set shot and rare cause for Tiger fans to cheer.

Failure to turn hard work into cold, hard numbers invariably has a stink about it, and the Cats duly slammed on four goals in six minutes, the most damning of them a fall-of-the-ball stroll in the goalmouth from Darcy Lang.

The Tigers attacked the deficit after half-time with helter-skelter football that was commendable, albeit high-risk. Damien Hardwick made Taylor accountable by sending Astbury forward with immediate results, the productive Bachar Houli goalling before Riewoldt emerged with two in a minute.

Cotchin lifted his team with an 11-possession term capped by a goal that was fitting reward for running virtually the length of the ground, and some wasteful work around goal and four Richmond majors for the term kept kept the Tigers in touch.

Hawkins' seventh score involvement for the game gave the Cats the perfect start to the last through Steven Motlop, and a Grigg goal couldn't mask the manner in which Selwood stood up to will his team home.

James Kelly was subbed out in the third quarter after sustaining a split testicle, and was taken to hospital for precautionary treatment.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-report/geelong-hang-on-for-second-win-against-game-tigers-20150502-1myh3e.html

[one-eyed]

Gutsy Cats hold off Tigers ... just

Herald-Sun
May 03, 2015


RICHMOND fans would have been excused for following the public service announcement to “evacuate” the MCG just before the start of the second half in their clash against Geelong.

Fortunately, it would prove to be a false alarm, and no one left their seats, but the sense of frustration must have surely be biting deep for those of the yellow and black persuasion, as well as coach Damien Hardwick.

The Tigers trailed by 28 points at that stage, and by game’s end, the difference was only nine points.

Yet the cold hard reality is that Geelong still knows how to beat their long-time whipping boys.

The win came when the Cats were supposed to be at their most vulnerable - with Joel Selwood well held by Shaun Grigg in the first three quarters before a final term revival, with Steve Johnson out of sorts again, and with a playing list that has been reshaped out of necessity and injury.

But despite some ebbs and flows in the second half, and a five-goal final term, the Tigers once more fell short against a team that always seems to have an edge on them.

That edge dates back to 2006 - Chris Newman was the last one standing yesterday who has tasted success against the Cats - and it now sits at 11 consecutive victories from Geelong over Richmond.

In fairness, the effort and energy shown by the Tigers was better than it had been against the Demons last week - that would not have been hard - but the execution once more was less than impressive.

The Cats ground out a tough win that was sorely needed to keep their alive this season, and it came off the back of some exceptional hard work and grit, even if the old polish from years gone by is not the same.

Geelong’s defenders helped to set up this victory, with Harry Taylor and Jared Rivers producing outstanding games. For much of the first half Taylor hardly had an opponent while Rivers clunked 14 marks in a memorable performance.

Mitch Duncan got the Cats going early, having a team high 29 touches, and he provided much of the work while Selwood was being held before the Cats skipper finally got off the leash early in the final term.

Tom Hawkins kicked the opening two goals of the game after the Tigers opted to start David Astbury on the most dangerous Cats’ forward, while reserving Alex Rance for Josh Walker. It was a surprise and Hawkins seemed to relish the fact that he didn’t have Rance hanging off him. His body work was important as the Cats gained the early ascendancy before Richmond sent Rance back to him after quarter-time.

The duel between Rance and Hawkins after that was worth the admittance price, with Hawkins finishing with three goals, but still capable of breaking packs to provide opportunities in attack.

Steven Motlop was solid, James Kelly was crucial down back early on before being taken off the ground and to hospital after sustaining a painful injury, and Mark Blicavs was good in his 50th game of AFL football.

Bachar Houli gave countless run off half-back and finished with 33 touches; Trent Cotchin ignited the Tigers with a stunning 11-touch third term that threatened to steal the game; while Grigg did as well as can be expected against the might of Selwood.

The Tigers had more scoring shots than the Cats in the opening term, but Geelong was more efficient. Five behinds was the return for Hardwick’s team, but the real damage came in the second term.Geelong kicked five goals to two in that time, and the difference at the main break was just short of five goals.


GEELONG 12.13 (85)

RICHMOND 11.10 (76)

GOALS

Geelong: T Hawkins 3, J Walker 2, M Duncan 2, D Lang, M Blicavs, S Johnson, S Kersten, S Motlop

Richmond: J Riewoldt 3 A Miles B Houli C Ellis D Astbury S Edwards S Grigg T Cotchin T Vickery.

BEST

Geelong: H Taylor J Rivers T Lonergan T Hawkins M Duncan C Enright J Selwood.

Richmond: T Cotchin B Houli C Ellis D Martin S Grigg I Maric.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/afl-2015-geelong-defeats-richmond-by-nine-points-at-mcg-in-round-5/story-fnelctok-1227331765694