Media articles & stats: Tigers turn on the jets to blow Eagles away

[one-eyed]

Yellow and whack: Tigers turn on the jets to blow Eagles away

Richmond showed the future is bright with a strong win over West Coast

By Nathan Schmook
afl.com.au
19 July 2025  10:49pm

WEST COAST                  2.3   4.6   5.8      8.8 (56)
RICHMOND                    3.2   6.3   14.7   16.9 (105)   

GOALS
West Coast: Ryan 2, Reid 2, Cripps, Hall, Shanahan, B Williams 
Richmond: Taranto 3, Mansell 3, Campbell 2, Faull 2, Hopper 2, Nankervis, Short, Sims, Sonsie

BEST
West Coast: Reid, Edwards, Hough, Duggan
Richmond: Taranto, Hopper, Mansell, Sonsie, Vlastuin, Ross, Campbell

INJURIES
West Coast: Nil
Richmond: Campbell (concussion)

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Jack Petruccelle (replaced Jack Williams in the third quarter)
Richmond: James Trezise (replaced Luke Trainor in the third quarter)

Crowd: 44,252 at Optus Stadium

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RICHMOND found the accelerator and burned away from fellow rebuilder West Coast on Saturday night, blitzing the Eagles in a stunning third quarter to win by 49 points at Optus Stadium and notching back-to-back wins for the first time in two years.

In their best performance under second-year coach Adem Yze, the Tigers kicked eight goals in the third quarter and passed 100 points for the first time since 2023, winning 16.9 (105) to 8.8 (56).

It was exhilarating at times as young speedsters like Rhyan Mansell and Seth Campbell took the game on in a fast, slick and efficient performance that gave a glimpse into the style Yze and the Tigers are building.

They feasted on turnovers, including some absolute howlers from the home team, and jumped North Melbourne to move into 16th place on the ladder with their fifth win this year.   

While their transition game was eye-catching, the contest work of Tim Taranto (30 disposals, seven clearances and three goals) and Jacob Hopper (33, eight and two) was highly influential as the pair jockeyed for best-on-ground honours.

Young tall Jonty Faull showed his potential with a pair of nice goals, while Mansell booted three to add some flair to an impressive performance.

Midfielder Jack Ross played a key tagging role on young West Coast midfielder Harley Reid after half-time, slowing the star Eagle, who was clearly his team's best player, finishing with 27 disposals and two goals. 

After trailing at quarter-time by 27, 39 and 17 in their past three games at Optus Stadium, West Coast put its slow starts at home on the agenda and set about changing that pattern on Saturday night.

While Richmond got the first goal through a Campbell long bomb, the Eagles dominated the first 20 minutes and locked the ball in their front half with 13 of the first 15 inside 50s.   

Missed shots from Matt Owies, Matt Flynn and Tyler Brockman proved costly, however, before back-to-back goals from Taranto saw the Tigers go into quarter-time with a five-point lead.

With small forward Maurice Rioli jnr chasing and smothering with brilliance, the Tigers continued their momentum in the second and built their lead through a terrific running goal from Campbell.

They were at their best when forcing turnovers, with Hopper, Taranto, Tyler Sonsie and Campbell all looking dangerous.

Reid, however, was in the process of building his best game of the season and sparked another run for the Eagles, racking up 12 disposals and three clearances for the quarter, and repeatedly breaking tackles and taking the game on.

A horror turnover kicking backwards from Ryan Maric deep in the quarter, and Reid's decision to bump instead of tackle, allowed Hopper to kick a late goal and give the Tigers a nine-point break at half-time.   

The third quarter was electric from the Tigers, forcing turnovers all over the ground with their pressure and then moving the ball quickly and confidently to produce their best quarter under Yze.

The only highlight for the Eagles in a shambolic term was a Goal of the Year contender from Liam Ryan, who slammed the ball on the boot deep in the pocket under pressure and watched as it bounced over Tylar Young.

The Eagles called their substitution early and tried to inject some speed into the game through Jack Petruccelle, but the Tigers continued to blast past them with the ball as seven different Tigers lined up for goals in an uninterrupted run that saw the margin balloon to 53 points at the last change.

The home team lifted somewhat in the final quarter, with Reid's back-to-back goals a bright spot on a disappointing night. The Tigers, meanwhile, enjoyed the rare treat of back-to-back wins. 

Chase of the year?
There have been some brilliant chasedown tackles this season, but Maurice Rioli jnr's on Saturday night will take some beating for the best of the year. Eagle Brady Hough marked at the back of the square in the first quarter, with Rioli starting 10m behind as Hough took off, taking three bounces and carrying the ball almost 40m through the corridor. Rioli didn't give up, however, and dived desperately just as Hough was about to charge inside 50, winning back possession and setting up an eventual goal for Tim Taranto. He was back at it in the second quarter, diving again to smother Harry Edwards' kick and setting up a goal for captain Toby Nankervis.     

Reid earns tag after brilliant half
Richmond had to do something at half-time after watching Harley Reid get back to his best and produce his most damaging half of football this season. After racking up 20 disposals in the first half, Reid was met in the third quarter by Tigers midfielder Jack Ross, who went into tag mode and kept him to just four in the third quarter. The young star was focused over the course of the game and went forward to kick two nice goals in the final quarter. He was disciplined without the ball too, only giving away one free kick (after six last week) and largely avoiding the skirmishes that follow him.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1367582/yellow-and-whack-richmond-tigers-turn-on-the-jets-to-blow-west-coast-eagles-away

[one-eyed]

West Coast Eagles torched in third quarter as fellow strugglers Richmond produce 49-point win at Optus Stadium

Mitchell Woodcock
The West Australian
Sat, 19 July 2025 11:07PM

West Coast are firmly facing the prospect of a one-win season for the first time in their 39-year history after losing the battle of the cellar-dwellers to Richmond by a devastating 49 points.

Against a team that some predicted wouldn’t win a game for the year, the young Eagles capitulated under the pressure, while the effort and leadership of the majority of their senior players was left wanting.

It resulted in a horror 16.9 (105) to 8.8 (56) defeat in front of 44,252 of their faithful at Optus Stadium on Saturday night, effectively ensuring they will claim their third-ever wooden spoon.

For many, this game had long been circled as one West Coast could win as they looked to claim a morale-boosting win late in the season.

The Tigers had other ideas, blowing them away in an eight-goal to one third term that many would argue resulted in their worst loss for the season.

After a week in the spotlight for his style of play, No.1 draftee Harley Reid produced a commanding first half with 20 disposals, six clearances and five inside-50s as he tried to lead the Eagles to victory.

Richmond coach Adem Yze decided he wasn’t going to let Reid grab the four points from their grasp, sending Jack Ross to him in the second half with great success, forcing Andrew McQualter to send the 20-year-old to full-forward.

Not only did Reid not get enough support from any teammates, but none stood up to fill the void in a performance that will not help them convince the talented Victorian to stay in WA.

Richmond’s leaders in Tim Taranto (30 disposals, seven clearances and three goals), Jacob Hopper (32 disposals, nine clearances and two goals) and Nick Vlastuin (24 disposals) belted the Eagles, who had no answer.

The story of the first half was little moments rather than dominant periods of play.

And it was the Tigers, led by Maurice Rioli, who were able to stand tall when the game called for an individual effort.

The first big one came when Rioli produced an incredible effort to run down Brady Hough in the middle of the stadium as the Eagle went to take a third bounce and kick on goal.

It resulted in the first of two consecutive goals to Taranto as the visitors went into the first break with a slender five-point lead.

Rioli then produced another remarkable highlight midway through the second term when he smothered a Harry Edwards kick in defence, before toe-poking the ball to himself and setting up ruckman Toby Nankervis in an unguarded goalsquare.

At this point the Tigers led by 16 points, despite early on the Eagles having the ability to lock the ball in their front half.

Their midfield-forward connection was the main issue plaguing the home side, with the absence of injured forwards Jake Waterman and Oscar Allen evident.

When West Coast would miss a turn the ball over inside 50, the Tigers go into a kamikaze like-attack, trying to get the ball in the hands of speedsters Rhyan Mansell (three goals) and Seth Campbell (two goals) who backed themselves to cover the turf.

Still the Eagles managed to scrap enough to be within a kick leading into half-time until another moment came back to haunt them.

Wingman Ryan Maric missed an easy kick to an unguarded Reid at half-back so badly that it resulted in a Hopper goal that deflated the parochial crowd leading into the main break.

The Eagles needed to find a way to seize some important moments early in the second half, but they continued to struggle to stop the Tigers’ ball movement from halfback.

Co-captain Liam Duggan had a moment he’d like to forget when he went with a one-armed effort to try to stop Kamdyn McIntosh, who set up Jonty Faull for the first goal after half-time.

Liam Ryan (two goals) showed the way when he was able to dribble a ball over the head of Richmond defender Tylar Young from deep in the right forward pocket for one of the goals of the season.

It was only a momentary bit of relief for the Eagles who continued to make poor decisions under pressure.

Tyler Brockman decided to kick back into defence rather than go long down the line, only to turn the ball over to Faull who kicked his second.

When Tyler Sonsie kicked Richmond’s fourth goal of the third term after Tyrell Dewar over-ran the ball at centre-half-back to cough up another turnover the visitors had the game under control.

West Coast looked lost for answers and by the final break the Tigers had gone from a nine-point half-time lead to a 53-point advantage to ensure they would head home with the premiership points.

West Coast finally strung together three consecutive goals for the first time in the match thanks to Reid’s impact out of the goalsquare who kicked two of them.

But the amount of effort it took to kick those goals meant they were only able to make a small dent in Richmond’s lead.

The Tigers finished the game strongly to not only crack 100 points for the first time this season but claim consecutive wins.

RICHMOND 3.2 6.3 14.7 16.9 (105)

WEST COAST 2.3 4.6 5.8 8.8 (56)

GOALS – Richmond: T Taranto 3 R Mansell 3 J Faull 2 J Hopper 2 S Campbell 2 T Sims T Sonsie J Short T Nankervis. West Coast: H Reid 2 L Ryan 2 C Hall J Shanahan B Williams J Cripps.

BEST – Richmond: T Taranto J Ross N Vlastuin J Hopper T Nankervis T Sonsie. West Coast: H Reid H Edwards L Duggan B Hough R Ginbey.

INJURIES – Nil.

UMPIRES: L Fisher J Power R O’Gorman A Heffernan.

CROWD: 44,252 at Optus Stadium.

https://thewest.com.au/sport/west-coast-eagles/west-coast-eagles-torched-in-third-quarter-as-fellow-strugglers-richmond-produce-49-point-win-at-optus-stadium-c-19409176