Richmond great Matthew Richardson highlights six key points arising from the Tigers’ 29-point loss to Essendon in last Saturday’s Dreamtime game.

1. Dreamtime at the ‘G has become a huge event on the AFL calendar.
This year’s Dreamtime game was the biggest yet, with a terrific build-up, and a record crowd of 84,234 turning up to see the Richmond and Essendon do battle.  I thought the pre-game entertainment was excellent, with its focus on Indigenous youth, and the atmosphere was quite electric.  Unfortunately, the match didn’t quite live up to expectations, with the Bombers simply proving too good.  But, there’s no doubt that Dreamtime at the ‘G has captured the imagination of the football public, and I reckon it’s only going to get bigger and better in the years ahead.

2. Richmond’s defence performed admirably in the face of the Bomber blitz.
Given Essendon’s centre-clearance dominance, which resulted in a swag of inside-50 entries, the Tiger defenders did well to restrict the Bombers to just 13 goals for the game.  Alex Rance, Troy Chaplin and Chris Newman were Richmond’s best players on the night, which probably isn’t what you want to see, because it means the match is played predominantly in the opposition’s forward line.  It is, however, a tribute to their capacity to absorb intense pressure and not be overwhelmed by the situation.  They could hold their heads high at the end of the game because they’d fought so determinedly.

3. Chris Newman is getting back to his best form.
It’s been much more like the Newman of old over the past few weeks, with the ex-skipper looking really assured in defence for the team.  He had 27 disposals last Saturday night, including six rebound-50s, took five marks, and worked tirelessly trying to lift the Tigers.  Although he’s now in the twilight of his league career, there’s no doubt Newman has a fair bit of good football left in him.

4. The Tigers need to move the ball more quickly.
I know it’s only natural to want to maintain possession during a game, and there are times when you have to play tempo football, in an attempt to slow things down.  The Richmond players, however, almost from the outset on Saturday night, seemed apprehensive to take the game on, preferring to chip the ball around, and that slow ball movement proved very costly.  No doubt they would have liked to have gone forward more often, but a perceived lack of confidence prevented them from doing so.  The Tigers’ apprehension in this regard was compounded by the fact that Essendon, in the words of coach James Hird, had its best defensive effort of the year.  That certainly contributed to the Richmond players not moving the ball forward as they would have liked. 

5. Nick Vlastuin continues to shine.
Normally, I’m not keen on sounding like a broken record, and constantly repeating myself about a subject.  But, in the case of talented young Tiger teenager Nick Vlastuin, I’m prepared to make an exception and keep singing his praises.  Once again last Saturday, Vlastuin was a shining light for the Tigers, picking up 22 disposals and showing a maturity way beyond his years.  He wasn’t in the least big fazed by the big occasion and, again, just did all the right things at the right times.  I love the way he goes about it.

6. The ball remains in the Tigers’ court.
The football media may have turned up the heat on Richmond this week following that disappointing effort against Essendon last Saturday night, but the season is still very much alive for the Tigers.  So far, they have beaten the teams they should have, and lost to the top sides.  If they continue to beat the teams below them, and can jag a couple of wins against those above, finals will be right in the frame.  What better way to start, than by beating the West Coast Eagles at Patersons Stadium next Monday night!  It’s a mighty challenge, but if successful, it would do wonders for the Tigers’ confidence and prospects for the rest of season 2013.