Richmond VFL stormed past Geelong with six goals in the final term to record an impressive 14-point win at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night.
The Tigers had to fight tooth and nail and eventually secured a 14.13 (97) to 12.11 (83) come-from-behind win, their first at the venue since 2014.
It was the youthful brigade of Shai Bolton, Jack Ross and Callum Coleman-Jones who led the resurgence, while Patrick Naish and Connor Menadue also helped shoulder the load.
Ross’ influence was immense in the final term, while Bolton looked irresistible when streaming forward.
The pair complemented each other perfectly at the centre bounce, with Ross bringing the grunt and Bolton the flair.
Coleman-Jones had an aura of invincibility when deep in attack all night and capped off a remarkable game with two clutch goals, which helped seal a memorable win.
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To the Cats’ credit, they scrapped it out until the final siren, with their bevy of tall timber always looming large in attack, but the Tigers would not be denied.
Richmond ventured down the highway to GMHBA Stadium, intent on getting its season started on the right foot - and it did just that.
The game marked the return of Josh Caddy, with the premiership midfield/forward adding a bundle of class, wisdom and experience to the youthful Richmond outfit.
The balmy and blustery conditions added an element of intrigue, which made adjusting to the surroundings and the conditions a premium.
Caddy played the first three quarters, predominantly through the midfield, where his strong body in the contest proved invaluable, and finished with 17 touches.
Over its practice match campaign, Richmond’s pressure and intensity were cherished commodities, and a defining feature of the Tigers’ identity.
And they brought that heat from the opening bounce against the Cats.
Richmond looked slick and sharp with ball in hand and alert and organised in defence.
Twin towers, Callum Moore and Coleman-Jones, both took multiple, telling marks inside 50, slotting a goal apiece.
Moore had a hand in the Tigers’ first major in 2019. Whilst hemmed in on the boundary, he screwed the ball across his body to find Jacob Townsend flying free in the corridor.
Townsend gathered himself and coolly eased through the set-shot.
The Tigers started the better, however, the Cats’ midfielders started to win the ball and Wylie Buzza caused a few headaches up forward.
Geelong kicked three of the last four goals of the quarter, with Buzza slotting two of them.
Richmond held a slender eight-point lead at quarter-time, as the Cats pressed late.
Bolton and Townsend brought a touch of class early in the second term, with both having direct assists in two early majors.
As the Tigers surged the ball off a defensive turnover, Bolton sprung-up at half-forward and plucked a contested mark.
He then turned and pulled the trigger, placing the ball perfectly to the advantage of Tom Silvestro, 35 metres out from goal.
Silvestro, a veteran of the VFL program, did what good players do and kicked a goal when his team needed it most.
Townsend then, with Cats’ defenders bearing down on him in the forward pocket, massaged the ball to the top of the goalsquare, where Mabior Chol juggled the mark.
Chol slotted his second of the night to push the margin out to 20 points.
Geelong then arrested back the momentum, with two late goals and cut the Tigers lead to eight points once again.
In the third quarter, the Cats raised the bar, and began torching the Tigers on the turnover and through the midfield.
Back-to-back goals from centre bounce clearances added salt to the wounds, as Ryan Abbott, Darcy Fort and Zac Smith started to get on top of Ivan Soldo and Coleman-Jones.
The Cats completed a 40-point turnaround and held a 20-point lead deep into time-on of the third term; then up stood Soldo.
The Tiger big man drew a free keep from a marking infringement, and with his side desperate for a slither of hope, he delivered, nailing his set-shot into the breeze.
It sparked Richmond into action, triggering yet another shift in momentum.
First-year Tiger, Luke English then bobbed up for his first goal in Yellow and Black, and the margin was cut to just eight points heading into the last quarter.
Richmond recaptured its defensive ferocity, stunning Geelong with a four-goal burst in the opening 10 minutes of the final term, which handed it a match-winning three-goal lead.
With Noah Balta and Ryan Garthwaite gearing up for a senior clash with GWS on Saturday, Hugh Beasley assumed the role as backline general, and rallied the troops superbly.
Beasley was handsomely supported by stoic defender Daniel Coffield and inspiring skipper Steve Morris.
The Tigers were challenged on numerous occasions by the Cats, but they stuck to the process and fought to the end.
GEELONG 3.2 5.5 9.9 12.11 (83)
RICHMOND 4.4 6.7 8.7 14.13 (97)
Goals – Chol 3, Coleman-Jones 2, Moore 2, English, Menadue, Silvestro, Soldo, Thompson, Townsend, Turner
