As a blanket of Autumn drizzly gloom hovered over Punt Road Oval on Saturday morning, Richmond VFL hosted Box Hill in the first full dress rehearsal of the VFL pre-season.

In a game of shifting momentum, it was the Tigers who prevailed with an eight-goal-to-three second half, sealing a gritty 14-point win.

Noah Cumberland enhanced his reputation up forward with a team-high three majors, whilst Sydney Stack looked right at home on a wing, with the final score reading, 10.9 (69) to 8.7 (55).

Stack and Cumberland lit up the Swinburne Centre in the second half and were well supported by Tigers young and old.

Cumberland kicked all of his three goals after half-time, including back-to-back majors in the third term that turned the tide Richmond’s way.

The third-year forward is a dynamic player that seems to kick goals in clumps, feeding off the energy that he and his teammates around him create.

Stack spent the entirety of the game on a wing and was the player of the third term, kicking the opening goal from a forward-half intercept, helping turn defence into attack with his creativity and proclivity to provide support backward of centre.

He was prolific and prominent, roaming between the arcs, playing opposite Marlion Pickett.

The Tigers’ line-up boasted an exciting blend of premiership experience and ardent youth keen to make their mark in 2022.

Premiership duo Josh Caddy and Pickett provided the guiding presence for the likes of Riley Collier-Dawkins, Thomson Dow, Stack and Rhyan Mansell, whilst the Tiger Army have already liked what they’ve seen from recent draftees, Tyler Sonsie, Tom Brown and Judson Clarke.

The excitement surrounding the club’s VFL side isn’t solely exclusive to the AFL listed players, with Dylan Cook and Misilifi Faimalo showing their wares in the recent intra-club match and last Saturday down in Geelong.

Collier-Dawkins showed no ill effects from his recent knock to the ribs, pounding the ball forward from the opening centre bounce and covered the ground well throughout the first quarter.

The fourth-year midfielder cuts a commanding figure and shows the consistent traits of a big-bodied AFL on-baller.

The young bull now exudes confidence without the ball, marshalling his fellow midfielders and stoppages and ensuring the team structures are adhered to.

The greasy conditions and moisture under foot did not lend themselves to slick, free-flowing and high scoring and with the ball constantly in dispute, the pressure and intensity levels were up.

Pickett laid three trademark stinging tackles, with the wiry wingman also having a hand in the opening goal of the game.

With Box Hill attempting to exit its defensive 50, Pickett’s keen anticipation allowed him to slide in front of a Hawks’ defender and cut off the exit.

Pickett’s set-shot drifted across the face of goal, with the ball landing in the outstretched hands of Matt Parker, who coolly played on from the tight angle and snapped truly on his right boot.

Parker’s goal was the only one for the first quarter, but he quickly added another just 15 seconds into the second quarter, opening up an 11-point lead.

Following that, the Hawks went on a five-goal run, flipping an 11-point deficit into a 19-point lead by halftime.

From a VFL list perspective, Misilifi Faimalo’s courage, dash, and dare stood out at half-back, whilst key position defender, Tylar Young possessed a defiant fist.

Tyler Sonsie and Thomson Dow teamed well with Collier-Dawkins with the trio working hard to support their defenders as well as provide the grunt and spark between the arcs.

Sonsie possesses enviable tranquillity with ball in hand, and balance when kicking with foot, but also has a hardened edge around the contest which will serve him well at AFL level.

The 2021 draftee runs natural midfield patterns, finding himself in the right spot more often than not, either winning the ball himself, or providing support for his teammates.

Dow stuck to his task and worked into the game in the second half, showcasing his clean hands in tight and want to expand his game on the outside and in transition.

Second-year ruckman Samson Ryan lifted his rating in the third term, along with Stack and Cumberland.

Ryan fed the midfield brigade at his feet, whilst also pushing back deep to the last line of defence, thwarting Box Hill’s forays forward.

Tom Brown started the game with the initial intercept mark and also had a hand in flipping the script after half-time.

Brown, like the Sonsie lends great support to his teammates either in the air, or at ground level and reads the play quite naturally.

At 186cm, Brown is the prototype modern-day half-back, which a real thirst to intercept the opposition’s thrusts forward and then use the ball with poise on the turnover.

With the ball like a cake of soap at times, Brown’s one-handed pick-up at full tilt in the third term stuck in the memory bank as a snippet of the cleanliness and what we hope to see more of from the young defender.

Rhyan Mansell’s second half would have helped increase the comfort levels of Brown, with the flint-hard defender unflinching in the air, both at the ball and man.

Mansell helped stem the flow of the Hawks run-on and then got the game played back on Richmond’s terms after half-time.

It was a gutsy performance from a young Richmond side that had to fight through periods of dominance from the Hawks to then cash in when it was its turn in the second half.