Brendan O’Reilly

Round 9 v Hawthorn at the MCG

21/05/2019 By Brendan O'Reilly Leave a Comment

I had hoped to get to this game but there was a clash with a delayed Mothers’ day event and so I watched it on telly instead. I watched the last quarter live and caught up this morning with the first half. Shedda is captain again which is always good. Queen is playing loudly which is not. Brian Taylor is “Not sure about the drums” which have been a Richmond tradition going back to 2016 or so.

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I had hoped to get to this game but there was a clash with a delayed Mothers’ day event and so I watched it on telly instead. I watched the last quarter live and caught up this morning with the first half.

Shedda is captain again which is always good. Queen is playing loudly which is not. Brian Taylor is “Not sure about the drums” which have been a Richmond tradition going back to 2016 or so. Gillie says it’s about getting the crowd going, which of course is the complete opposite of what the drums and all the loud music is about, which is getting the crowd right out of it. I love Gillie and think BT is a fool, but even fools can be right about some things.

The Hawks start well and Richmond don’t apply too much pressure – only 17 tackles to half-time, Tim Watson says. Luckily the Hawks can’t kick straight and this keeps the Tigers in it.

Scully appears to score, but of course there’s a review before it’s declared a goal. Hawks 1 goal to none. Hawks are looking good early, confident and quick but the Tigers smother their next attack. Ivan Soldo is in the ruck, game number nine, but his first for this year. We are told he is Maric’s cousin, which is reason enough to pick him. Martin makes a good break and does a quick one-two with Lambert, then gets the ball across to McIntosh, but the Hawks clean up.

BT says Richmond haven’t lost to anyone at the ‘G in 33 months except twice by bloody Collingwood. Well he just said “Collingwood,” but I can’t say or write that name without an adjective.

Vlaustin kicks very well to Higgins who takes a brave mark and cops a strong bump for his trouble. When he’s on song Vlaustin’s kicking is beautiful. Another Richmond attack is repelled by the Hawks who rebound well but only get a point for their trouble.

Ryan Garthwaite is in the team too, for game number five.

Higgins is pinged for a throw after what some would call a clever tap. It seems harsh when I think of the blatant throws people get away with, but there you go. Who’d be an umpire?

Breust for the Hawks has a very gettable shot and misses. Hawthorn have had five shots on goal and lead 1.4 to 0. We are very lucky to be still in it.

Houli is having another good game, kicking is on target and he’s working his legs off, as usual. Sicily is giving Lynch a hard time, which is impressive, in a way, given he’s so much smaller, but appalling, in another, considering he’s wearing that awful jumper and his target is Our Tom.

Another beautiful 50-meter kick from Vlaustin to Higgins who marks well, goes back and kicks it. Then obediently runs off the ground, as is the fashion in modern footy. Don’t want anyone kicking too many goals at once, be bad for the team balance, or something.
Ellis makes a very good interception but Castagna is pinged for dropping the ball once we get it inside the 50.
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Breust kicks another for the Hawks and they lead 2.4 to 1.0.
Mcintosh makes a huge run-down tackle but doesn’t win a free. Vlaustin, in a great bit of play, gets it to Balta who has three bounces and puts it out on the full. I do love Balta, he’s huge, very quick and doesn’t mind a bounce. There’s plenty of good bits of play from the Tigers but overall they’re not putting it together.
Breust misses again. Lynch marks from a good kick from Grimes. Lynch’s kick is high and straight and Tigers trail 2.5 to 2.1.
Lynch takes another mark inside 50 but kicks out of bounds.
Lambert snaps and misses.

McEvoy of the Hawks is off injured and won’t come back. Higgins marks inside 50 and then waits before passing to Martin, quite close but on a bit of an angle. It’s his 13th touch of the footy for the quarter and he kicks after the siren and goals. Without him and the Hawks poor kicking we would have been in strife.
Quarter time score 3.2.20 to 2.5.17
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Balta sends a huge kick to Baker who turns too slowly and is run down and tackled. Lynch wins a 50 and goals from about 30 out. Tigers 26 to 17.
Hawks miss again. Looking dangerous in attack but they can’t finish. Long may it be so. Moore for the Hawks makes another miss. Grimes is having a bit of a day out and is quite the attacking defender. Another good kick from him into the forward line leads to a snapped goal from Caddy. Richmond are in front 5.5 to 2.7.

Hawthorn string some passes together and score, now 5.5 to 3.7. Hawks miss again, 36 to 26. Lots of pressure by both teams and it seems very hard for anyone to string passes together and break free.
Ellis, who is also having a bit of a day out, finds Baker on the 50 with his left foot. Baker kicks and finds Martin in the pocket. Martin goes back and kicks it with three seconds left in the quarter.
Half time 42 to 26

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Third quarter
Two quick goals to Breust makes it a close game. Things are not working so well for Richmond, passes are going astray, players are caught with the footy. Eventually a long kick into the 50 is brought to ground by Lynch, Caddy gathers and kicks from 45, a lucky bounce sees it over for a goal.

A brilliant break by the Tigers sees them suddenly outnumber the Hawks. Astbury kicks out, but the Hawks win the ball back and are stringing some good passes together until Player X intercepts the ball, it goes to Prestia, he handballs to Balta who runs bounces and runs and bounces and handballs, over the top to Castagna who nearly kicks it over the Ponsford.

It’s a brilliant transition as the Richmond players run into space once they have the footy. I can’t see who Player X was who started it all with his interception. It seems to be one of our smaller defenders. When we come back from the ad Watson is praising him. It’s Edwards, of course.

Houli is having a good game. He gives the ball away and then follows up with a tackle from which there is no escape. Bolton kicks into the 50 and Lynch marks strongly but the umpire gives the ball to Macintosh for being held. Mac drills it and Lynch pats him on the head, so there are no hard feelings, apparently. Richmond by 21 points.

With Lewis and McEvoy injured, it’s little surprise that the Hawks are being out-run. Ellis marks a Hawthorn kick, goes across ground to Vlaustin who kicks long and low to Baker who marks about 40 out and goes back for the set shot. It’s a huge kick from the young feller, from the 50, plenty of height and length and it sneaks through for a goal. Tigers by 22, with three minutes left in the term.
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Great bit of pressure in the forward line, Dusty should have gotten a free but didn’t.

Impey is very good for Hawthorn. Is it just me or are there smaller, highly skilled players around at the moment than they used to be? Richmond seem to have six or ten of them in the side each week and other teams seem to be catching on.

Mac passes into the 50 and Balta runs in from the side and takes a great grab. Kicks it from about 25, Tigers by 28.

11.7 to 6.9 at the last break

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I can hear the grating voice of the spruiker loud and clear as the play is about to re-start. There are 60 thousand in the ground but almost no crowd noise at the break, even as the ball is about to be bounced.

Mac has a good chance but misses the set shot. Balta gathers a spilled ball, moves into space and sends a great kick that’s marked by Higgins who hits the post. Tigers by 31.

A great Vlaustin tackle causes a turnover, Edwards gets it to Baker who gets it to someone who kicks very well from outside the 50 and near the boundary. Caddy pounces on the ball and snaps for a goal. Tigers by 30.
Gunston has a good chance to pull one back but misses an easy shot.

Vlaustin takes a handball from Martin, turns and kicks from 55. Kick is high and handsome and Richmond are up by 36 points. Vlaustin has his kicking boots on today. Along with Astbury and Grimes he has gone up a level or two since Rance was injured.

Hawthorn have a lot of space in their forward line and Dylan Moore scores his first goal in AFL footy. Richmond by 30.

Menadue passes to Baker who takes a good overhead mark and passes to Lynch who marks well. He goes back and kicks from the 50, straight, high and long and the Tigers are up by six goals. From the bounce Martin passes to Baker who has a kick from outside 50 after the siren. He tries a torp which goes right off the side of his boot. It is very pleasing to see him smile after this and even more pleasing to see him try a torpedo. It would be a great shame were this art to be lost to the tyranny of the drop punt.

It’s a very good win by the Tigers, especially considering Hawthorn’s demolition of the Giants at this ground last week. We have unearthed a lot of young players who are filling the big boots of Rance, Cotchin, Riewoldt, Nankervis, Short, Butler and Grigg. Lynch is settling in well. The run of the team when they win a turnover is often breathtaking and the skill in execution is a sight.
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Dusty was best on ground. A truckload of possessions, about half of them contested. Ellis was very good too, as was Grimes, Astbury and Vlaustin. Edwards, another good game. But a very even performance. At least a dozen players could have gotten votes – Houli, as almost always, Baker, Stack, Caddy, as is his happy habit, kicked goals when we really needed them. Balta was very exciting. Has there ever been such a big player who liked to bounce the ball so much?

Today in the paper Hardwick, as is the Richmond way now, admitted fault and said he often didn’t see the positive side of Ellis ‘game. How I love Dimma and his boys.

I think we’ll give the Bombers a hard time next week, as usual.

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Benny Votes by Chris

Martin 5, Houli 4, Ellis 3, Vlastuin 2, Balta 1 and an additional honourable mention from me for Soldo. He was lucky McEvoy went down but his tap work was super all day.

Leaderboard

Edwards 19
Vlastuin 16
Grimes 14
Lynch 12
Stack, Martin, Ellis 11
Houli 10
Ellis 8
Bolton 6
Nankervis 5
Prestia 4
Cotchin, Broad, Lambert 3
Ross, Baker 2
Rioli, Castagna, Balta 1

Blair Hartley Appreciation Award: for players who have joined Richmond from another club
(Eligible 2018: Caddy, Grigg, Houli, Lynch, Nankervis, Prestia, Townsend and Weller)

Lynch 12
Houli 10
Nankervis 5
Prestia 4

Anthony Banik Best First Year Player: for anyone who was yet to debut before round 1
(Eligible 2019: Balta, Coleman-Jones, Collier-Dawkins, Miller, Naish, Ross, Turner, Stack)

Stack 11
Ross 2
Balta 1

Joel Bowden’s Golden Left Boot:for left footers
(Eligible 2019: Chol, Grigg, Nankervis and Houli)

Houli 10
Nankervis 5

Greg Tivendale Rookie List Medal:
upgraded from the rookie list during the current season

(Potentially eligible 2019: Aarts, Baker, Chol, Eggmolesse-Smith, Stack, Townsend, Weller)

Stack 11
Baker 2

Maurice Rioli Grip of Death Trophy:
For the Tiges top tackler in 2019

Prestia 40
Castagna 30
McIntosh 29
Nankervis, Lambert 28
Higgins 24

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Round 8 v Fremantle at Perth Stadium

18/05/2019 By Brendan O'Reilly 1 Comment

I have a mixed record of listening to Richmond games while cooking. There was the stirring win against Port a few weeks go as I rolled out naan bread to go with our first meal in our newly-renovated house. But then there was the final against Carlton in 2013. Some soul-preserving force had stopped me going to that game. Instead I prepared a roast dinner while listening to Richmond crush the Blues in the first half.

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I have a mixed record of listening to Richmond games while cooking. There was the stirring win against Port a few weeks go as I rolled out naan bread to go with our first meal in our newly-renovated house. But then there was the final against Carlton in 2013. Some soul-preserving force had stopped me going to that game. Instead I prepared a roast dinner while listening to Richmond crush the Blues in the first half.

By half-time the dinner was in the oven and the kitchen was clean and tidy. I sat down and life turned to shit.

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Still, I was quietly confident about this game. The Port game had given me some hope and without knowing much about Port or Freo, I had a feeling they were similarly ranked. Tough but not invincible.

Of course, it wouldn’t be on telly. And then I even had trouble finding it on the radio. Then I realised I’d mis-read the start time – 5.20 not 3.20. But even at 5.20 the local ABC was still blathering about the Hawks. I used my phone and listened to it that way but for no good reason it kept cutting out, so my knowledge of the game is patchy.

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Anyway, it started well for us. Bolton had a goal in no time, then Lynch got one, then Bolton got another before I lost reception for the first time and Lambert made it four. It was reminding me of the Freo game in 2015 when we couldn’t miss.

Bolton’s second goal was notable. On the tv highlights the commentators described Houli’s grubber into the forward line as “a poor kick.” Bollocks. It gave our small forwards an excellent chance of winning it at ground level. What’s so poor about that? For 20 years I’ve been whingeing about how we keep bombing it long even when we’re always out-marked in the forward line. I’d be very happy to see more “poor” kicks like Houli’s.

Freo got a few back then. Lobb marked and goaled, way too tall for our depleted defence. And Conca, whom we wish well but not too well, passed perfectly to Hogan who marked right in front. He may have missed the shot though. At the first break it was us in front, 4.3.27 to 3.2.20.

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Unfortunately, the second quarter was less fun. Freo fought their way back into it, Tank gave away two 50-meter penalties that resulted in a Freo goal and then left the ground with a bad groin. He was back before half time – something that I never like to see. How much painkiller and local anaesthetic had they given him? But he couldn’t move, the commentators said, and he was soon off again. Freo scored and scored again and soon were level.

They didn’t run over the top of us though as you might have expected. Our boys are made of sterner stuff than that. Balta kicked the ball a mile and Lynch went backwards with the flight to take a great grab. The Tigers had extended their lead to 13 points at big break. This was despite Ross going off with what seemed to be a bad ankle injury after Fyfe stepped on him. I’m sure he didn’t mean to.

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In the second half Baker opened the scoring with a big kick on the run following some fast hands and a very clever knock-on from Martin. Richmond’s skills were dazzling at times. The radio commentators – who were parochial, but who knew class when they saw it – described one passage of play as like “the Harlem Globetrotters.” It began with a clever Menadue kick along the boundary, followed by two more clever touches by unidentified players before it went to Martin who found Ellis with a handball. With Higgins free in the pocket he went instead to the top of the square to the contest which Freo won. Full credit to them to defend so well against a team so skilful.

Broad was in the ruck now, sharing the job with Balta, and actually won a centre bounce. Of course, Freo ended up with the footy and scored. What does the ruck actually matter anyway?

Ellis more than made up for his imperfect pass with a massive tackle on Wilson. It was text-book hard footy for the modern age. Completely bowled him over, won the free kick but didn’t drive him into the turf nor endanger his head. One for the training video that one.

At the last break Richmond looked a real chance, 13.8.86 to 8.11.59.

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In the last term a classic Tiger forward-line scramble caused a turnover and Bolton scored his fourth. The pressure by the forwards was magnificent all day and there was polish in converting the chances.
Then Martin scored from a fair way out with the outside of his boot and we were up by 44 points and the game was ours. Freo got the last three goals but if our boys were in “don’t-let-anyone-else-get-injured” mode by then, I can’t blame them.
Final score:
Richmond 17.9.111 to Freo 12.14.86

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As I say my knowledge of this game is patchy, based on radio commentary and a few viewings of the highlights on YouTube. It didn’t even get covered in next day’s Age, despite the game finishing by 8pm. The paper version of the Age just pretended the game never happened. Yet it was a very good win by the Tigers against the odds. The pressure in the forward line and around the ground was constant and there were some amazing goals. Castagna took the cake with his dance around two opponents and the umpire, while finding time and space to bounce the ball. And his finish was all class.

Votes go to Bolton (5), Ellis (4), Houli (3), Grimes (2) and Castagna (1). But actually, they could go to the whole team. How can you win in Perth with almost half your team missing, lose another two players before half time and still win by a good margin? Only if everyone plays out of their skin, which they clearly did.

Leaderboard

Edwards 19
Vlastuin, Grimes 14
Lynch 12
Stack 11
Ellis 8
Martin, Bolton, Houli 6
Nankervis 5
Prestia 4
Cotchin, Broad, Lambert 3
Ross, Baker 2
Rioli, Castagna 1

Blair Hartley Appreciation Award: for players who have joined Richmond from another club
(Eligible 2018: Caddy, Grigg, Houli, Lynch, Nankervis, Prestia, Townsend and Weller)

Lynch 12
Houli 6
Nankervis 5
Prestia 4

Anthony Banik Best First Year Player: for anyone who was yet to debut before round 1
(Eligible 2019: Balta, Coleman-Jones, Collier-Dawkins, Miller, Naish, Ross, Turner, Stack)

Stack 11
Ross 2

Joel Bowden’s Golden Left Boot:for left footers
(Eligible 2019: Chol, Grigg, Nankervis and Houli)

Houli 6
Nankervis 5

Greg Tivendale Rookie List Medal:
upgraded from the rookie list during the current season

(Potentially eligible 2019: Aarts, Baker, Chol, Eggmolesse-Smith, Stack, Townsend, Weller)

Stack 11
Baker 2

Maurice Rioli Grip of Death Trophy:
For the Tiges top tackler in 2019

Prestia 39
Nankervis, Castagna 28
McIntosh 26
Lambert 25
Higgins 22

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Round 6 v Melbourne at the MCG

04/05/2019 By Brendan O'Reilly Leave a Comment

I slept badly on Tuesday night. I was awake at 2.30 and the troubles of the world kept me awake thereafter. I saved the night by getting up at four and writing the last match report. But I felt the lack of sleep after that. But the next day would be a holiday and that makes everything easier. I got more done at work than I expected to and left in good spirits. My brother, who is a Demons supporter, was going to get there early to save us seats. And my daughter and I would meet outside Jolimont Station.

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I slept badly on Tuesday night. I was awake at 2.30 and the troubles of the world kept me awake thereafter. I saved the night by getting up at four and writing the last match report. But I felt the lack of sleep after that.

But the next day would be a holiday and that makes everything easier. I got more done at work than I expected to and left in good spirits. My brother, who is a Demons supporter, was going to get there early to save us seats. And my daughter and I would meet outside Jolimont Station.

Even on the five pm train from Eltham I wasn’t the only one going to the footy. Many had had my brother’s idea and were going to get there early to save seats for their mates.

By a bit after six we were all seated in row Y in the Olympic Stand, facing the Punt Road pocket from the MCC members side. I think we were in a similar, but closer, position when we beat the unstoppable Hawthorn in 2015.

I have to say that I’m not the biggest supporter of ANZAC Day, for reasons I won’t go into here. Yet the solemnities are always moving and it’s beautiful to hear a large crowd being silent, with only the gulls’ keening to be heard. And then the silence breaking into a roar before the first bounce, just like the old days. I don’t mind that at all.

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I had hoped to re-watch this match on the telly but as we’ve just moved things aren’t hooked up as they need to be and I have to rely now on my week-old memory of the game. This will test me.

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Riewoldt lost the toss, proving that Shedda should have kept his job. Richmond kicked to the Punt Road End in the first, meaning they were going the other way in the last. But this is no bad omen now – we kicked the same way against the Cats in the Qualifying Final in ’17 and in the GF against the Crows.

Melbourne scored the first two or three goals, the very first a clever, long-range snap from a pack by Lockart, I think. Then Richmond got back into it. Riewoldt and Ellis, I think, got us back into it. Then, when all the attention was on Riewoldt in a marking contest the ball dropped into the arms of Lynch waiting at the back. This is why you have two big forwards. Quarter time scores: Melbourne 4.1.25 to Richmond 3.1.19

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The second was better for Richmond. A long kick dropped in the square and Dusty got it and goaled with no space to work in. From the other end of the ground, where we were, it looked like he’d done the impossible, but it often does. It was one of only two goals kicked in that term. Half-time scores: Richmond 5.4.34 to Melbourne 4.2.26
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The first quarter had been quite a goal-fest, proving that the AFL’s 6-6-6 rule is working like a charm. The rest of the game was more of a drought, proving that it isn’t. It did look in the third term that both teams were out on their feet after the four-day break. In the second quarter, I think, there was a passage of play involving four or five turnovers in a row on the Melbourne forward line. It would have been hilarious except that the scores were close at the time and the usually very-reliable Prestia coughed up the ball last, giving it straight to a Demon who marked and goaled.

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In the third term Stack took a huge mark on the forward flank. It was on the far side of the ground from us and I was watching the big screen at the time. Later, much closer to us, he hit Viney with a perfectly-legal shoulder charge, the ball spilled loose, Richmond gathered and went into attack. Not so many years ago Scotty Turner could knock Essendon players unconscious and I would cheer him on. On this night Stack won the ball and put Viney out of the game and made me wonder if even shoulder-to-shoulder charges should be outlawed too. Still, while we still have the bump, you won’t see a better one than this.

Richmond seemed to do more of the attacking in the third term but Gawn was parked in our forward line and seemed to stop everything. We were in front but I still believed, despite some evidence to the contrary, that inside the dispirited Melbourne team lurked a bunch of highly talented players who were about to explode with a quarter of footy that would leave us floundering in their wake. At the last break I wished we were further in front. Three quarter time scores: Richmond 7.9.51 to Melbourne 5.5.35
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In the last we put the game to bed in a very satisfying manner. We sang the song, but only once, as is the custom now. Then there’s a live interview before we can sing it again. We left during the live interview.

It had been a good win. My brother was very downhearted. Going to the footy with people who barrack for the other team always seems like a good idea the time. At the end of the game though, conversation becomes awkward. I try to say nice things about the Melbourne players but I know it sounds patronising. I try to restrain my joy at Richmond’s win but that feels wrong too. Final scores: Richmond 12.13.85 to Melbourne 6.6.42

It’s always good to beat Melbourne and in some ways, even better to do so when they are not travelling well. The Demons were one of those teams we never beat when we should have. Again and again, in the Wallace and early-Dimma eras, they would derail our season just as it was getting started. But the new Richmond win even when they’re expect to win and this is very satisfying.

The draw has helped us thus far. We played Sydney and Melbourne when they’ve been struggling and we’ve got the Dogs on Saturday who also are not travelling well. On the other hand we’re now coming off a 10-day break and that can be dangerous. I’ll miss this game as I’ll be visiting my Mum in Wodonga. I’m relieved as I really hate going to Docklands, it’s a little bit worse each time.

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Benny Votes [based this week on The Age and Coach’s votes]

I thought it was a good, even performance. Our new players continue to shine. Stack looks very good and Baker is good and quick too. However, from row Y I missed much of the detail of the game and often couldn’t read the players’ numbers.

Vlaustin (5) has been having a good year and the Age gave him best-on-ground which may have been right. Ellis (4) had his best game for a while, I thought, and snuck forward and kicked badly-needed goals. Houli (3) had another good game. The Age also gave votes to Prestia (2), Lambert(1) and Riewoldt. I won’t argue with those with better seats than mine.

Leaderboard

Edwards 19
Grimes, Lynch 12
Vlastuin 10
Martin, Stack 6
Ellis, Prestia 4
Cotchin, Broad, Lambert, Houli 3
Ross, Nankervis 2
Rioli 1

Blair Hartley Appreciation Award: for players who have joined Richmond from another club
(Eligible 2018: Caddy, Grigg, Houli, Lynch, Nankervis, Prestia, Townsend and Weller)

Lynch 12
Prestia 4
Houli 3
Nankervis 2

Anthony Banik Best First Year Player: for anyone who was yet to debut before round 1
(Eligible 2019: Balta, Coleman-Jones, Collier-Dawkins, Miller, Naish, Ross, Turner, Stack)

Stack 6
Ross 2

Joel Bowden’s Golden Left Boot:for left footers
(Eligible 2019: Chol, Grigg, Nankervis and Houli)

Nankervis 2

Greg Tivendale Rookie List Medal:
upgraded from the rookie list during the current season

(Potentially eligible 2019: Aarts, Baker, Chol, Eggmolesse-Smith, Stack, Townsend, Weller)

Stack 6

Maurice Rioli Grip of Death Trophy:
For the Tiges top tackler in 2019

Prestia 32
Nankervis, McIntosh, Castagna 22
Graham, Lambert 21

Round 5 v Sydney at Docklands

25/04/2019 By Brendan O'Reilly 1 Comment

Sheddda leads and Dusty’s back.
We only got to see half of this match and it wasn’t the best half. We had been in Wodonga for Good Friday and had travelled home on Saturday. And we were late home and left for the game not long before the first bounce. The tram was late and slow and it was half-time by the time we got there and found our way in.

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Sheddda leads and Dusty’s back
We only got to see half of this match and it wasn’t the best half. We had been in Wodonga for Good Friday and had travelled home on Saturday. And we were late home and left for the game not long before the first bounce. The tram was late and slow and it was half-time by the time we got there and found our way in.

But the news to that point was good. Richmond had the better of the Swans in the first quarter and then towelled them up in the second and now led 9.5.59 to 4.2.26. I know that Swans haven’t started the season well but they’re always good, even when they’re not. That is, even in their slumps, a good team lurks waiting to pounce.

We found reasonable seats on the top level near the Swans end of the ground. A good crowd was in and on this balmy autumn night the roof was shut, so it was hot and stuffy. The closed roof at Docklands is a metaphor for the closed mind of the AFL. We have a roof, it must be closed. If we didn’t’ close the roof, how would people know that we could close it if we wanted to?

In finding our seats we had missed most of the half-time horror, the worst of which is Are You Paying Attention? This is a charming segment where people in the crowd are exposed for the sin of not watching the scoreboard and therefore seeing themselves on camera. It’s hilarious. I mean some people go to the footy and don’t watch the big screen at half-time. What on earth can they be doing? Talking to their friends? Sending their mother a text message? Sitting there quietly enjoying themselves? All of these things are crimes, or should be, and are rightfully exposed. “Ownlife” is what this crime was called in Nineteen Eighty Four.

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Then the game restarted and the Swans made a game of it for a while. But the Tigers steadied and increased their lead. Dusty scored a brilliant crumbing goal, coming from nowhere. Lynch had gone for the mark, the ball spilled to ground and Dusty swooped. It’s good to see him kicking goals and smiling again. Another highlight was when Shai Bolton went on a bit of run from the pocket, evaded a tackle or two and then missed with a banana. But it was good to see him have a crack at it.

Another thing I really liked was Edwards talking to the defenders after each of the Swans’ goals. I don’t know if Cotch does this, but it moved me. What a good leader he is.

At the last break Richmond led 11.9.75 to 6.3.39.

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And at the last break there was Cuddle Cam, another abomination. Then the game got going again and Richmond kicked to our end but were outscored two goals to four for the term. I didn’t like the way the Swans were able to move the ball out of defence. Apparently this had been impossible in the first half. There were nervous moments when it looked like the Swans might come back but Richmond would not be rattled. Late in the quarter Castagna marked at about the spot were Dragicevic marked against Adelaide in a close game about 19 years ago. Dragga had missed and we lost. But Castagna went slotted it and we were home and much relieved.

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We sang the song and then Dusty was interviewed and said he’d prepare for Wednesday night’s game by having “a few beers.” Then he said they’d be having “chocky eggs” on Sunday and getting back into it. We left then, before the second rendition of the song. We were exhausted by our travels and by the Docklands experience. We got lost leaving the ground but eventually found the new bit of Collins Street and our tram came straight away. The next day was Sunday and we still had Monday off. We didn’t have to move house or travel anywhere and Richmond had won, again, with so many players out. But after that great win against Port we hardly consider this. We don’t have players missing so much as we just have different players in the team.
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I don’t want to whinge too much about Docklands, but the place stinks. And the way the RFC presents the “match-day experience” will soon lead to zero atmosphere at our games. Even at a game against an interstate team I was struck by how quiet our supporters were. What’s the point of having the most passionate and numerous supporters if you don’t let them make their own noise?

The papers gave Edwards best on ground and I won’t argue with that. Also Martin, Stack, Prestia, Vlaustin [who have got votes] and Caddy [unlucky Josh]. Having missed the first half it was difficult to tell. But our defence stood up well again. Franklin was allowed to kick four goals but nobody else was off the leash.

Now Melbourne, tonight. I actually expect us to win and this is still an odd feeling for a Richmond supporter.

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Benny Votes

5 Edwards, 4 Martin, 3 Stack, 2 Prestia, 1 Vlastuin

Leaderboard

Edwards 19
Grimes, Lynch 12
Martin, Stack 6
Vlastuin 5
Cotchin, Broad 3
Lambert, Ross, Nankervis, Prestia 2
Rioli 1

Blair Hartley Appreciation Award: for players who have joined Richmond from another club
(Eligible 2018: Caddy, Grigg, Houli, Lynch, Nankervis, Prestia, Townsend and Weller)

Lynch 12
Nankervis 2

Anthony Banik Best First Year Player: for anyone who was yet to debut before round 1
(Eligible 2019: Balta, Coleman-Jones, Collier-Dawkins, Miller, Naish, Ross, Turner, Stack)

Stack 6
Ross 2

Joel Bowden’s Golden Left Boot:for left footers
(Eligible 2019: Chol, Grigg, Nankervis and Houli)

Nankervis 2

Greg Tivendale Rookie List Medal:
upgraded from the rookie list during the current season

(Potentially eligible 2019: Aarts, Baker, Chol, Eggmolesse-Smith, Stack, Townsend, Weller)

Stack 6

Maurice Rioli Grip of Death Trophy:
For the Tiges top tackler in 2019

Prestia 32
Graham, McIntosh 21
Nankervis, Castagna 18
Kane Lambert 14

Tigers’ best win since before the premiership

19/04/2019 By Brendan O'Reilly Leave a Comment

At about five-ish I go back to the old house in the hired truck for some more things. I find the footy on the radio and Richmond have just scored a goal and seem to be playing well. But on the scoreboard, we’re still a couple of goals down and I’m discouraged. We’ve had our chances but have kicked badly. Half time comes and we’re still in it though. I shift some boxes and find some essential items and get that dry washing off the line. Back in the truck the third term has started and we’re making a go of it. All of our new players are doing well. Ross, whom I’ve never heard of, is tearing it up as if he’s been playing for years. It’s his first game. Stack, Bolton, Boulta, are all doing well. Lynch has his kicking boots on and Grimes is unpassable in defence.

Back at the new house, truck un-loaded, Richmond are in front again. Lynch kicks a goal, is pushed as he kicks it and scores again from the free. The sort of luck you need sometimes. Possibly a bit of a hard call from the umps but the jeers and boos of the Port supporters make it worthwhile.

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In the last quarter I figure out how to listen to footy on the radio on my phone. My daughter is sitting on a stool at our beautiful new recycled messmate benchtop, catching up on her Australian History. Two curries are bubbling on the stove. I’m rolling out yoghurt nan with a glass of beer foaming silently at my elbow. And whenever Port grab the lead, the Tigers rally and grab it back. Grimes takes seven marks in the last quarter. The young players whom I’ve barely heard of are full of running. Shedda, in his first game as captain, is standing up like he was born for the job. And Lynch keeps kicking goals.

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Port get in front, we get in front again, then Port, then us again. Port attack and “guess who marks it?” The commentators don’t mean a Port forward and the crowd silence underlines this. The commentators mean Grimes, because he’s stopping everything.

Richmond attack again and Lynch marks and goals with 40 seconds left and the lead is out to seven points and I’m jumping up and down on our polished concrete floor. And the seconds tick away and the siren goes and we dance around the beautiful, new, box-cluttered kitchen.

Grimes has been magnificent. I’m not surprised. In the 2017 finals he beat some Geelong forward I’ve forgotten the name of, then Toby Greene and then Eddie Betts. Apparently after his best mark in the last quarter he then kicked the ball to a Port player. But that’s forgivable when you play the game of your life.

Ross has had 25 disposals in his first game and has been 92% efficient, they say, which sounds impressive. Shedda has played a tough and skilful captain’s game. Of course he has. Lynch is wearing the big recruit label very lightly. Caddy is back and kicks goals when we need them, just like in 2017.

And suddenly we have depth and footy’s not such a bad game after all.

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Lack of depth exposed by Corporate Giants

14/04/2019 By Brendan O'Reilly 2 Comments

Much of the blame for our 49-point loss on Saturday can be sheeted home to me. Every time I checked the score on the radio as we drove to Warragul the Giants kicked a goal. Simple cause and effect. I spent the day constructively. I have fallen in love with painting and on the weekend I finished a job that took all of my weekends since well before the season started. I have been at it well before the Coodabeens are on at ten and, other things permitting, have been at it well into the evening. And after battling with what’s left of my brain all week against bureaucratic brick walls painting is pleasure. Clear the room, clean, fill gaps, sand, clean once more, undercoat, top-coat and top-coat once more. Move to the next room and repeat.

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Much of the blame for our 49-point loss on Saturday can be sheeted home to me. Every time I checked the score on the radio as we drove to Warragul the Giants kicked a goal. Simple cause and effect.

I spent the day constructively. I have fallen in love with painting and on the weekend I finished a job that took all of my weekends since well before the season started. I have been at it well before the Coodabeens are on at ten and, other things permitting, have been at it well into the evening. And after battling with what’s left of my brain all week against bureaucratic brick walls painting is pleasure. Clear the room, clean, fill gaps, sand, clean once more, undercoat, top-coat and top-coat once more. Move to the next room and repeat.

I have fixed sash windows, one of humanity’s marvels, but a bugger to paint. One day, I promise myself, I will take a sash window to pieces, replace all the rotten bits with good timber, put it all back together, paint the pieces and re-assemble it. I’m naturally handy, so being able to do such tasks gives me much pleasure.

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The perceptive reader will have noticed how little I have mentioned the footy. That’s because I didn’t go, couldn’t watch it on telly and, as I said before, every time I checked the score on the radio the Giants got a goal.
Our back-line has dissolved. Rance out for the year in round one. Houli out too, a huge loss. Grimes out concussed, apparently, and suspended, deservedly. Suddenly Richmond players have discovered their elbows like small babies discovering the wonders of their fingers. Dusty went for someone with the raised elbow, like Grimes did. Damn lucky to have his sentence reduced to a week. In my book any player raising the elbow would get two weeks, no matter how much they missed by. Any contact with the head would be four weeks plus. It’s a good thing, sometimes, that I don’t write the rules.

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Because it was Dusty who made the snorting gesture and a Giants’ player who was on the receiving end, I was reluctant to condemn him for it. It might be considered funny, in some contexts. But then I thought, what if the other player had a drinking problem and Dusty made a gesture to that effect? And what if it was a Giants’ player making this drinking gesture toward one of our boys? At times I can be a mad sectarian Tiger and at other times I can’t.

Jayden Short dislocated his elbow in the first quarter and will miss about eight weeks. And Cotch will miss a few with a hammy. It’s a great time to be a reserves player at Richmond, plenty of opportunities for the young fellers to step up.

Final score: Giants 19.11.125 Richmond 10.16.76

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We are moving on the weekend and all the papers have been thrown out. I don’t know who our best players were. Rioli took a battering early in the match but kept playing, as he does. Lynch did well and will be a crucial part of our team when we come good in the second half of the year. And before then, too.

Our season is in a bit of trouble. But all is not lost yet. If we can get a win here and there with a patched-up team and hit some good form in the second half of the year we’ll do all right.

And in good news for Richmond, Katie Brennan signed for the Richmond Women’s team, who, inexplicably, won’t play their first game until 2020. But better late than never.

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Key stats from this game (and others)
Match attendance: 12,697
AFLW Grand Final attendance: 53,034
Amount of money and in-kind support the AFL has given to GWS since their foundation: a bloody truck-load
Amount of money the AFL has given to the AFLW: scraps from the table, really.

Round 2 v Collingwood at the MCG – Deepest, darkest fears

01/04/2019 By Brendan O'Reilly 4 Comments

My deepest darkest fear is that this will be a famous Richmond victory and I won’t be there. When I get home after a long, exasperating day my footy companion tells me she is too tired. What sweet relief! I’m too tired too! Now I can stay home and do exciting things like get a load of washing on the line for the warm day tomorrow. And watch the game on telly. I feel bad for not going, but not too bad. Thursday night footy is a joke. Doesn’t the AFL know that some people have to get up early in the morning to go to work?

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Pre-match

Before the first bounce dinner is cooked and the washing is finished, if not exactly on the line yet.

Watching the telly I’m glad not to be there. The atmosphere before Richmond games is electric. Well, electronic. With 60 thousand or more in the ground all you can hear is loud music. We Are The Champions, by Queen. Queen were a great band, no doubt. But how many of their concerts were ruined by games of football? It’s a trick question. None of their concerts were so ruined. So why is our footy ruined by their song?

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Richmond start pretty well and have not been destroyed in the first four minutes. We have the first good chance, a snap from a pack that misses. And for a good while we’ve doubled the ‘Woods’ score and lead 2-1.

But Collingwood kick away with Cox, of course, and someone else. Lynch gets a very lucky free kick and splits the big sticks from right in front. Then the ‘Woods get another goal and look to be doing it easily. They seem to have good players everywhere, don’t drop a mark and don’t stuff up when I want them to.

Ellis is tackled when well over the boundary line by Varcoe. Somehow a free kick is not awarded.

Score 20 to 8.

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Short kicks a goal with a set shot from the pocket but it looks a lot like Riewoldt has broken his wrist. He’s still on the ground though.

Castagna has a shot from outside 50 which is picked off easily by the defender. Then we get another goal and it’s level but too quickly the Woods respond and are seven points in front. Castagna hits the post from right in front after a great mark in a crowded 50. The kick to Castagna was from Butler who won a free for a good tackle, which, in the replay, had a touch of the chicken-wing about it. But not too much.

We keep giving the ball to Collingwood, which is frustrating.

Our defence is standing up well though without Rance. Vlaustin and Grimes have been great.

Darcy Moore gets a free for a high tackle. As if. Should have been a free against and 50 for his bad hair.

De Goey who is terrifyingly good scores and we’re two down. Defence is good but sooner or later we turn the ball over after all our hard work.

Bloody Treloar scores, after Collingwood surge forward following about two hours of kick-to-kick across the Richmond back-line. It’s a three- goal lead now. Riewoldts’ broken wrist appears to have healed.

I take no pleasure in any player being injured. But Treloar appears to be hurt and I’m not heartbroken. De Goey takes a screamer because there’s nothing he can’t do and scores from a good way out.

No, there’s nothing worse than being beaten by Collingwood. How did they get so many good players? Two years ago they were a joke.

Collingwood are getting frees for falling over.

Lynch marks and passes to Higgins. He has to kick this and he does. Lead to Collingwood back to three goals. Could we get it back to two by half time?

Less than two minutes left.

Great centre clearance and Lynch marks. Great kick from the young feller and it’s down to two goals.

Another before the break? Another to us, I mean?

With the ball deep in our forward line McIntosh tackles Sidebottom just hard enough for him to drop the ball. No free kick. Yes it is! McIntosh tries to give it to Shedda but it looks like McIntosh will have to take it. It’s a fair way out and almost on the boundary. But for some reason Shedda is given the ball, goes back and kicks it straight through the big sticks. The Tiger fans and players go nuts.

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Collingwood make a nightmare start, Pendlebury sets up an attack and Mayne scores. Didn’t he used to be at Freo? How did Collingwood get him?

Collingwood again looking very menacing. Mihocek is beating Vlaustin and Prestia is penalised for dropping a ball he never had.

Broad does well to beat Elliot on the ground and fakes an accidental tap out of bounds. Vlaustin, having just been written off, does a couple of goal-saving things.

Bloody De Goey has a mark again. For a small player he gives the ball a fair roost and Collingwood are winning by three again.

The Tigers go forward and Short goals with a quick snap. The first Ashley & Martin ad of the night. What a disgrace they are. How are they even allowed? My daughter told me once that men spend more money on fighting baldness than they do fighting malaria.

Grimes takes a strong mark in defence. He’s the best.

Dusty coughs up the footy, but Grimes saves the day again.

Ellis is driven into the ground by bloody Grundy but doesn’t get a free, of course. Treloar gets a free a second later but again the Collingwood attack is turned back.

Lynch takes a great grab but is denied the mark. Collingwood attack again, throw the ball and get away with it, but the attack is repelled again. Dusty marks from close in, kicks a banana, unforgivably, and misses.

Collingwood rebound and score, a two-goal turnover. Might not be our night.

Edwards kicks off the ground from the ball -up and Lynch marks strongly and goals, despite the twelve-foot Cox being on his mark.

Presty is tackled and gets rid of the pill but is still pinged for “taking too long.”

Treloar takes the ball over the line but isn’t pinged for deliberate.

De Goey marks and kicks his fourth. How can we beat a team with players like him? Collingwood lead by seven points.

Cox marks not too far out and Collingwood are doing it a bit easily again after Richmond had been on top for a while. Cox misses easily and maybe we do have a chance?

A chance for the Tiges but Weller is tackled before he can kick and the Woods get a free.

A huge, rolling mess in the Tiger goalmouth but somehow Higgins emerges triumphant. He’s a magician.

Treloar has a chance to pull one back and puts it out on the full. A good minute for Richmond.

Prestia penalised despite having had the ball for a mere fraction of a second and Pendlebury scores and its 18 points again. Another Ashely &Martin ad. Despicable, manipulative. Girls won’t like you if you go bald. Very subtle. The ads are so much worse when you’re losing to Collingwood.

Sidebottom drops the footy in front of the Richmond goal just like Presty did a moment ago but no free kick. We follow footy to learn that life is not fair.

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Cox kicks a goal before I’m back on the couch and I’m beginning to think we might not do it. But Markov takes a strong mark and will kick from a 45° angle. He gives it a good go but misses. Riewoldt is off, down the tunnel. His healed wrist might have broken again.

Ellis drives the Tiges into attack and Shedda steams through like a train, gathers and goals and it’s not over yet.

Butler driven into the ground but no free. What did happen to the push in the back rule?

Collingwood open us up again and De Goey marks but hits the post. Merely human, after all.

Cox marks the kickout from Ellis. Damn it all. We miss Houli tonight, as well as Rance.

Cox gets a point and it’s 18 the difference.

Ellis takes the kick again, getting back on that horse.

Collingwood win it back and De Goey marks again, much closer in this time but misses, doesn’t even go out on the full. The Richmond attack breaks down a kick from goal.

Collingwood rip us apart on a counterattack and goal and it’s 24 points now. Hope slipping away. Maybe we can get one or two back and not lose by so much? If we could make a game of it against a full-strength Collingwood it would really mean something.

But we have to stop giving the ball away. McIntosh kicks well to an opponent and the ball is marked by Elliot. Apparently he’s very good, but has been well-held, mostly. Hits the post from not far out.

Riewoldt is back on the ground. 22 free kicks to nine, Collingwood’s favour. Why are we surprised?

Short or Vlaustin pinged for a throw. Even Carey thinks this is unlucky. Elliot kicks the goal.

Promo for Home and Away, makes me so glad I’ve never watched it.

“Colling-wooood” echoing around the ground. If only we had thousands for supporters who could sing like that. We do of course, but they’re not allowed to sing at all.

We’re getting towelled up now. It’s 31 points. Grimes down off the ball. Six minutes to go, please let it go quickly.

Grimes is indestructible and takes a saving mark in defence.

Collingwood awarded a mark that’s a thousand times messier than the one Lynch wasn’t given.

Stevenson marks right in front and it’s getting ugly.

Grimes has lost his mind and in the last minutes, with the game lost, has run at Elliot and elbowed him in the head. I love Grimes to pieces and I’ve barely seen him give away a free kick before. Maybe he can plead insanity? But really, crap like that has to earn him a few weeks.

Collingwood score and it’s 43 points, as bad as the prelim. Well, it might be, I haven’t the heart to go back and check the score on that one.

So glad I didn’t go.

Eddie “night grand final” McGuire is seen going over to our Peggy. But not for long.

Collingwood have the ball again and it’s going to be 49 points.

But Cox hits the post and it’s only 44.

Thank God it’s over.

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In summary, footy doesn’t get worse than this. There is nothing so bad as being beaten by Collingwood. They have far too many good players and the AFL shouldn’t have allowed it. Their tactic of kicking across the ground and marching the ball up the field seemed to work very well, but was awful to watch. But it mystified me. The obvious way to counter such a strategy is to go man-on-man and deny them the easy kick and mark. We did have 18 on the ground, the same as them, even if our 18 weren’t quite as good as theirs.

Many of our players did well. Grimes was great, again, before he went insane. Vlaustin was good too. I thought Shedda was outstanding, playing mostly in the middle. His goal to give us hope in the last was a beauty. Lynch was good too and on a better night would have kicked a bag. Ellis was pretty strong and didn’t give up. Generally, our team battled well and I didn’t see heads drop or players turns on each other, which is a good sign. But the omens aren’t great. Our heavenly run without injuries is over. Do you remember we put exactly the same team on the park for each week of the finals in 2017? And probably for the last few home-and-away rounds as well? After 37 years of heart-break we deserved some luck, but still.

Collingwood, contrast, have all their players back and they’re all supermen. De Goey is just ridiculous. Cox is way over what should be the height limit for footballers and yet can still run, jump and kick. Adam “diss the list” Treloar is good too, but still doesn’t have a premiership medal.

To make it all better though, Eddie insulted a woman with a disability on Fox Footy on Friday night. As Douglas Adams said of some-one he’s clearly a man of many qualities, even if most of them are bad ones. I think he would be very well-suited to a job where he didn’t have to talk.

Two easy games coming up, against the Corporate Giants in Sydney and then Port in Adelaide. Both Saturday twilight games, both on pay TV. Even if I had time to go and watch these games somewhere, I might have to McGuire’s commentary. I don’t want this match report to degenerate into a tirade against the Collingwood president…ah, who am I kidding? That’s exactly what I want. Anyway, he’s not much of a commentator either, sometimes doesn’t take the trouble to learn the players’ names.

Richmond will plug a few gaps and pinch at least one of these games and will be on an even keel after round four. Dusty will find his mojo, Houli will heal and the young players will step up.

But footy is not such a great game after you lose to Collingwood.

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Benny Votes by Chris

5 Edwards – played four quarters, his quick hands and accurate kicking kept hope alive.
4 Lynch – our only tall target after Riewoldt broke his wrist early. Took some great grabs and kicked goals nervelessly.
3 Broad – has started the season really strongly. Impressive tank – he is bobbing up all over the ground and seems very hard to shake off.
2 Grimes – wonderful for most of the game but burned badly by his opposite number De Goey late on. Unforgivable brain fade will see him lucky to miss just one game.
1 Nankervis – tried very hard against the athletic Grundy. Lost the hit-outs but used his body intelligently in play, and racked up 4 tackles (one eighth of the team total).

Leaderboard

Grimes 7
Edwards, Lynch, 5
Vlastuin 4
Cotchin, Broad 3
Martin 2
Nankervis 1

Blair Hartley Appreciation Award: for players who have joined Richmond from another club
(Eligible 2018: Caddy, Grigg, Houli, Lynch, Nankervis, Prestia, Townsend and Weller)

Lynch 5, Nankervis 1

Anthony Banik Best First Year Player: for anyone who was yet to debut before round 1
(Eligible 2019: Balta, Coleman-Jones, Collier-Dawkins, Miller, Naish, Ross, Turner)

No votes yet

Joel Bowden’s Golden Left Boot:for left footers
(Eligible 2019: Chol, Grigg, Nankervis and Houli)

Nankervis 1

Greg Tivendale Rookie List Medal:
upgraded from the rookie list during the current season

(Potentially eligible 2019: Aarts, Baker, Chol, Eggmolesse-Smith, Stack, Townswend, Weller)

No votes yet

Maurice Rioli Grip of Death Trophy:
For the Tiges top tackler in 2019

Dion Prestia 11
Jack Graham 10
Dan Butler 10
Kamdyn McIntosh 9
Toby Nankervis 6
Dylan Grimes 6

Round 1 v Carlton at the MCG – A season starts and a season ends

23/03/2019 By Brendan O'Reilly 1 Comment

The start of the season is always too early for me. March is the most beautiful month in Melbourne until footy comes along. A Long March, with fine weather and no men’s footy, would suit me fine. It would suit the AFLW too, of course, and send the best message about the value of their game. We’ll make the men’s season a fraction shorter (our players are always saying it’s too long) and give you some more time and space.

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The start of the season is always too early for me. March is the most beautiful month in Melbourne until footy comes along. A Long March, with fine weather and no men’s footy, would suit me fine.

It would suit the AFLW too, of course, and send the best message about the value of their game. We’ll make the men’s season a fraction shorter (our players are always saying it’s too long) and give you some more time and space. Now is the time for the AFL to announce this. Not in ten years’ time. Not next year. Now, after the Tayla Harris’ stand, after the AFL has trashed the women’s game once more.

And while they’re at it, now is the time for Toilet Equality at the ‘G and elsewhere. Make some of the men’s dunnies into women’s until our queues are of equal length. Only then will women and girls know that the AFL takes them seriously.

I digress, but I needed to. The first game doesn’t come out of nowhere. It comes into a glorious month trailing controversies real and contrived. Then the ball is bounced and a flip is switched and it’s on again.

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Our tickets in row Z in the Southern Stand cost us about half a year’s membership, but without them we might not have gotten in at all. As it was we missed Lynch’s first goal. From outside the ground, when we were still lined up, I assumed the roar was for Carlton. There was something about the sound that I didn’t like and it seemed strong at the Punt Road End where, at a Carlton home game, I assumed the crowd to be Blue-ish. But once we were in we learned Richmond had scored first. What did that teach me about tribalism? That, in fact, a crowd’s roar sounds much the same, whatever team it’s for?

We were in our seats when Lynch kicked a goal and were able to deduce, from the way all the Richmond players didn’t mob him, that it wasn’t his first. This was so much better than last year when the Blues killed us in the first quarter and it felt like round 1 at Waverley in 1981 all over again. This was footy the way it should be – a big crowd, Richmond with five goals on the board and Carlton yet to score.

The second quarter was footy as the AFL prefers it – more of a contest, but with the Tigers still in control. Higgins’ goal was the highlight, a quick snap from fair way out on a very tight angle. Has there ever been a player who loved playing so much? His celebrations make me feel young again.

But Carlton had come back a bit and worse was to follow. The third was footy as nightmare. A good lead being whittled away, the Carlton crowd roaring. The lead went down to four goals, to three and then to two. The Richmond defence was under siege. Finally, they forced a turnover and broke away. Dusty tore through the middle, wondering which option to take to set up our much-needed goal. Then he was caught, the Blues fans went nuts, the ball was turned over. He looked very cross with himself. But the counter-counter-attack was thwarted once more.

At a big marking contest Rance went down and play was stopped. We know it’s bad when they actually stop the game. Nobody knew that the problem was. From the scraps of replay we saw he was hurt either in the head or the leg or somewhere in between. All we saw was him falling. And now on the ground, un-moving and the surviving players huddled, discussing life without him.

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This could hardly have been worse. Carlton surging, the lead down to two goals, the quarter barely half over, the best full-back of all time on the deck. But Richmond really stood up then and gave Carlton nothing. It was a desperate end to the quarter but if anything, the break in play had settled the Tigers and all of Carlton’s attacks were blunted.

In the last, order was restored and the Blues were taken apart. What could be better than getting the jump on them early, teasing them in the third and then breaking their spirits in the last? Even after our third goal, with the lead at 28 points and the quarter not half gone, Blues supporters were leaving. This is something I will never comprehend, but I saw Richmond supporters do the same in the prelim last year, so this fickleness infects everyone.
Rance emerged from the tunnel on crutches with a bag of ice on his knee. The crowd roared in appreciation and in sadness.

The best goal of this quarter was Weller’s, a brilliant soccer kick from a good distance out and a similar angle to Higgins’ effort. The lead went out to 40 points before a late consolation goal to the Blues. We could get our breath back before we stood and sang the song.

I could see the smile on Rance’s face which was encouraging. But the way his mates went to him and patted him on the head said “season-ending injury” and so it was.

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Match reports have bemoaned this game as a spectacle. “Objective” writing often does. There were plenty of highlights though. Cotch and Riewoldt each took beautiful marks. Cotch kicked a behind from his but I think Jack split the big sticks. Many too-tall and too-skilful Blues players also took good marks. They have no shortage of good players, despite everyone running them down. I tried to learn their names and numbers but we were so high up in the Southern that we could only read the numbers when play was on our wing, which it often wasn’t.

I don’t know if the rules changes mattered that much. It chokes me to say it, but it did look nice and symmetrical to see everyone lined up, almost like the old days, at the centre bounces. I miss the dinky little kick-to-himself that the full-back had to do to play on. One of those little quirks that the AFL despises and so it had to go.

It looked a lot like the 2017 Richmond – often messy, often scrappy, but from one contest to another the ball herded between the big sticks.
Next week a sickening clash awaits – Book Club to discuss Brideshead Revisited or Richmond v Collingwood?

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Benny Votes

5 Grimes – as always, was great. Never beaten, always there, always contesting.
4 Vlaustin – was good too. The way the defence stood up after Rance left will be written about for years to come.
3 Cotchin – played a classic good Cotchin game, with a memorable highlight being his mark over his opposing skipper Cripps.
2 Martin – was an important player for us too, even if he was caught a few times.
1 Lynch – great to see the new players get goals in Lynch, Weller and Balta.

Leaderboard

As above!

Blair Hartley Appreciation Award: for players who have joined Richmond from another club
(Eligible 2018: Caddy, Grigg, Houli, Lynch, Nankervis, Prestia, Townsend and Weller)

1: Lynch

Anthony Banik Best First Year Player: for anyone who was yet to debut before round 1
(Eligible 2019: Balta, Coleman-Jones, Collier-Dawkins, Miller, Naish, Ross, Turner)

No votes yet

Joel Bowden’s Golden Left Boot:for left footers
(Eligible 2019: Chol, Grigg, Nankervis and Houli)

No votes yet

Greg Tivendale Rookie List Medal:
upgraded from the rookie list during the current season

(Potentially eligible 2019: Aarts, Baker, Chol, Eggmolesse-Smith, Stack, Townswend, Weller)

No votes yet

Maurice Rioli Grip of Death Trophy:
For the Tiges top tackler in 2019

Dan Butler 7
Dion Prestia 6
Jack Graham 6
Dylan Grimes 4
Kamdyn McIntosh 4
Shane Edwards 4
Bachar Houli 4
Trent Cotchin 4

Preliminary Final v Collingwood at the MCG

25/09/2018 By Brendan O'Reilly 5 Comments

From our perfect seats, front row, top deck of the Ponsford, we could see that Dusty wasn’t right, even before the first bounce. He was lining up in the goal-square, which wasn’t a great sign, but could have been an interesting tactical move. If only he could move, which he clearly couldn’t. He was thinking about each step. And this was when he was walking. That he went on to have the worst game anyone could remember him having was not surprising.

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From our perfect seats, front row, top deck of the Ponsford, we could see that Dusty wasn’t right, even before the first bounce. He was lining up in the goal-square, which wasn’t a great sign, but could have been an interesting tactical move. If only he could move, which he clearly couldn’t. He was thinking about each step. And this was when he was walking. That he went on to have the worst game anyone could remember him having was not surprising.

Later Dimma would say, if it hadn’t been a final he wouldn’t have played. “But he would have killed me if I’d said he couldn’t play.” Well Dimma, that’s the coach’s job, breaking the bad news. And in what sort of shape would Dusty have been in for the GF if we’d won on Friday night?
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Playing injured players in finals is the sort of mistake our opponents made last year and paid a great price. I can’t believe we fell into the same trap.
But there it was. The game started well enough, with Riewoldt – can we still identify him as “Jack” now that we have three of them? – marking in a gettable spot. But with the Collingwood jeer-squad booing him he missed. I think we had another shot and missed that too. Soon enough Collingwood had a goal and then another and maybe another before we had our first. At quarter time it was 5.2 to 1.3 and we’d been killed around the ground. Not just on the ground, around the ground. The haunting chant of “Coll-ing….woooood” completely drowned out the Richmond chants.

Luckily our marketing heroes took care of this at the break and drowned out everyone with their loud and noxious tripe. I took the time to send an SMS to Patrick Keane at the AFL. He once told me that the loud music at the breaks and before the games “makes no difference at all.” How about now Patrick? I asked him. But he didn’t reply.

In the second quarter the world ended. I had said several times over the year that if Mason Cox ever played really well he’d be unstoppable. He did and he was. Three times he soared into the air, grabbed the mark, slotted the goal. Three times in about ten minutes. The Magpies behind the goals went nuts. So did the 60 thousand other Magpie supporters. And their “Coll-ing…wood” chant could get going and no loud music drowned it out.
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I think at one stage we were nine goals down and it wasn’t even half time. I thought we were going to lose the match by 100 points. But there was a faint rally and we went in at the break only 44 points down, the same margin Collingwood led by in the 1970 Grand Final.

What had gone wrong? The short answer was everything. Martin had been kryptonited. Astbury, who had destroyed Cox in round 19, appeared not to be playing. Later I heard he’d been really crook. Cox was too tall and was playing too well. Our defence was rattled, our forward line ineffective and our midfield battling but in retreat. I drew solace from the fact that we had come back a bit. But I’d have preferred a margin a bit less than 44 points.

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The third term was better and we trailed by 33 at the last break. Collingwood had certainly smashed us but much of this smashing was simply straight kicking – it was 12.7 to 6.10 at this stage. And the umpires, god love them, were not being kind. Dusty had taken a perfectly decent mark in the goal square and had the ball taken off him. For nobody-knew-what. Had that mark been rewarded and had it only been 27 points at three quarter time…
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The opening of the last term was our best stretch. We got two goals and the margin was down to 21 and another one or two and the ‘Woods might have panicked. But the next three goals were Magpies and the night was over and the “Coll-ing…wooooood” chant was unstoppable.
Our boys kept trying, which is more than I can say for our supporters. Well before the final siren at least three quarters of them had left. I could not believe this. These players won us a flag last year! They finished on top of the ladder! And you won’t even stay to the end of a Prelim Final?

When Cats fans left the qualifying final ten minutes from the end last year I was disgusted. Is this what a few flags does for your commitment? Well we’re just as bad after winning one.

Now I don’t think you should always, always stay. If you’re sitting in the rain and 90 points down at half time, maybe you could go home in good conscience. But what are we teaching our kids about dealing with grief and loss, about commitment, when we leave before the end of a final just so we can get out the carpark a bit quicker or catch that early train? Honestly.

So, a dreadful night for the Tigers. I didn’t quite see it coming but I was never as confident as all the media experts. When we beat Collingwood twice during the year they didn’t have Goldsack, Treloar or De Goey and Cox was tall, but quiet. Bring those three back in and let Cox actually play a bit and it’s a different game.

But as a Club when can learn from this game. We simply have to let our supporters sing! No more corporate crap at the breaks and before the game. Let’s get singing and chanting at least as well as Collingwood. We’ve got 100,000 members and only a dumb-as-dogshit club would try to shut them up.

Oh, I feel better now.
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Benny Votes (double for finals)
10 Jack Riewoldt
8 Jack Higgins
6 Bachar Houli
4 Trent Cotchin
2 Dylan Grimes

[Editor’s note: there is one game report missing from our season (Dreamtime v Essendon), so the Benny is still in the balance. Five votes for Dusty would tie it up. That report will come with the season wrap in the next few days]

Leaderboard

51: Cotchin
46: Martin

39: Riewoldt
23: Grimes
22: Short
21: Caddy
20: Astbury, Nankervis
19: Edwards
18: Lambert, Prestia
14: Rance
12: Higgins
11: Vlastuin
9: Houli
7: Conca, McIntosh
6: Graham, Rioli
3: Lloyd, Castagna
1: Townsend

Blair Hartley Appreciation Award: for players who have joined Richmond from another club
(Eligible 2018: Caddy, Grigg, Hampson, Houli, Nankervis, Miles, Prestia and Townsend.)

21: Caddy
20: Nankervis
9: Houli
14: Prestia
1: Townsend

Anthony Banik Best First Year Player: for anyone who was yet to debut before round 1
(Eligible 2018: Liam Baker, Noah Balta, Callum Coleman-Jones, Ryan Garthwaite, Jack Higgins, Ben Miller, Patrick Naish)

12: Higgins

Joel Bowden’s Golden Left Boot:for left footers
(Eligible 2018: Chol, Corey Ellis, Grigg, Nankervis and Houli).
20: Nankervis
9: Houli

Greg Tivendale Rookie List Medal:
upgraded from the rookie list during the current season
Potentially eligible 2018: Baker, Chol, Eggmolesse-Smith, Moore, Stengle
No votes yet.

Maurice Rioli Grip of Death Trophy:
For the Tiges top tackler

Graham: 107
Cotchin: 103
Conca: 92
Grimes: 82
Nankervis: 81

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To those few, those lucky few, that band of siblings

17/05/2016 By Brendan O'Reilly 20 Comments

Apart from my team travelling badly and apart from loathing the experience of live Richmond matches, I was also extremely tired by Saturday evening. A few hours of door-knocking for the Greens in Preston and a couple more at a party where I knew very few people was enough to wear me out. Oh, and I’d had a big week too. So I was never very likely to go last Saturday night. I wish that I had and I take my hat off to the 36 thousand who did.

A post from Tiger guest Brendan O’Brien. You can read his regular posts at theinternetatemyblog.wordpress.com

I wish that I had and I take my hat off to the 36 thousand who did. Sydney, many commentators were saying, were the best team in the competition. Richmond were not the worst, but they were certainly in the mix. So how likely was it that we could beat them? Sure, we have a good record against them: beating them in Sydney last year after being five goals down at half time, beating them in an excruciatingly close finish in the last round of 2014 to make the finals, beating them at the ‘G a year or two before that. But that’s when we were quite good. And Sydney rested half their team in the 2014 game…

In any case the Swans began well this time and had three goals on the board before we knew which way we were kicking. But then an odd thing happened and we actually started to play quite well. Franklin was rampant but Rance stuck with him and limited the damage. We fought and scrapped and got the ball into the forward line and set up countless chances. Most of these we squandered. From near and far, tight angles and straight in front. Through for a behind the ball went. In no time we had our first “point goal” – six behinds for our trouble. But despite all the misses, at quarter time we were only ten points down and at the half-time break – this we could not believe sitting in comfort on the couch – we were five points up.

The breaks are when I’m really glad I’m not at the ground. Even at home you can hear the spruiker and the music obliterate the crowd noise. Tiger fans were not doubt roaring their heroes off the ground, but nobody could hear them, not at home on the couch, not in the outer at the ‘G.

In the third term our terrible kicking reached another level. We added 1.5 to the Swans 5.4 and trailed by three goals at the last break. Football’s oldest and truest clichés surely applied – bad kicking is bad football and the third quarter is the premiership quarter. Lose that and you’re stuffed.

But something truly bizarre happened at the start of the last term. The Tigers burst from the blocks and kicked goal after goal. Rioli got two of them – how many years have we needed a Rioli? – and we were right back in it. But Sydney steadied and kicked away again and there were only a few minutes left and they were two goals up. Then Jack won the footy in the maelstrom much closer to the Swans’ goal than to ours and kicked it perfectly to the advantage of the helmed Griffiths. For a big man he moved like the smallest gazelle, chased by his equally helmed and large opponent. The ball bounced, Griffo grabbed it and took off, one bounce inside the 50 and then kicked it, along the ground, straight as the road to Lockington, right through the big ones.

Five points now and four minutes to go. Sydney attacked, Richmond attacked. Twice Rance performed heroics to save the game for us. Or was it thrice? Still, it was not enough. Sydney had the ball and attacked again. We won it again, Sydney won it back. Only a minute left. Then less than a minute.

Sydney had the footy, forward of the centre and chose, in the most sporting way imaginable, not to kick it wide or backwards to one of several un-marked team-mates but instead into attack again, into a contest from where it was wrestled free by the much-maligned and poorly-pronounced Vlaustin who roosted it out of the back-line.

It landed close to Riewoldt and took what Dimma would call “the bounce of God” straight into his lap. But, as Dimma said too, you make your own luck sometimes. Jack saw Griffo again running into the forward line and kicked an inch-perfect kick to him. The helmed one took it easily, 65 meters out. Seconds left could be counted on my fingers. Should he roost it? He’s a big kick but the angle was bad. Should he go for another run? But the Swans were getting back and it would be tough for him. One tackle, one mis-step and the chance would be gone.

Three facts might have occurred to the pessimist at this point, not that any of that ilk have a place at Richmond: we haven’t won a game since March; we have an awful record in close games; our set shot kicking is abysmal.
But our heroes did not have time for such maudlin rubbish.

Sam Lloyd, the boy from Deniliquin, loped into the forward 50 and called for it. Griffo kicked over the man on his mark and Lloydy marked, 45 from goal on a worse than 45 degree angle. Seven seconds left.
On the couch we were beside ourselves. I think I was sobbing already. Griffo walked over to Lloydy and said – so we learned later – “three deep breaths and keep your head over the ball.” The young feller settled himself, wasted no time, walked in and kicked from the 50.

A straighter, higher, truer, more beautiful kick has never, ever, in any sport, at any time on any planet ever been kicked. It went high and it went handsome and split the big sticks as elegantly as if they’d been a block of straight-grained red box beneath your grandfather’s axe.

I was openly sobbing by now. Lloyd was buried beneath an avalanche of team-mates. The Tiger supporters went nuts. The song rang out and the supporters were allowed to sing it once, as they are allowed to now, not twice like before. Who cared? All was right with the world. Rance said in a one-minute interview “I love this team!” three times. We said it to ourselves and to each other many more times and are saying it still.