The Dreamtime at the G match is always my favourite match to watch for the season for the Tigers. As a team who hasn’t experienced the excitement of finals in quite some time this is one of our biggest matches, in terms of crowds and pre-game hype. Before the game this week I decided to do the walk to the G, with Michael Long.

It was really great to get involved with this sort of event as it is important to recognise the connection between the AFL and indigenous people of Australia. Long dedicated this years walk to the memories of Maurice Rioli and Lionel Rose, two Indigenous Australians who have impacted on their chosen sports, whether it was football or otherwise. Every year thousands of people participate in the walk, and this year was no different. It was fantastic to see Essendon fans and Richmond fans unite as one walking to the G together.

As soon as the walk was over however, the rivalry began. With over 83,000 fans there, the atmosphere was amazing. The crowd was very polite during the traditional welcoming and pre-game entertainment. Once the game started however, the crowd came alive, with the teams going goal for goal almost the entire first half.

Richmond was ahead at the quarter time break, for the first time this season, which was great to see. One of our major flaws is that we let the opposition get too far ahead in the first quarter and have to spend the rest of the game chasing. The teams were very evenly matched, which was very exciting for the crowd. Essendon was one point ahead at the half time break, which only increased the excitement of the second half. In the last couple of years the dreamtime match hasn’t been particularly close, which shows just how far the Tigers have come this year, especially as Essendon is a top four side at the moment. 

Our last quarter was also very impressive. In previous years we didn’t always have the maturity or resolve to hold on to the lead in the fourth quarter and as such haven’t been able to win the close games. This game, however, when the match was in the balance in the fourth quarter, the boys stood up. Cotchin obviously put in a fantastic effort and was rewarded with the best on ground medal for the match.

I was particularly impressed with the efforts of Rance and Vickery. Rance’s defensive effort was second to none, creating contests and limiting Essendon’s big forwards from getting the ball. In previous games we have had trouble holding teams with several big forwards, as our backline isn’t huge. However Rance put his body on the line, showing a great deal of courage and for that he deserves to be congratulated.

Vickery is another player who has really improved in the past few games. Our first round draft pick from 2008, Vickery has been quite slow to develop which has had supporters calling for us to drop him. However the decision to play him as a forward has reinvented the big man, whose goal in the final moments of the last quarter sealed the match. He has shown a great deal of poise this year, showing that he has strengthened not only his body but his mind.

Hopefully in the future he will be able to ruck for us as well, once he has grown into his body more. Until then, it is great to see him providing a solid alternative up forward instead of Riewoldt.

Finally, this week’s game. Port Adelaide are coming off a big loss to Fremantle, and will want to win. The game is up in Darwin, which can be difficult to travel to and win. However, we played Port Adelaide in Alice Springs in the NAB challenge and won. We should go there full of confidence after this week’s great win, and if we play as well as we did against the Bombers, hopefully we can make it five wins from six games.

Until next time, Go Tigers! Meg.