This was another low scoring affair, won by the Tigers – but at great cost. We lost Soldo for the season and probably a good chunk of early 2021, and Lynch went off with a hammy in the 3rd and won’t play next week. We were the better side; Geelong are chock full of big (ageing) names that just don’t deliver consistently. They had one goal to 3QT. Our radar was off; we kicked 2.5 in the first quarter and 2.8 in the third. We should have been gone out of sight by 3QT. Cameron Ling: “Richmond should be ten goals up”.

In the last quarter when we were undermanned they made their move with their 2nd, 3rd and 4th goals in quick succession.

Important side note about Soldo’s injury: it was directly caused by Hawkins shoving his defender Balta into the pack. It’s dangerous, it’s against the spirit of the laws of the game and to my eyes it’s against the letter also. With HQ so keen to tweak rules at the moment I expect this get attention, but all that’s really required is umps to pay frees that are already in the rulebook. Hawkins copped a lot of hate through the week but he is not the only one who does it, probably just the strongest.

Castagna settled the game with a wonderful running goal. He received a handpass from Lambert on centre wing, then exchanged little passes with Graham and Bolton, before galloping to 40 and saluting. Wonderful stuff, and it came off the back of Hawkins down the other end marking then playing on and spraying a shot out of bounds.

It’s so far from the game most of us wanted, but Richmond’s mental disintegration of Geelong has been bloody impressive.

— Andy Maher (@AndyMaherDFA) September 11, 2020

Benny Votes

As I love to do, I am working smarter not harder and I have lifted the votes and notes from Richmond legend @Tigers_of_Old.

5. Grimes. Best game all year against the best oppo.
4. Vlastuin. Not far behind just brilliant.
3. Riewoldt. Never write off a champ.
2. Balta. Challenge accepted.
1. McIntosh. Ran hard all night.

Leaderboard
26: Martin
22: Bolton
18: Grimes, Vlastuin
17: Short
14: Balta
12: McIntosh
11: Cotchin
10: Lambert, Graham, Riewoldt
9: Baker, McIntosh
7: Prestia, Pickett
6: Soldo
5: Higgins, Eggmolesse-Smith, Chol, Houli
4: Caddy
3: Lynch
2: Aarts
1: Castagna

Maurice Rioli Grip of Death Trophy for Tackles
Kane Lambert 48
Marlion Pickett 42
Trent Cotchin 42
Jack Graham 41
Dan Rioli 38

We’ve seen a lot of games like this in 2020 – low-scoring, constipated affairs played without much flair or fluency. There always seems to be too many players around the ball, especially in the forward 50-metre zone, where it’s inordinately hard to find any space or win clean possession. It’s frustrating to watch, and you can see that it’s frustrating for the players and coaches as well. In summary, this game was an unattractive scrap from which the Tigers did well to emerge with victory, on the back of only two quarters of good play. Looking for positive things to say about it all, this is what comes to mind:

Marlion Pickett seems to have really lifted his game in the past few weeks. His peculiar loping style is a pleasure to watch, and he’s one of those players who seem to make the game slow down when he has the ball. He has a special talent for subtly changing the angle of the play too, and I thought he was our best on the night. 

Jayden Short’s run and dash has been a pleasure to watch all season. His ability to transfer quickly from defence into attack is as good as anyone’s and I don’t reckon he’s played a bad game all year.

Fridge Graham has been playing with terrific, sustained intent. Get tackled by this bloke and you stay tackled. He’s not flashy but he’s brutally effective, and I hope his strong performances over recent weeks will be enough to cement his place in the team.

Kamdyn McIntosh seems to have new hair but, fortunately, this hasn’t changed his distinctive running style or his cartoonish Popeye arm-flexing routine when he celebrates a goal or some other notable passage of play. In a game where a lot of our mid-fielders didn’t rise to any great heights, it was McIntosh and Pickett on the wings that carried much of our game ‘between the arcs’ (as they say in the commentary booth). 

I don’t think this was a match than anyone will really want to revisit. But the Tigers won, so that’s what counts. Our next game against Geelong promises to be a bigger and better occasion.

Benny Votes

5. Marlion Pickett
4. Jayden Short
3. Jack Graham
2. Kamdyn McIntosh
1. Jake Aarts

Leaderboard
26: Martin
22: Bolton
17: Short
14: Vlastuin
13: Grimes
12: Balta
11: Cotchin, McIntosh
10: Lambert, Graham
9: Baker, McIntosh
7: Prestia, Riewoldt, Pickett
6: Soldo
5: Higgins, Eggmolesse-Smith, Chol, Houli
4: Caddy
3: Lynch
2: Aarts
1: Castagna

Maurice Rioli Grip of Death Trophy for Tackles
Kane Lambert 46
Marlion Pickett 42
Trent Cotchin 39
Jack Graham 38
Dan Rioli 36

Dreamtime at the G became Dreamtime at Marrara this year; the whole shebang shipped to Darwin. And you know, its a great occasion each year bringing Indigenous Australia to the city and to the greatest sporting venue in the world; but maybe it should travel more often. Richard Fejo launched it with a dynamite Welcome to Country. It must have felt so great to be there and be Larrakia Tiwi, Yolgnu, Jawoyn, any of the top end countrymen he welcomed so powerfully, the Noongar who are so well represented in footy, the Koori and Murri from the east, Tassie got a mention. It started the night on a great positive note.

The first half was not sparkling football but the highlights belonged to a Dons debutant, Irving Mosquito. Lynch opened the scoring but shortly after the mid-sized and quick Mosquito got a match-up on Soldo and just got away from him to mark, and goal confidently.

Tippa (The Little Man™ J. Brayshaw) took a very brave mark and was lightly collected by Grimes. There was a lot of heated talk during the week after about Grimes, not so much for this as for when he flopped to win a free which meant a goal to Tipungwuti was overturned. He got death threats.

Essendon SEN caller: “I don’t necessarily agree with the death threats, but…” Stop right there turbo

— Simon Wallace (@rfcswallace) August 23, 2020

It was 3 goals each at half time; Dons had been accurate, we had not. Dusty, Tom, Oleg, Dyl (!), Kam, Jack R and Jack G all missed, one after the other. Pretty excruciating. A rushed behind was sweet relief. Just before halftime with a total of four majors on the board, Mosquito improved things immensely swooping on a loose ball and running through a closing gap to kick his second. Shai answered quickly, Rioli another, and we went in 7 points up.

Around that time Shai collected on the wing and hit Jack on the chest, one of the best kicks of the night. It went totally uncalled. Richo and Brayshaw were busy talking about Oleg’s barista moey. Sure, dull game, but keep half an eye out for class.

After kicking two before the break we started the third a volley of goals to Riewoldt, Dusty and Lambert. Shai and Dusty had control in the middle, and the Dons were a key back short after Francis went off with a hammy. Jack Graham had possibly his best ever roster match; he hit Lynch on the chest with a great pass and Lynch nearly killed Saad who bravely/unwisely got in the way.

From there Essendon got close a couple of time but we held them at arms length. After a neat pick up from Short, Graham bobbled it in low and Lynch used his body cleverly to allow it to run to Marbs who kicked it high into a tree. Merritt and The Little Man™ kicked consolation goals but we saw out time for a 12 point win.

Benny Votes
A bit unfair to Lynch, Soldo and Baker here but…
Dusty 5, Bolton 4, Graham 3, Vlastuin 2, Grimes 1
Leaderboard
25: Martin
22: Bolton
14: Vlastuin
13: Short, Grimes
10: Lambert
9: Baker, McIntosh
7: Prestia, Balta, Riewoldt, Cotchin
6: Soldo
5: Higgins, Eggmolesse-Smith, Chol
4: Caddy, Graham
3: Houli, Lynch
2: Pickett
1: Castagna, Aarts

A weird game. Umpires in white, goal umpires in black bomber jackets. Weird man. Ladhams freak goal, 7-foot bloke punting it off the outside of his toe from the boundary line – weird. Amon, Butters, Woodcock and other blokes not yet shaving were running us ragged. Suddenly they had 4 goals and we had none. Very 2014 EF vibes, and I could feel a hot wind in my face, even on the radio.

I said to the room “We’ll get back in to this; but we won’t win”. Mabs made an outstanding run. He ran back with the flight of an Egg kick, halved the contest, got to the spill first at top speed, shinned it on, then tapped it over an opponent, then gathered off the ground to get possession for the first time and immediately dished to Caddy who goaled. On Fox McGuire said “Mabior Chol stand up, we salute you. That was magnificent.” It really was.

So good big fella. #MoveslikeMabior #MabiorChol #gotiges pic.twitter.com/8jipftTAhb

— Ando (@Tigers_of_Old) August 9, 2020

We kicked the last three of the quarter to go to the huddle 7 points down.

QT Sellers on the radio said “Port kicked almost the first four goals of the game when you think about it”. Weird.

We’d rested Cotch, dropped Snags, brought back Rioli and Caddy. Might have been nice to have Trent out there come to think of it.

We hit the front briefly in the second.  A huge mark to Pickett went utterly uncalled by Ed who is still whinging about a free not paid to Port earlier. Aarts kicked a wonderful solo goal, dancing zigzagging in from the point post goal. half time siren beats Gray kicking his 3rd. 4 goals each this term and at the long break we’re 9 points down.

Big Dixon kicked another 7-footer’s freak goal as he was heading for row H at the time. Weird. Kmac collected a ground ball and showed incredible vision to hook it off his left to Stacky.

Port have been terribly wayward kicking 2.5 to our 4.3, and we go in a point up.

The last quarter started with Balta mistake for a Port goal, he was trying to do the quick hands and just rushed himself into a turnover. Then Dusty gave away a silly 50, and Caddy added another 50 to hand them another goal. This might have marked Josh’s card, as Dimma was as displeased as you’ll ever see him. And that was game over, we didn’t score after 3QT.

On the stats they killed us (i50s 55-24) but we hung in until suddenly we couldn’t any longer. I believe there’s something about the way we defend that creates inaccurate scores.

Benny Votes
Again these are @Tigers_of_old’s best players
5 Bolton, 4 McIntosh, 3 Chol, 2 Short, 1 Vlastuin

Leaderboard
20: Martin
18: Bolton
12: Short
10: Lambert
9: Vlastuin, Baker, McIntosh
8: Grimes
7: Prestia, Balta
6: Soldo
5: Higgins, Vlastuin, Cotchin, Eggmolesse-Smith, Chol
4: Caddy
3: Prestia, Houli, Lynch
2: Riewoldt, Pickett
1: Castagna, Graham, Aarts

[written in retrospect in August] I approached this game like a hungry person who has been handed a hubcap full of cold baked beans. It does make you wonder how hungry you really are. There was no crowd due to Covid 19 social restrictions. Case numbers were climbing around Australia, and governments were scrambling to take measures to stop it. Local sport was cancelled everywhere, we were all avoiding touching anything and each other; I was wearing a mask to the shops at this time I think. And I didn’t think there was a place for AFL football to continue.

This was Marlion Pickett’s long-awaited 2nd game, in front of about 100K less people than game 1. The Tiges leapt out of the blocks, inspired by Jack Riewoldt. we kicked the first 5, then Kreuzer went down with an ankle injury. [He’s still not back as of August]. And that was the result fairly set, the rest of the evening was keeping them at arm’s length. New Blue Jack Martin was excellent, kicking 4 of their 12. Riewoldt, Shai, George and Dan Rioli all kicked 3 for the Tiges. Martin, Prestia, Bolton, Baker and Riewoldt were all excellent.

RICHMOND    7.2     11.3     14.5     16.9 (105)
CARLTON        2.1      3.5       8.7       12.9 (81)

BENNY VOTES r1

Martin 5
Prestia 4
Bolton 3
Riewoldt 2
Baker 1

Corrected Leaderboard, after round 8
10: Lambert, Short, Martin, Bolton
8: Vlastuin
7: Prestia
6: Soldo
5: Higgins, Vlastuin, Cotchin, Eggmolesse-Smith, McIntosh, Baker
4: Grimes, Balta, Caddy
3: Prestia, Houli
2: Riewoldt
1: Lynch, Castagna, Chol, Graham