Richmond VFL has become accustomed to battling trying weather conditions over the past month of football, and the wintery squall that greeted the Tigers and Lions was no exception.
Both sides laid claim to the lead in the opening three quarters until Brisbane clinically edged clear, flying home with the wind with four goals to nil in the final term.
The Lions clinched an important 25-point win, the final score reading, 12.12 (84) to 8.11 (59).
It took over 13 minutes for a goal to be scored in the opening term, with Brisbane booting the opener.
Both sides pride themselves on their ability in the contest and the ball didn’t venture into open space too often in the first quarter with the pressure peaking at nearly every contest.
The Lions broke clear soon after with two goals as Richmond struggled to find a key target forward of the ball.
The near gale force wind made judging the flight of the ball a tricky proposition, although Tom Brown judged it to near perfection, sliding and clinging to a chest mark close to goal.
Brown was the beneficiary of a floating squaring ball by Jacob Bauer, who kept it alive on the half-forward flank, leading to the Tigers’ and Brown’s first goal of the game.
The goal was against the flow, with Richmond capitalising on a shift in momentum late in the opening term with Bigoa Nyuon benefiting from playing in front as a scrubby kick found its way onto his chest.
Nyuon eased through the goal on the breeze, handing the Tigers a slender one-point lead heading into quarter-time.
Bauer stood tall early in the second term, dragging down a strong mark in front of some desperate Lions’ defenders and importantly kicked the goal, handing the Tigers a seven-point buffer.
Unfortunately for Richmond, Brisbane went on a four-goal tear, as it surged forward at will and used the northerly jet stream to full advantage.
The Tigers were in need of an igniter, and as he’s done numerous times throughout his career, Jason Castagna provided the spark.
Jake Aarts, Riley Collier-Dawkins and Thomson Dow started to gain ascendency around the ball and Bauer once again put the team first inside 50, centring the ball where Castagna crumbed and goaled.
The goal was timely and transferred the momentum back in Richmond’s favour. Castagna goaled again swiftly after his first, smothering then soccering through his second.
Richmond dragged back the deficit to one goal as the half-time siren echoed around Punt Road Oval.
The Lions burst out of the blocks against the wind, slotting the first goal of the second half and pushing their lead out to two goals.
Nyuon kept the Tigers within striking distance after slotting his second, however Brisbane hit back briskly.
The Tigers, as they did in the first quarter, captured the lead late in the term and went into the final break with their confidence rising.
The impetus for the back-to-back goals could be traced back to a trademark Sydney Stack bone-jarring hip-and-shoulder that floored an unsuspecting Lion and led to a mini Richmond resurgence.
Skipper, Lachlan Street battled and scrapped against a trio of Brisbane defenders inside 50, holding the fort until the cavalry arrived, which eventually led to Street chipping through a goal and injecting hope into the Tigers.
Bauer found himself in the right place at the right time once again as he was handed the ball following a down-field free after Hugo Ralphsmith was bumped after he pumped the ball inside 50.
The rangy Tiger kicked truly, edging his side clear by a point at three-quarter time.
Richmond’s rally didn’t carry into the last quarter, as Brisbane iced the game with the only four goals of the term.
The highlight of the final term for the Tigers was Aarts’ 80-metre dogged goal-saving run to make a lunging spoil, stopping a near certain Brisbane goal.
The Tigers continually tried to inject speed into the game and run the ball into the wind but struggled to convert their chances into pressure on the scoreboard.
RICH 2.3 5.5 8.8 8.11 (59)
BRIS 2.2 6.5 8.7 12.12 (84)
Goal Kickers:
Richmond: Bauer (2), Nyuon (2), Castagna (2), Street, Brown
