Richmond great Matthew Richardson highlights six key points from the Tigers’ Round 21 victory over Adelaide at Adelaide Oval last Saturday night.
1, It was a case of déjà vu with Dustin Martin in the crucial dying moments.
Just like he did against Carlton back in Round 2, Martin stepped up in a critical one-on-one contest deep forward, to win possession and break clear to kick the match-sealing goal for Richmond. Although Martin’s all-round performance on the night was a little below what he’s produced so consistently throughout this season, he was still able to have a profound influence when it mattered most. What a weapon he is for the Tigers when he’s isolated one-out inside 50!
2, Steve Morris did a superb job on Eddie Betts.
Going into the game, Betts shaped as a huge danger to Richmond. He’d kicked 42 goals for the season and had a good record against the Tigers. The ability for Morris, to nullify the player widely regarded as the best small forward in the competition, was going to be vital to Richmond’s chances of coming away with the four points. It was a mighty challenge for Morris, who has been hampered throughout the season with injury problems, but he responded in typically brave, determined style. He kept Betts to just 12 disposals and two goals, while picking up 13 disposals himself, including nine contested possessions, three rebound-50s and four score involvements. Morris just seemed to bob up at important times throughout the match, in one-on-one duels with Betts, and his disciplined display was a pivotal factor in the Tigers’ stirring win.
3. Richmond’s cream rose to the top when needed most.
I’ve already mentioned the impact Dustin Martin managed to have late, but the Tigers also were very well served in big moments during the game by other big guns in captain Trent Cotchin and vice-captain Brett Deledio. Cotchin had 28 disposals, including a game-high 19 possessions, an equal-team high five inside-50s, five score involvements and five clearances. He also laid an equal-game high 10 tackles and kicked an inspirational goal, just before the quarter-time siren, that was just sheer class, making something significant out of seemingly nothing. Deledio set the tone early with a real team-lifting goal just a few seconds after the opening bounce. He finished with 29 disposals, including 14 contested possessions, five inside-50s, four clearances, two goals, and a game-high 10 score involvements. In the hectic last quarter, both Cotchin and Deledio were terrific. Cotchin had the most disposals of any player on the ground in that final term (eight), while Deledio had the equal-second most touches (seven). They showed great leadership to help drag the Tigers over the line.
4. The role Shaun Grigg performed on Rory Sloane should not be underestimated.
Grigg had returned to Richmond’s senior line-up only the week before, after spending a bit of time on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. On Saturday night, Tiger coach Damien Hardwick handed him the huge assignment of running with Adelaide’s star midfielder Rory Sloane, who was coming off a dynamic 28-disposal, two-goal display against Brisbane the previous round. Sloane is one of the best midfielders going around, and he generates significant drive for the Crows. Grigg, however, was able to limit him to under 20 disposals (19), and really curb his overall influence on the contest. It was an excellent effort by Grigg, who is certainly making a decent fist of reinventing himself as a disciplined run-with player.
5. Brandon Ellis strengthened his claims on an inaugural Jack Dyer Medal.
The talented 21-year-old is fast becoming the complete footballer. Since his AFL debut in 2012, Ellis has always shown a capacity to rack up uncontested possessions on the outside through his hard running. But he’s now starting to win the ball on the inside as well. Last Saturday night, 13 of Ellis’ match-high 31 disposals were contested, which highlights the work he’s done in this area to round out his game. With five clearances, eight score involvements and a team-high seven rebound-50s, Ellis further enhanced his rising reputation, and again played a leading role in helping the Tigers maintain their winning streak. I reckon he might just have moved ahead of Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin in the race for the 2014 Jack Dyer Medal.
6. The way Richmond won was a sign of the team’s growing maturity.
When Adelaide hit the front midway through the last quarter, the odds seemed overwhelmingly stacked against the Tigers. They were staring right down the barrel, facing a Crows’ side pumped up by a huge, loud, fiercely parochial home crowd, with all the momentum going their way. And, recent history also strongly suggested Richmond would not be able to turn the tide, after surrendering a handy three-quarter time lead. To the Tigers’ great credit, however, they dug deep, stopped Adelaide’s surge, and then were able to find a way through, to kick the last two goals of the match and claim a memorable victory. They showed enormous resolve and vastly-improved levels of self-belief to do so, much to the delight of the Yellow and Black faithful.
