The Benny

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We went away last weekend and Saturday happened to be the loveliest of winter days. Bright sun, not a puff of wind nor a cloud in the sky. We rode our bikes into Portarlington and op-shopped, lunched and lay on the beach. On the ride back my daughter asked me if I’d heard about the footy, which had already started. She said that even in the second quarter, Richmond were absolutely “harrumping” the Gold Coast.

This was how it should be, of course. But still, a bit surprising. I don’t follow closely the fortunes of the AFL’s experiments, but I had a feeling that Gold Coast weren’t the duds this year that they were last. Only later did I learn that in fact they’d lost ten in a row already.

But playing away against a team that you should beat well can bring plenty of pressure. Nobody is that bad forever. And we have a nightmare history against the Gold Coast, having squandered premiership points against them when we sold our away games and played them in Cooktown or somewhere in 2011 and 2012, dropped games that we should have won.

So now I construct a match report with no tape of the game, just the match reports of others, YouTube highlights and having listened to the second half on the radio.

Caddy is out injured and Derek Eggmolesse-Smith is playing his first game. After two minutes the first goal is kicked by Lynch. He’s had his share of knockers this year, as you might expect of a big forward on the big bucks. But I think he’s stood up well, coping with his own injuries in an injury-ravaged team. Now, playing against his former club, he starts off with a strong mark and a good kick and there’s nothing Gold Coast can do about that.

Before seven minutes have ticked over the Tigers have two more, to Bolton and Castagna yet have been inside 50 only four times. Then Prestia and Rioli score and it’s five goals in the first ten minutes. Castagna gets two more before the first break, Lynch gets another and Cotchin goals as well and it’s true what my daughter told me, Richmond are absolutely harrumping them.

Richmond haven’t had a first quarter this good since 1981, according to the commentator.

Quarter time scores: Richmond 9.2 to Gold Coast 2.1

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Lambert, who is always good, kicks three goals in the second quarter.

Gold Coast are not in great shape, it has to be said. Just before the main break Ellis is awarded a 50 in the backline but no Suns player mans the mark, so he plays on and kicks a goal from 50 metres out. It’s the first time in seven years that any team in the AFL has kicked 100 points in the first half.

Half-time scores: Richmond 16.7 to Gold Coast 3.1

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Gold Coast finally remember how to play footy again and win this quarter, 4.1 to 3.2. On the radio it feels worse than this, but I’m glad Richmond haven’t given up more of their lead. They need percentage and they need it badly.

Lynch and Chol are the targets of a long kick to the goal square. Chol plucks it, plays on and goals. Having two big targets up forward seems like such a luxury. Even having one is good. But what will we do when Riewoldt is fit again?

Three-quarter time scores: Richmond 19.9 to Gold Coast 7.2

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Halfway through the last quarter Lynch kicks his third, a set shot on an angle from 50 metres out and I’m so glad he plays for us. A bit later Lambert collects a hospital pass from a player I won’t name – because it’s a team game and everyone makes mistakes – and is collected mid-air by a Suns player. He tumbles to earth, bending his neck in a way you don’t want to see. But he’s all right and the game goes on.

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Castagna kicks his fifth, his best return in the big league. Ex-Tiger Anthony Miles kicks the last goal of the day which began with an ex-Sun scoring for the Tigers. On the radio they describe the players from opposing teams catching up with their former team-mates. I was always a big fan of Anthony Miles and I hope he’s happy at the Suns. And Prestia is an ex-Sun too. If only the AFL would come to its senses and move them all to Tasmania.

Full-time scores: Richmond 23.12.150 to Gold Coast 9.4.58

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To put this in perspective, the Suns are not in a good way. But an away game against un-fancied opponents can often spell trouble. In the past this was the sort of game Richmond would often stuff up. Not this team though. I’m very pleased with the spread of goal-kickers and the continuing good form of the new players – Stack, Chol and Bolton in particular. Eggmolesse-Smith has played a good first game too. Cotch seems back to his best and Lynch keeps standing up. I could name the whole team. The Age gives Castagna best on ground, with other votes for Lambert, Prestia, Cotchin and Broad.

On Sunday we play the Giants at the ‘G. They seem to be in a bit of a dip and have bad form at this ground. But they do have 45 first-round draft picks in their squad and this will be a proper test for us.

Michael Gleeson in the Age points out that Richmond are sixth with nine wins after 16 rounds, exactly where they were, and with a similar percentage, in 2017. But in 2017 we barely had a player injured and this year we’ve hardly had a player who hasn’t been. So who knows?

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Benny Votes
Castagna (5), Lambert (4), Prestia (3), Cotchin (2), Broad (1).

Leaderboard

Houli 30
Martin 28
Edwards 22
Vlastuin 21
Grimes, Stack 18
Prestia 17
Lynch 13
Ellis 11
Lambert, Cotchin 7
Bolton, Castagna 6
Nankervis 5
Baker, Broad 4
Chol 3
Ross, Naish 2
Rioli, Balta 1

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Its Sunday, its cold and rainy, and am I sitting by the heater with the radio on. My plan was to work while I listen but I am finding it impossible due to pre-game anxiety. I am just going in circles.

I am actually feeling confident of a solid win and of the team gelling well, but also in the long run it will be to no avail. I did the ladder predictor earlier and it told me we would finish 9th below Essendon on percentage. Our percentage is worse than Hawthorn’s and they are 15th.

I am delighted for Marbs that he’s been retained in the side. It will be good for Noah Balta to have a rest and – I am confident he’ll be a long term player at Richmond.

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Terrible start. Junk 50 entries from us. Saints have stolen our game plan. Pinging it around. Ross does a little Dan Rioli-style pat to keep the flow going and it ends in a Josh Bruce running goal. Then two more to Acres and Marshall. We are in deep awfully quickly.

Sydney Staaaaaaaack!!! 7 stars have come back into this side and the one who has to kick start us is a 19-year-old. A fantastic screamer – sounds good on the radio but I have now seen it on Twitter. He lines up Hunter Clark from 15 metres away to be his stepladder. What a wonderful addition to Richmond he is. It is so right that we are the only club that would take him, because we are the club that can use him best in my opinion.

Stack above the pack 😎🚀#AFLSaintsTigers #gotiges pic.twitter.com/uw6yBNQWNi

— Richmond FC 🐯 (@Richmond_FC) June 30, 2019

Sydney’s mark by the amazing Kate Birrell, painted back home from a photograph

And the ball got down to him thanks to a wonderful strong mark from Mabior Chol on the wing. He’s playing well, has great awareness and seems ready for this level.

Marbs! Marks and goals after leading out to Dusty, with three minutes left. A confident start from the South Sudanese Sensation.

Vlastuin is running and spreading, has six marks for the quarter. We are back in it at the break 18 – 12.

Kate’s plein air painting done on the spot, under the dome. Her work here on her site is worth a good look.

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Stack goals again while am I making a sandwich, and Dion scores a behind to put us in front. And… breathe.

Then the Saints take control again, somehow getting their kicks in without much pressure from our midfield. Suddenly, from a point up we are 4 goals down in six minutes. I am feeling furious, disconnected and anxious sitting by the radio.

Goal to Bolton. Lynch brings it to ground in a pack and the little feller is front and centre and kicks straight.

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It’s all happening too fast. I want it to slow down. Now I am looking over Marcus’ shoulder at his phone for the rest of the quarter. Marbs again! What a lovely left foot set shot he is.

Then Sydney out on 50 just within the boundary steps inside and sinks the goal from 45. Dusty is being given ages by the umps to get rid of it. It’s not really fair but I am not petitioning the AFL about it. The new no-mo Stack has 3 goals.

We go in four points down with no goals yet from the Anglo-Saxon contingent. The scoring has swung in big storm surges and I am feeling a bit seasick. Lambert is making a terrific return, 16 touches so far.

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On ABC radio the half time chat with Brad Sewell and Parko is about Stack needing to build his tank to play midfield. Parko: “I hope he stays unfit so he keeps jumping on people’s heads like he does”.

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We restart and its with Lynch who misses, and cops a serve from the radio team. “You never see him DEMANDING the ball” – Sewell.

Finally after a long wait a really good team chain of possessions ends with Lynch in the square, and he roosts it towards the roof. Great goal. Back in front, and into seventh on the live ladder which we all shouldn’t care about in June.

10 minutes after half time Sewell says “McIntosh had Lynch SCREAMING at him for a pass out wide and McIntosh turned back into the channel”. Yeah Brad, you are turning out to be a bit of a dickhead.

Dusty must have sensed the pressure Tom is under, because he took a risk to square it to him for the first goal of the 2nd half, when could have kicked it himself in his sleep.

Dan Rioli goals easily after great work from Martin and Graham and a shimmy from Sheds. Then Caddy adds another. Sydney had the chance there to destroy his opposite nº44 Wilkie but simply dispossessed him. We have a 14-point lead, the ship is steadying as we have kicked the last six.
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At this point our old dog went berserk, because his best mate went past the back gate, and he NEEDED to get out there. So my idea of a walk with my head down listening to the rest of the game became instead a social walk with a dear (human) friend who has no interest in footy. But it was lovely to see the dogs play and my game-day anxiety just faded for the thirty minutes or so, until I excused myself to come back in and listen to the conclusion.

[Highlights I missed were: Ellis goal. Caddy delivery to Lynch. Amazing chain of possession with great evasive skills from Bolton and Castagna, George ends up slotting it from boundary on his left. Wonderful.]

When I get back the Sainters are starting to fray, and no-one nominates for the ruck, allowing Marbs to stroll in in and kick a very easy goal, his third.

We are easing in now to a comfortable win with some confidence-building goals to Chol and Lynch. Though having said that Marbs doesn’t seem lacking in confidence. And Sydney Stack – words fail me. He’s moved forward and kicked four. Could be anything. Could win the Brownlow, this year.

Since typing that I have looked at the official Brownlow vote predictor and S Stack is currently on zero votes.

In the Saints’ second half they kicked 3.10. If they had kicked straight they could have given us a serious fright. At times they looked a good match for us, and when they decided to play keepings-off we had no option but to occupy space and be patient.
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Benny Votes
Dusty (5) was in classic form and had both the Saints and the men in green in his thrall.

Stack (4) had an amazing 15-touch game. Kicked four goals, was also a creative engine and a defensive menace in the front half. A revelation as a permanent forward.

Chol (3) kicked 3 goals in his third game, and did it all – forward, back and ruck, with aplomb.

Prestia (2) had 29 touches and carried a load, with both Edwards and Cotchin having quiet returns.

Vlastuin (1) had 26 touches and 11 marks and was a dead end for many St Kilda thrusts forward.
Leaderboard

Houli 30
Martin 28
Edwards 22
Vlastuin 21
Grimes, Stack 18
Prestia 14
Lynch 13
Ellis 11
Bolton 6
Cotchin, Nankervis 5
Baker 4
Broad, Chol, Lambert 3
Ross, Naish 2
Rioli, Castagna, Balta 1

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Richmond went into this match overwhelming underdogs. The week before we’d been beaten by Geelong by 12 goals after a good first quarter. Adelaide had giant-killed the Corporate Giants and so proven themselves to be The Real Thing. We still had lots of players injured and Cotchin had been added to the list, again, as well as deputy deputy skipper Sheds.

We love Dusty but were disappointed that he, and not Sheds was tossing the coin. I don’t know if we’ve lost a game under Sheds, but there you go.

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In the first half nearly everything goes right. We tackle in the forward 50 like it’s 2017 again and our chances are converted. Mabior Chol, in only his second game and his first since 2016, scores in the first minutes with a quick soccer snap. He goes on to have a good night, taking turns in the ruck and up forward. Lynch has a good night too and Rioli seems to have his kicking boots on again. Adelaide’s big guns, Walker and Jenkins and miss from right in front.

Adelaide come back in the second but Richmond hit back hard late in the quarter and lead by 11 at the big break. At home we’re bubbling with excitement. The Tigers are back and are going to pull off a big upset.
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In the third we somehow let the Crows kick five goals in a row. Taylor and Jenkins figure out that it’s the big sticks they’re meant to kick between and Garthwaite, while trying hard, is no match for them. At the last break Adelaide lead by 13 but we haven’t given up.

In the last we let them kick another five in a row. This is a mistake by the Tigers. If I were Dimma I’d advise against letting your opponents kick more than a couple. Early in the quarter Caddy goals and there’s only a goal in it but after that hope leaches away. We’re clearly under-gunned and too many of Adelaide’s 2017 GF team have had very good games. The Crouch brothers have about a hundred touches between them. Jenkins gets injured, but apparently not too badly, right at the end. I hate to see great players injured but gee, it would have been handy if he’d done it in the first minute of the game and not the last.
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In the end we lose by 35 points which is very disappointing after being so close for so long. The game is saved from being totally forgettable by a ridiculous Eddie Betts goal deep into time-on in the last, with the match already lost. From right on the boundary, a good way out, he snaps and scores. The goal would be memorable anyway, were it not something Betts has done twenty times before, but Sydney Stack, by openly congratulating him straight after, makes it a talking point.

He had said something to Betts earlier – “no special goals tonight, brother” – and in fact Betts had been pretty well held. It was Walker and Jenkins who did most of the damage up forward. But when he pulled this off Stack had to acknowledge his genius. And also admit, publicly, that when you’re six goals down in time on and Betts pulls off a stroke of genius like this, that you can say, “It’s just a game that we play for fun.” Because, if you can’t say that, what’s the point of anything?

Game recognise game.

Sydney Stack shows his appreciation for Eddie’s brilliance! #AFLCrowsTigers pic.twitter.com/nVWOdOdWho
— AFL (@AFL) June 13, 2019

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Houli is our best player. He does the things he has to do and he does them well and he does them all night. Dusty plays well and kicks a couple, as does Rioli. Chol has a very good game and I’d keep him in the team. Vlaustin, Grimes and Stack all played very well. Early in the game Stack steamed through a crowded centre corridor like a very fast, agile, steaming thing. Prestia gets a good bit of the footy but misses goals I wish he’d kicked. The magic seems to have faded a bit for Jack Higgins – footy is starting to look as hard for him as it is for everyone else.

This match seems a long time ago now. I did enjoy not having a game to worry about last weekend. Now to the Saints at Docklands at the traditional time of 1.10pm Sunday. I don’t think I’ll pay to go to this one so might do a radio match report.

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Benny Votes

Houli 5, Martin 4, Prestia 3, Stack 2, Lynch 1

Leaderboard

Houli 30
Martin 23
Edwards 22
Vlastuin 20
Grimes 18
Stack 14
Lynch 13
Prestia 12
Ellis 11
Bolton 6
Cotchin, Nankervis 5
Baker 4
Broad, Lambert 3
Ross, Naish 2
Rioli, Castagna, Balta 1

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All week I have had an absurd feeling of confidence about this game. Expecting a big crowd, I get to the ground an hour before the start and find myself almost alone in M9. My brother, a Geelong supporter, is in the stands somewhere and we agree to catch up at half-time.

I like the look of our team. Naish is making his debut, Graham, Townsend and Rioli feel like big-gun premiership-winning inclusions, because they are. Ablett is playing for the Cats but shouldn’t be. Three strikes to the head for a one-week suspension looks weak to everyone who’s not a Cats supporter and many who are. And his last strike was to the face Anthony Miles, still dear to our Tiger hearts. But it doesn’t matter because whoever we play on Ablett will tag him out of the game.

The corporate music seems louder than ever. The pre-match build-up which once tingled the spine and curdled the blood is now just like being at a bad night club. I wonder, if Richmond go through another slump, will they keep any of their supporters? If we can’t chant and sing and be heard and if our team doesn’t win why would we go and watch them?

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Mercifully, the game begins and Richmond are ferocious and Geelong totally fail to destroy us in the opening minutes. I think back fondly to the qualifying final in 2017. My relief then that we were still in it after two minutes. Richmond thwart an early Geelong attack, Baker wins a holding-the-ball free and passes to Lynch who marks kicks out on the full. Never mind, he’ll get the next one.
Mac passes beautifully to Martin who marks in the pocket and goals. From the centre bounce the ball is kicked to Lynch who misses again from 47 out. Not long after this Naish gathers in the pocket, scoots along and kicks his first goal in the big league on a bit of an angle and his mates swarm to pat him on the head. Surely he is in for a big night and the Tigers are looking good. Full of running and keeping the ball in their forward 50 where it belongs.

Caddy snaps and misses and at quarter time it’s 2.1.13 to 0.2.2.

The idea of keeping the Cats goal-less for the whole game is a very pleasing one. Still, for all our domination we’re not exactly miles in front and some easy chances were missed. But when Geelong have attacked, we’ve defended well and Soldo has been good in the ruck and around the ground.
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The second quarter starts badly when Ratugolea marks and goals from 45 out on a tough angle. Geelong are kicking to the Punt Road End now so this is right in front of me. But Richmond continue to defend frantically and what seems like another certain goal to Geelong becomes a rushed point. Then Gary Rohan – shouldn’t he still be at Sydney? I liked him there – marks 25 out and goals and we’re behind, 2.1 to 2.4.

Things get worse when Naish grabs the footy and charges out of the back-line, but not quickly enough. He’s run down, the Geelong crowd go nuts and they score from the free. Of course they do. The Cats are getting the footy easily and attacking at will. Our players are losing confidence and when they win the footy soon turn it over. Another Geelong attack leads to another snapped goal and it’s 2.1 to 4.4. We’re paying for our missed chances in the first.
I write in my notebook – which has become a shield against this unfolding horror show – “We need to stop this NOW.” As if by writing it down it will come to pass. Ratugolea has become a monster in the ruck and takes a huge mark on the wing. Where did Geelong get all these good players from?
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The Cats attack again, Hawkins can’t mark but Miers snaps and goals and Geelong are kicking everything that comes their way and are suddenly up by 21 points, the point at which a few more goals could end the contest. Higgins wins a free for a Geelong kick that went out on the full. His kick looks like a point and nobody even pretends it’s a goal. Still, a score review results and gives us false faint hope. Of course, it is only a point and now Stack appears to be hurt.

Dusty has a shot and misses. We’ve had the last two scores and are down by three goals. If we’d gotten one of them and gotten one or two more in the first…bad kicking is bad football. Stack appears to be better, but he turns over the footy and Hawkins marks 40 meters out, goes back and goals. Geelong’s set shot kicking is deadly. They’ve kicked six goals since quarter time and now lead by four. We really need the next goal but One-Week Gary and Danger combine and it’s half-time and we’re five goals down and I don’t want to catch up with my brother at the break.

I think about making excuses – stuck in the toilet queue? Under arrest for yelling at a Geelong supporter? – but I force myself up the stairs and we meet for a chat. He and his wife are very happy for some reason. God, I hate Geelong supporters, even the ones I love.

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I get back to M9 as the match re-starts. I’ve forsaken my prized spot against the steel barrier and I don’t care. Geelong supporters in front of me are being obnoxious with their stupid hooped jumpers and plastic bottles of coke which, I suspect, are spiked with something stronger.

One-Week Gary and Hawkins combine for an early goal to the Cats. Ratugolea takes a sliding mark and goals and it’s 2.5 to 9.4.
Another goal to them and they’ve kicked ten un-answered and we’re 47 points down and there’s no hope, a respectable loss is the best we can hope for and the third term has barely begun.

My notebook is saving me from stark, raving insanity. Why is life so unfair? Couldn’t we just kick the odd goal? We’re 57 points down and it’s men against boys, our defence is in tatters, our forward line hardly exists and we’re being killed in the middle. Apart from that we’re doing okay. Graham wins a hard ball and passes to Lynch who marks on a tough angle and goals. Our first since the first quarter. The Electronic Roar is more embarrassing than ever. Surely even the most ardent marketing enthusiast would consider it wise to turn it off when we’re getting thrashed? But wisdom and marketing go together not.

We attack a bit more while Geelong take a bit of a break. Lynch gets a free but misses. Geelong win a free after a blatant bit of head-ducking, go forward slickly and score. It’s 56 points and the game is of academic interest only. Another goal and it’s 62 points and Geelong are scoring at will. One-Week Gary kicks another and it’s 24 to 92 and I’m struggling to do the arithmetic.

The Geelong supporter in front of me yells out “You can fuck my girl-friend Gary!“ Geelong kick another after the siren and it’s 3.6.24 to 15.8.98 which is 74 points. I let the supporter know that he sickens me, in a way that doesn’t lead to a fist-fight, which is a little victory of sorts. But I’d prefer that we were winning.
I’m sickened by the scale of the loss and by the Revolting Cat in front of me. But as Tigers our hands and vocal cords are hardly clean. How many times have we sung – or let others sing in praise of Dusty – “I’ll let you shag my wife”?

How long has it been since we were 74 points down at the last break? The Revolting Cat says to me “I’m sorry, I did get permission from my girlfriend to say yell that out… inappropriate I guess.” I almost bring myself to nod. I gather that my notebook might be making people nervous and in the face of this devastation there’s some solace in being witness to it. I’ve got something to do, to document the pain as well as feel it.

More revolting music at the break, an embarrassment to our great club.

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I just want the last quarter to go quickly. Couldn’t there be a mercy rule if you’re this far behind? Lynch marks early on but can’t even get a point. Rioli gets it to Dusty who gets it to George but nothing comes of it. Butler snaps and misses. Houli is still playing well and has been our best player all night, not for the first time.

We string together some excellent junk-time play and Butler goals. The Electronic Roar is only getting more embarrassing. Hawkins quickly goals to restore the 12-goal lead. Dangerfield takes a very strong, contested mark on the half-forward line. The fact is, he’s quite a handy player. Naish thwarts a Geelong attack with a mark on the back-line and passes to a team-mate with a torp. How often do we get to see that? The ball gets to Dusty but he loses it. He and our other stars, Cotch, Edwards and others, has not had a good night and has turned the ball over a lot.

The crowd is 65,214, which might be considered all right but for a club with 100,000 members, playing at home on a fine night against the top team, is a bit shite. But as I keep saying, why would you come if you thought we were going to lose? The RFC simply has to give their supporters some voice.

Castagna marks and goals and it’s 67 points and then the siren goes at the 25th minute of a mercifully short quarter. After quarter time Geelong have kicked 16 goals to three. That’s not very good by us.

On the way out I see Geoff Hogg who was the Coming Home Tiger in the pre-match. But I don’t have the heart to say hello and thanks for the memories. Too many of the Hogg-era memories were like tonight.
Geelong were very good, very efficient and made us play very badly. It’s a real worry how much we keep getting thrashed by. I’m nostalgic for those heart-breaking one-point losses we once specialised in.

Houli was our best player. I thought Grimes and Vlaustin were all right but it was hard to pick any others. Naish had a good first game and I hope his second is a boilover win in Adelaide tomorrow night.

As for the booing of One-Week Gary, I’m not into booing at all,
really. It’s always struck me as the lowest form of crowd participation and if everyone who booed actually sang and chanted and roared instead our game would have more atmosphere. But it seems to me that the boo-ers – didn’t we fight two wars against them? – are the least likely to sing or chant or do anything positive.

That said, as Chris Scott pointed out, the booing of Ablett is not remotely like the booing of Adam Goodes. Not remotely. The booing of Goodes was a disgrace.

Now on to Adelaide and happier things.

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Benny Votes

Houli 5, Grimes 4, Vlastuin 3, Naish 2, Prestia 1

Leaderboard

Houli 25
Edwards 22
Vlastuin 20
Martin 19
Grimes 18
Lynch, Stack 12
Ellis 11
Prestia 9
Bolton 6
Cotchin, Nankervis 5
Baker 4
Broad, Lambert 3
Ross, Naish 2
Rioli, Castagna, Balta 1

I had quite a good feeling about this game which was justified given our good form and their bad run.  Then again, they had just replaced their coach, it was at Docklands and it was North who for years and years – until Boomer retired and we suddenly became Premiers in 2017 – were impossible for us to beat.  Especially when it mattered.

This will divert me from Friday’s game, but so be it.  We were never big fans of whichever Scott it was who coached them.  Nor the other one, who took over at Geelong.  This goes back to round 23, 2015, when we were playing North at Docklands and North, for strategic reasons, decided to rest half their team.  Now the last time I had tried to take the kids to see us play North at Docklands we’d been locked out – that is, they said the ground was full and there were no more general admission tickets to be had.  This was after standing in a queue or about an hour.  Later, we found that out that there were, in fact, several thousand empty seats, but none for the likes of us.

So this time, for round 23 2015, with crucial spots in the 8 at stake, we booked ahead a paid a bomb for very good seats.  Then Scott rested half his team, made it plain that he was quite happy to lose and the ground was only half-full as a result. In our top-dollar seats we sat alone, nobody anywhere near us.  We got to see Majak Daw explode through the middle of the ground and kick a goal.  But after half-time the Tigers got on top of the Roos Reserves team and won by a few goals.

This was exactly what North wanted.  It meant they played us in the Elimination Final the next week and we were their long-term bunnies.  They beat us in what was the saddest of our Elimination Finals and afterwards, having let go of all hope of Richmond ever winning a flag or even making the finals again I thought “I will die happy, not if we beat North but if just one of our players, just once, manages to lay a tackle on Boomer Harvery.”  Then the bastard retired before my wish could come true.

But then we won a flag which made most of my self-pitying reflections irrelevant.

Anyway, I didn’t go to this game, mainly because it was an away game and I’d have to pay to get in and also because it was at Docklands which I despise.  And lastly because I went to the vigil in Royal Park for Courtney Herron who’d been murdered there a few days previously.  A thousand or so of us stood in the rain and the cold and the silence, with just our own thoughts in our heads.  It was moving and powerful and made the footy seem like the happy distraction that it is.

I rode home in the rain and cold and was soon in dry clothes in a warm house with a hot meal on my lap.  And Richmond started the game well.  Cotchin’s first kick in seven weeks was a beauty – long and straight and marked by George about 55 out.  No goal resulted but it was a promising start.  A bit later Lynch got a lucky free – really, umpires are paying for ‘’a push” in marking contests whenever anyone falls over – and he went back and goaled.  He was now 19.8 from set shots and I’m so glad we picked him up.

Quarter time score: North 4.1.25 to Richmond 3.2.20
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North were playing really well but we were matching them.  Martin had three goals to half time and it looked like being one of those highly entertaining games when a team really has a crack at beating Richmond only to be over-run in the second half.  It sort of worked out that way except in reverse.  By half-time Richmond’s accuracy had kept the game even.  In the third term North run all over us, despite being a player down.

Half-time score: North 6.7.43 to Richmond 6.3.39

Someone for North – probably Brown but it could have been someone else – takes a mark in the forward line and scores from not a long way out.  After the mark Grimes is gesturing to someone – anyone I suppose – how come North had so many players free?  How come indeed?  Our defenders, normally so tight and reliable, seem to be not where they are needed.

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North are up by 33 points right at the end of the third quarter when Caddy marks a wonderful pass from Martin.  The siren goes and Caddy kicks out on the full.  There is no hope, bar Richmond making their best comeback in about 95 years.

Three-quarter time score: North 12.7.79 to Richmond 7.4.46

I can’t watch much of the last term.  There is no need to.  North are everywhere and are up by 50 points at one stage.  I see Ben Brown take a mark in the 50 with nobody near him.  He is having a night out.  We get a late goal or two and the final margin probably flatters us.
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Full time score: North 15.9.99 to Richmond 9.8.62

For all our injuries we are having a great season.  Yet every game we’ve lost since we won the flag has been a bit of a thumping.  As if a team just has to learn how to pick the Richmond lock and then they can steal the lot.  And it was also sad to see our Captain return for a loss like this.

Less than ideal preparation for taking on the Cats.  Does the other Scott still coach them?  I don’t like him either, for no particular reason.  And I loathe Geelong, as most normal people do.  All those games in the 80s and 90s when they used us for training drills…

From what I saw of this match I thought Houli was good.  I might be a bit biased.  And Dusty was good, un-stoppable in the first half but a mere mortal in the second. Prestia and Cotch were also good.  [I’ll throw in Stack as well, with Baker and Castagna also standing up –  Chris]. North were clearly a handy team who only needed a new coach to reveal themselves.  If they become, for us, one of those never-beat-them-when-it-really-matters teams, again, I’ll be very sad.
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Benny Votes

Houli 5, Martin 4, Prestia 3, Cotchin 2, Stack 1

Leaderboard

Edwards 22
Houli 20
Martin 19
Vlastuin 16
Grimes 14
Lynch, Stack 12
Ellis 11
Prestia 8
Bolton 6
Cotchin, Nankervis 5
Baker 4
Broad, Lambert 3
Ross 2
Rioli, Castagna, Balta 1

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Dreamtime at the ‘G
For the first time in living memory it is raining when we leave the house. We make a great decision and switch from the tram to the train at Northcote. There is a brief break from the rain and when we make the switch we don’t get too wet. At the station there is a good crowd of footy folk although the start of the game is well over an hour off. We hope we’ll be in time to get in with our general admission memberships.

At Jolimont it’s raining again and we’re very glad we’re not stomping all the way across the gardens, as we would have been had we stayed on the tram. It doesn’t take too long to get in to the ground and we find a good spot in M9. Not perfect- that would be against the fence, giving us something to lean on – but one row back from there.

It’s less than an hour before the first bounce and we’re very glad to be out of the wet. We eat hot chips which are not too bad at all and then we’re told that the pre-match ceremony will be cancelled on account of the rain.

Then the Long Walkers begin filing into the ground and around the boundary. They look like ghosts in their shimmering ponchos. Michael Long leads the way with a tall man next to him who frequently drapes his arm across Longy’s shoulders. It turns out to be Gillon McLachlan. Longy and the other walkers get a good reception and soon enough the game is about to start and there is in fact a bit of a ceremony which is very good, with dancers representing each team facing each other, in front of the players, as they all line up in the pouring rain. Sydney Stack joins in the Richmond dance.

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After this very moving celebration of Indigenous culture the AFL or the RFC does what it does so well and shits all over it. We will rock you, by Queen, booms over the PA. Other loud, stomping music takes us from the end of the dance to the first bounce, lest we absorb too much of this moving ceremony and give voice to our own take on it. I don’t know why this corporate atrocity still gets me down – shouldn’t I be used to it by now?

It has rained all through the preliminaries and it’s teeming down still as the game starts. With everyone’s hair plastered down it’s hard to tell Grimes from Broad or Caddy and Garthwaite. Nor does it help that all play very well. In the wet Richmond’s ferocity and skill is something to behold.

Essendon’s sole highlight is when McDonald-Tipungwuti runs down Dusty in a terrific tackle. Dusty’s reaction is telling – he gets up and gets on with it. Despite what some commentators say, he does get caught with the ball quite often, but it doesn’t seem to bother him or his team. He takes the game on and more often than not he gets away with it. That’s what matters.

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Goals are very hard to score and the quarter produces just one, by Higgins. I’m feeling that the smallness and the skill of our forwards could be telling in these conditions. Houli and Edwards have been very good.

It’s been very good to keep Essendon goal-less for a quarter, but it would have been better if we’d kicked more than one.

Quarter time score 1.2.8 to 0.3.3

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In the second quarter Stringer snaps and misses and we’re pleased. It’s the first of four points and nothing else for the Bombers for the quarter and I feel like we’re getting on top. Liam Baker finds the footy, gathers, makes room for himself and snaps from 45 for a goal. Any one of these steps is hard on a night like this, but his movements are as fluid as the rain.

Prestia out-does him a bit later with a snap from the 50, then he and Rioli miss gettable ones. Liam Baker takes a superb overhead mark as the Tigers move out of defence. The ball simply sticks in his hands as he falls backwards. This on a night when easy chest-marks are dropped by champions. Where did we get these young players from?

Half-time score 4.7.31 to 1.7.13

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Vlaustin, who is having yet another good game, gets a very lucky 50 but misses from 45 out. Balta grabs the ball and bombs it from 55 but misses. We don’t care too much, we love how he has a crack at it.

Under siege in the Tiger forward line, Saad is pinged for deliberate-out-of-bounds – the umps have been strict on this tonight – and Castagna kicks a very tricky shot from the pocket.

Houli is involved twice in a brilliant Richmond counter-attack that leads to a Lynch mark and goal. He is now 18.8 from set shots for the year and we love how he goes about things.

Luck is going our way. Saad sprints out of defence and is about to set up a Bomber’s attack when Bolton runs him down. Saad actually gets a fist to the ball but this after he’s bounced it, Baldock or Bartlett-style, just as he’s tackled. The ump is having none of it and whistles for a free. But with all the noise and confusion the Bombers have played on and cop a 50. A bit harsh, but that’s footy. At least when it goes our way, it’s just footy.

Richmond are up by 37 points and the Bombers have kicked one goal and it’s almost three-quarter time and things get even better. Edwards passes perfectly to Castagna who marks in the pocket and will kick from 45. The loudest and most expert barracker in M9 shouts for him to play on. “He’s a hopeless set shot, he should have played on!” More gracious supporters are calling out encouragement to George.

Someone calls out “The sea was very angry that day my friends…” This is a Seinfeld reference from the episode where George had to pretend to be a marine biologist and ended up rescuing a whale. Re-telling the story later in the coffee shop George says, “The sea was very angry that day my friends, like an old man trying to order soup in a deli…”

But I digress. This player who is so hopeless at set shots, apart from the very tricky one he got earlier, goes back and kicks from 45 on a tight angle on a wet night and nails it. Of course he does. “The sea was very angry that day my friends…”

Richmond lead by 43 and Essendon have kicked 1.10 for the game. I have a great desire for us to hold them to one goal for the game. “Even Melbourne Victory scored two goals!” someone yells out.

With six minutes left Caddy passes to the debutant, Callum Coleman-Jones who marks and hits the post from 25 out on 45-degree angle.

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Garthwaite is doing well as our new tall defender and Houli has his 31st touch before the last break. Stack, also having a good game, sends a good kick into the forward 50. “Mark of the year!” our loud friend calls out. Bellchambers rises and marks it for Essendon. “Not you, you dickhead!” the loud man calls out.

Essendon rebound and score their second goal just before the quarter ends, although Bolton was unlucky not to hold what would have been a great grab at full-forward not long after. Richmond still lead by 37 points.

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Three-quarter time score 8.11.59 to 2.10.22

The weather has cleared up quite a lot and Essendon are suddenly very quick and clean and Richmond start to wobble. Langford kicks off the ground and it’s 30 points, but Higgins marks 40 out and scores and it’s back to 36. That should snuff out the Bombers but the bastards keep coming. Grimes saves us again before Bellchambers marks close in and goals and it’s down to 29 points with not much of the quarter gone.

Grimes is pinged, a bit unluckily, for holding-the-ball and Merrett gets the football to Laverde who marks and goals from 40. The Bombers are starting to believe they can win this and their supporters are finding their voices. Until now I had thought there were actually no Bombers supporters in the ground at all. Well, apart from Longy, I saw him come in.

“Brownlow Hair” Heppell gets the footy to Langford who marks with one hand and goals from 25 out. Our lead is under three goals and we’re seriously panicked with only half the quarter gone. Then Essendon miss their first shot for a while and maybe they won’t do every single thing right from now on. Ambrose misses and it’s 15 points.

Edwards kicks beautifully, again, into the 50 and Menadue almost marks, but doesn’t. Guelfi out-marks McIntosh and Bolton is pinged for running over the mark. Guelfi kicks from outside the 50, across the goals and it goes out for a boundary throw-in. Essendon press hard but Richmond defend well and clear the 50. The loose ball is gathered by Zaharakis who is run down magnificently by Ellis who wins a free.

Richmond attack and Rioli snaps to seal the game for us, but misses. Essendon kick out, Macintosh wins the footy, sends in a huge kick and Rioli soars and marks. Only 28 minutes have gone but the siren sounds already and we’ve won. I’m disappointed for Rioli – I really wanted him to seal the match before it was over. Instead he ices the cake with a very straight kick after the siren and we’ve won by 23.

Full-time score Richmond 10.13.73 to Essendon 6.14.50

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A very good win by the Tigers. Essendon did have two players injured – Stringer before half time and Shiel in the last quarter. They also went into the game without Joe Daniher who is done for the season. But our skill and ferocity out-did them when it mattered. And in the last quarter Lynch was on the bench the whole time, as a precaution, Dimma said. The old Tigers would have been over-run in the last, but our boys can take a bit of punishment, sort themselves out and steady the ship.

Houli won the Yiooken award for best on ground and made a lovely speech about how much the game means to him. He is too much the gentleman to say “and thanks to Essendon for letting me go and win a flag and avoid the Drug Scandal.” I suppose some things don’t need to be said. The players all lined up to make a Stand Against Racism, because some things do need to be said.

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Houli certainly deserved to win the Yiooken, but I find it very hard to pick outstanding Tigers. They all try so hard and do their jobs so well. Grimes was great again, and Astbury. We just get used to how reliable they are. Ellis had another good game. And the small, new players – Bolton, Stack, Baker – they’re amazing. Sheds led again and I will be genuinely sad when he’s not our captain tomorrow night against the Roos.

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Benny Votes by Chris

Houli 5, Martin 4, Edwards 3, Baker 2, Prestia 1

Leaderboard

Edwards 22
Vlastuin 16
Houli, Martin 15
Grimes 14
Lynch 12
Stack, Ellis 11
Bolton 6
Prestia, Nankervis 5
Baker 4
Cotchin, Broad, Lambert 3
Ross 2
Rioli, Castagna, Balta 1

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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

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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

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Saturday nights we have dinner with my Mum and Dad. Since the Tiges have become box office gold, this often means a clash with the only game of the round I intend to watch. They are nice people who raised me so I am pretty disciplined about time-shifting the game and just focussing on what they are saying about their fruit trees, their friends’ health challenges and what things were like in Launceston in 1946. Drays feature heavily.

All this is by way of saying I watched the 2nd half of our heavy loss to the Bulldogs live (without taking notes), and have now just gone back to the start. The hard drive has some sort of palsy and won’t let me get past the Billy Gowers reverse-head-butt on Grimes. But I’ll give you what I’ve got.

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Start was promising, lovely footwork from Ross stepping around big Z Cordy and centreing the ball for Lynch but it was intercepted by Kam McIntosh who goaled. But then Bontempelli [Italian for “little good times”?] began his masterclass which continued all night.

Mendadue crashed in hard to make a chance for McIntosh’s 2nd but he missed. Bolton hit a target by hand while being put in a spinning sleeper slam. Caleb Daniel having a clumsy game – gave the ball to Captain Sheds who hit up Caddy who notched our 2nd. Rioli was running into goal with only the pitter patter of little Caleb’s feet behind him and he shot from too far out, like an under 10. Next minute he was run over, coming up with sore leg and ribs. Dr Matthew Richardson suggested he’d picked up a “hip pointer”.

Dogs murdering their shots at goal. Stacky sold the dummy then gave to Baker who put it over the goal umpire’s hat. Baker has the now-standard Bulldogs munter hairdo. Bolton delivered a perfect pass to Balta 15m out but he dropped it under light pressure.
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Bont loped about doing as he pleased and found dear old Sam Lloyd who at last kicked straight. They’re the most inaccurate team in the league and that’s the only reason we went in 3 points up at quarter time, 3.2 to 2.5. Vlossy turned his ankle just before the siren and it looked like we might have lost another couple of senior Tigers.

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After the restart Naughton was doing what he liked, playing on Broad, with Grimes on Gowers. I’d have swapped but then I’ve only coached u/12 school soccer. Darcy loved Naughton “marking it at it’s highest point”, the sign of a real doofus. Nank was exuding power and menace, the man just loves to tackle other humans. Dogs flicked the switch to ACCURATE and like that we were in trouble. Their mids were delivering it silkily under little pressure. The first 20 minutes were all Dogs and it rained goals at the Alan ‘Banana Legs’ Hopkins End.

Balta was getting a bath in defence but he’s hopefully learning heaps. Vlossy was never 100% after QT – he sold Stacky into terrible trouble from a kick-in but the young man has a touch of the Wanganeen rubberlegs and he eluded capture; then shortly after took a remarkable pack mark amongst taller timber. His composure is wonderful. He and Bolton both seem untackle-able.
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The last ten minutes of the term were all Tiges but our shape was all wrong. Our first shot of the term came from Nank. Broad was bobbing up on the edge of 50, he’s never scored a goal in his life. Terrific fellas but something’s amiss when the ball is repeatedly in their hands up the ground, not with say Sheds or Caddy or George. Finally just before half time Stacky delivered to Bachar who got a lucky free for beard-contact, and slotted a desperately needed goal.

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After half time I raised the roof at home when Balta galloped around the boundary to kick a wonderful solo goal. Nank continued to tackle like a 2-metre-tall Maurice Rioli. Dusty was having an influence inside. But the Dogs just looked too tall for us. Dylan Grimes had an off game, which is like saying the last pylon standing had a bad day when London Bridge fell down. Was someone blocking for Naughton so no-one could get a run to spoil? It felt like it. He had a day out.

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As we lost so badly, I think readers will forgive me skipping the last quarter; I thought I’d be able to rewatch but let us just draw a veil over it.

If we’d been playing a front-runner I would be happy to call this a natural tipping point; you can only cover x missing stars and now we have solved for x. There were the early injuries to Rioli and Vlossy, who played on but didn’t look nimble [Ed Richards ran around Vlossy towards the end of the night like he was set in concrete]. BUT – this was the Dogs, who are possibles for the lower end of the 8 at best (from where they can win the flag of course). I think there’s no excuses . Although I’m not bothered by the final margin we should never have let ourselves get that far back.

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The Benny Votes

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5  Stack – never looked flustered, never put a teammate under pressure.

4 Vlastuin – had his hands full and kept trying to play our way

3 Nankervis – up against a giraffe in English he played smart and his tackling was good

2 Baker – is getting more of it every week. A reliable kick for goal and good in traffic.

1 Bolton – also got his hands on it more than he has, his field kicking is sublime

Not too bad: McIntosh, Prestia, Lambert, Martin, Balta

Leaderboard

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

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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