Author Topic: Media articles & stats: Tigers fall to Suns in Opening Round  (Read 82 times)

Offline one-eyed

  • Administrator
  • RFC Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 95131
    • One-Eyed Richmond
Media articles & stats: Tigers fall to Suns in Opening Round
« on: March 10, 2024, 08:27:42 PM »
Tigers fall to Suns in Opening Round

Richmond went down to Gold Coast by 39 points in the Opening Round at People First Stadium on Saturday.

By Michael Whiting
AFL Media
9 March 2024


GOLD COAST          5.4     11.8     11.11     14.15 (99)
RICHMOND             1.0      2.1       8.3         9.6 (60) 

GOALS
Gold Coast: King 5, Rosas jnr 3, Lukosius 3, Fiorini 2, Holman
Richmond: Bolton 3, Hopper 2, Campbell 2, Pickett, Balta

BEST
Gold Coast: Rowell, Powell, Flanders, Anderson, King, Budarick
Richmond: Vlastuin, Hopper, Bolton, Rioli, Short

INJURIES
Gold Coast: Nil
Richmond: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Gold Coast: Darcy Macpherson (replaced Brandon Ellis in the fourth quarter)
Richmond: Jack Ross (replaced Samson Ryan in the third quarter)

Crowd: 22,086 at People First Stadium

-------------------------------------------

Richmond gave Gold Coast a fright in the third quarter of Saturday's Opening Round, but a 67-point advantage just before half-time was too much to overcome at People First Stadium.

The 22,068 local fans were nervous as the Suns watched the margin dwindle all the way to 23 early in the last quarter, as the Tigers kicked seven straight goals.

However, once Malcolm Rosas jnr kicked a goal after Nathan Broad was adjudged to have deliberately rushed a behind, the Suns steadied to win 14.15 (99) to 9.6 (60).

It was a rollercoaster afternoon with Gold Coast kicking 11 consecutive goals in a blistering first half and the Tigers responding with a run of seven that bridged half-time.

Although it created some heart palpitations for new Suns coach Damien Hardwick he could have done without, there was plenty to like about his first game in charge.

Matt Rowell put on a midfield clinic, winning a staggering 20 clearances from his 33 disposals to give his team first use of the ball most of the afternoon.

In the first half alone, he had six (of his 10) centre bounce clearances. Richmond had four as a team.

It typified the gulf between the outfits early on as Gold Coast put on a blistering display.

Sam Flanders (26), Noah Anderson (25) and Touk Miller (28) all put their snouts in the disposal trough alongside Rowell, hunting as a midfield pack to link up with the ball, and swarm defensively without it.

Ben King kicked five goals in a promising display, while Jack Lukosius and Rosas jnr added three apiece.

The Tigers were missing some of their biggest artillery in Dustin Martin (corky), Tom Lynch (foot) and Toby Nankervis (foot), but they were well off the pace in the first half.

To their credit though, whatever first-time coach Adem Yze said at half-time worked, as Shai Bolton (three goals), Jacob Hopper (23 and two goals) and Daniel Rioli fuelled a furious comeback.

Their workrate lifted, and they began to move the ball in a way that challenged Gold Coast's defence.

Nick Vlastuin was marvellous in defence, but the Tigers had left themselves too much work to do.

Debutant Seth Campbell played a spirited game, kicking two goals.

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1503247/tigers-fall-to-suns-in-opening-round

Offline one-eyed

  • Administrator
  • RFC Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 95131
    • One-Eyed Richmond
Re: Media articles & stats: Tigers fall to Suns in Opening Round
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2024, 08:35:02 PM »
Hardwick’s grand arrival: Gold Coast tsunami swamps the Tigers

Andrew Stafford
The Age
March 10, 2024


It was a sight to make Damien Hardwick’s eyes moist. There in the Suns’ small but resolute cheer squad, a fan holding up a corflute of Richmond superstar Dustin Martin, decked out in red and yellow. Who knows where it came from?

Unfortunately for coach Adem Yze, Hardwick’s replacement at Richmond, the real thing wasn’t available. No Tom Lynch, either. But it’s unlikely even Martin could have stopped the tsunami that swamped the Tigers in the first half at the newly anointed People First stadium on the Gold Coast.

Hardwick might have been reassured to have had Martin back by his side in the third quarter, as the Tigers slashed a 61-point lead at half-time back to 26 at the last change. Briefly, another miracle on grass threatened.

In the end, the Suns survived some nervous moments early in the last quarter to prevail by 39 points. They deserved the win, but Yze can take heart that his team rallied after being embarrassed early. Hardwick will just take the win. So should his players.

The game was a sellout, with 22,086 people the fourth-biggest crowd this ground has seen. They were drawn to the hype around Hardwick, the triple-premiership coach, up against the side he left behind for what he called a shiny new set of toys.

Who could blame him for getting excited? The talent at the Suns has never been the issue. Hardwick was lured to the Suns to give this list a system to work within, knowing he would also demand an uncompromising level of application.

That system is familiar to Tigers fans. It’s about territory at all costs. Suns ruckman Jarrod Witts made a statement of intent when he ripped the first bounce out of the air and hoofed it forward. The ball hardly left the Suns’ forward half for the next two quarters.

“You could see the style we were trying to look to play and implement, and I was really happy with how they went about that,” Hardwick said post-match. “The frustration as a coach is you always go to the third quarter, we just didn’t quite execute some things as well as we did.

“The game is always challenging when you’re eight or nine goals up at half-time [actually 10 goals] and all of a sudden you’re trying to get everyone on the same page and not think too far ahead. We probably lost our way.

“And we always knew the Tigers would come back, they’re a proud footy club. They’re missing some players tonight that would make an enormous difference to what that game looks like as well, so it would have been a lot closer than that, I think.”

The Tigers managed to climb over the Suns’ wall inside the first two minutes, for a goal to Shai Bolton. They didn’t register another until the last minute of the half – and still the Suns led by 61 points. In defence, Nick Vlaustin tried like King Canute to hold back the tide.

Sentiment aside, does Hardwick really need Dusty, especially given the hole he would put in the Suns’ salary cap? In Matt Rowell, he has an absolute beast – by half-time, he had 11 clearances, charging out of stoppages like an aggrieved rhinoceros. He finished with 20.

Up forward were Ben King and Jack Lukosius. Both have taken time to find their feet, and this is King’s second year since a knee reconstruction. Presented with a glut of opportunities created by a manic midfield, they kicked eight goals between them, seven in the first half.

But we’ve heard enough about Rowell, King, Noah Anderson, Lukosius and Touk Miller. Hardwick’s system has always relied on role players. Alex Sexton, once a goal-hungry forward who never enjoyed the chase better than the catch, has been refashioned into a half-back.

Yze comes to a team in transition. He still has some wonderful talent at his disposal – Daniel Rioli was one of the main reasons for the Tigers’ third-quarter surge, Bolton remains a lethal forward option, and Vlastuin and Liam Baker provide leadership.

But there are problems, too. Tim Taranto was last year’s Jack Dyer medallist, but his kicking remains a liability, and there was a long tail of players who failed to impact the contest. Most of the Tigers’ core of premiership players were themselves role-players under Hardwick.

They should have Martin back soon, and Lynch too. They won’t return the Tigers to the finals this year by themselves, but they’ll give them a lot more bite, buying Yze a bit more time to manage the transition – assuming, of course, he can keep them in yellow and black.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/hardwick-s-grand-arrival-gold-coast-tsunami-swamps-the-richmond-tigers-20240309-p5fb3l.html

Offline one-eyed

  • Administrator
  • RFC Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 95131
    • One-Eyed Richmond
Re: Media articles & stats: Tigers fall to Suns in Opening Round
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2024, 08:59:52 PM »
GRADING EVERY PLAYER'S PERFORMANCE IN GOLD COAST'S STRONG WIN OVER RICHMOND

By Lachlan Geleit
SEN
9 March 2024


While the Tigers fought back in the third quarter and at one stage kicked seven straight goals of their own, too much damage was done before half-time to reel back the margin entirely.

For the Tigers, Nick Vlaustin did more than his duty down back as Jayden Short offered plenty.

RICHMOND

Nick Vlaustin: A+

Richmond's best, Vlaustin controlled the air and was at his intercepting best. Without him, things could have been far worse in the first half.

Jayden Short: A

Helped ignite Richmond's comeback. Picked up plenty of footy and drove the ball forward.

Shai Bolton: A

Kicked three and looked dangerous whenever he went near it in a deeper role.

Noah Balta: B+

Showed great signs as a forward but was thrown around further up the ground to get things going in the third term.

Dion Prestia: B+

Played a big hand in Richmond's third-term turnaround after a slow start.

Jacob Hopper: B+

Strong individual performance from the midfield in a game where the Suns were strong on-ball.

Seth Campbell: B+

Showed some great signs as a crumbing forward who can hit the scoreboard in his first AFL game.

Marlion Pickett: B+

Got going with a lot of his teammates in the third term playing deeper inside 50. An A+ for effort as well.

Daniel Rioli: B

Gave some solid run off half-back and had some nice moments.

Josh Gibcus: B

Good effort in his official return game. Will build from here.

Sam Naismith: B

Held his own against Jarrod Witts and proved that he's well and truly up to the level after years away from AFL footy.

Jack Ross: C+

Subbed on for Samson Ryan and offered Richmond a spark in the middle of the ground.

Tim Taranto: C+

Solid outing but below his lofty standards.

Maurice Rioli: C+

Had some moments but couldn't capitalise on the scoreboard.

Dylan Grimes: C

Liam Baker: C

Not his best day.

Sam Banks: C

Kamdyn McIntosh: C

Jacob Koschitzke: C

Didn't do much in his first official game in yellow and black.

Nathan Broad: C

Didn't get much of the footy and was caught out of position multiple times in a new game plan.

Thomson Dow: D+

Tylar Young: D+

Was well beaten by King when the game was there to be won.

Samson Ryan: D

Subbed off at halftime after having just two touches and six hitouts. The game changed once he came off.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/03/09/grading-every-players-performance-in-gold-coasts-strong-win-over-richmond/