Richmond VFL coach Steve Morris provides a summary of how the Tigers’ players performed in last Friday’s win against Port Melbourne at ETU Stadium.  

Sam Banks (37 disposals, 76% disposal efficiency, nine marks, 12 rebound-50s, 10 inside-50s, three tackles, four clearances, one goal)

“Sam was a standout performer on the ground with 37 touches. He used the ball beautifully throughout the day and continued to show up for handball receives which helped us mount a number of attacking plays that resulted in scores. Really pleased to see him play at the level that he did.”

Joel Garner (24 disposals, 16 contested possessions, three marks, four rebound-50s, eight tackles, four clearances)

“Joel was a contested bull for us on the night. We knew that we needed to try and match them (Port Melbourne) inside and he certainly helped us do that. He’s having a standout season and is leading our young group beautifully.”

Kaleb Smith (22 disposals, 82% disposal efficiency, seven marks, four rebound-50s, three inside-50s, five tackles)

“I was super proud of the way Kaleb approached the game. I thought he got the balance between his defensive game and offensive game spot-on. He helped us immensely with his clean hands and beautiful foot skills. He's in sensational form.”

Lachlan Wilson (20 disposals, 13 contested possessions, five inside-50s, six tackles, four clearances)

“Lachy did what Lachy does. He got in and under and helped us around stoppage. He's such a smart player that we're lucky to have at our footy club.”

Matthew Coulthard (19 disposals, five marks, two rebound-50s, two inside-50s)

“Matthew played up forward and on a wing, and covered an ridiculous amount of ground on the night. He used the ball well for the most part and had a big influence on the outcome of the match.”

Jacob Blight (18 disposals, 78% disposal efficiency, six marks, 10 rebound-50s)

“Jacob's come to the club and started his journey in Richmond colours in fantastic style. He was once again our leading interceptor on the weekend with 10 intercept possessions and he’s a really reliable part of our back six.”

Thomas Brindley (18 disposals, 83% disposal efficiency, six marks, four tackles)

“He’s Mr. Fix-it. Thomas played down back on the weekend after showing his versatility in the ruck in the last couple of weeks and I thought he was outstanding. His aerial power and his ability to cover the ground and exploit his opponent with his running power was fantastic as well.”

Tom McCarthy (18 disposals, seven inside-50s, four tackles, three clearances, one goal)

“I’m really pleased with the adjustment that Tom's made to his game. We asked him to play a pretty selfless role on the weekend and he did so and had a huge impact on the game. I’m really enjoying the growth in his patterns and understanding surrounding our game style.”

Sam Davidson (16 disposals, three marks, three inside-50s, five tackles, four goals)

“This kid is one of the best runners I've seen for his size. He covers the ground incredibly well as anyone who watched the match would have seen. He hit the scoreboard heavily with four goals and is in some ripping form.” 

Chad Harris (15 disposals, three marks, three rebound-50s, four inside-50s, five tackles)

“I thought, Chad was outstanding once again on the night. He had seven intercept possessions, but I thought something that stood out was his speed. He set up so well for us on defence and he's in really good form at the moment.”

Steely Green (15 disposals, four marks, six tackles, one goal)

“Steely had a really solid game on the weekend. What I've loved most is his investment in the team and his desire for others to succeed and for the team to succeed. He could have easily been more selfish on a number of occasions, but he put the team first. I’m really proud of the way that he's going about his footy at the moment.”

Harry Scott (14 disposals, four tackles, five clearances, one goal)

“Harry had a solid game without being an absolute standout. He got a fair bit of attention after his fantastic performance the week before against Geelong, and I think it was a really good game of growth for Harry to understand what it's like to come up against a player who's going to be in his pocket all day and have to work through some adversity. Looking forward to seeing him continue to grow his game.”

Cam Olden (13 disposals, eight contested possessions, four marks, four tackles)

“Cam influenced the match once again. He's probably not at the absolute top of his game, he’s got a few things that we'd like him to adjust slightly. But he is a really important part of our group, and his leadership is paramount.”

Oliver Hayes-Brown (13 disposals, 12 contested possessions, three inside-50s, three clearances, 43 hit-outs)

“I was just thrilled to see Ollie play the way he did. He's bided his time and put a lot of work into getting his body in shape to perform at this level, and he's put countless hours into perfecting his craft and is far from a finished product. But what a fantastic starting point he provided himself with on Friday Night under lights against Port Melbourne.” 

Liam George (12 disposals, 83% disposal efficiency, four marks)

“Liam has really impressed us with his skill and decision-making throughout the early part of this season. But what really stood out on Friday night was his willingness to put his body on the line in the contest. There were a number of times when he had to go and put his body on the line, and we were able to score as a result. It’s something that I haven't seen in his game prior to this, but super pleased with the way he is going”

Jacob Bauer (11 disposals, four marks, five rebound-50s)

“I’ve been working closely with Jacob surrounding a few little technical parts of his game, and I thought he tidied them up nicely as part of a stingy back six the other night. He's provided himself with a couple of weeks of continuity, and really looking forward to seeing him build upon those stepping stones.”

James Trezise (11 disposals, 82% disposal efficiency, two rebound-50s)

“James was one of the most influential players on the ground. We gave him the really difficult task of matching up on Billy Gowers, the leading goalkicker in the competition, and he blanketed Billy entirely, keeping him to three touches in three quarters and forcing him to be moved to half-back in the last quarter. He's a player with immense talent and showed once again on Friday night that he's more than happy to put the team first.”

Nicholas Collier (nine disposals, five contested possessions, six tackles, one goal)

“I continue to be super impressed by this kid. His work rate and running ability enable him to work up and down the ground, but it wouldn't have as much effect if he wasn't willing to run the patterns that are required of him. A lot of the time they are selfless patterns for the betterment of the team. He was strong over the footy as well with six tackles.”

Ry Cantwell (nine disposals, six tackles, two rebound-50s)

“I think we saw a few more glimpses of the immense talent that Ry has got. He is a player that's going to continue to grow at this level and within our program, and his speed is something that really sticks out. I'm looking forward to him growing the offensive side of his game week on week.”

Josh Pollocks (seven disposals, five contested possessions, 86% disposal efficiency, three contested marks, two goals)

“Once again, Josh had a really big influence on the game. He took three contested marks, and two of them were some of the biggest hangers you'd see at this level. He's in really good form, and I love the way that he fights to bring the ball to ground when he's outnumbered or in a position of disadvantage. He's a really important part of our team at the moment.”

Mohammad Yassine (seven disposals, 86% disposal efficiency, six tackles, one goal)

“It’s hard to believe Mohammad only had seven possessions, but he seemed to be in absolutely everything. He never gave up on a defensively on the day and a number of times when we looked like we were certain to concede a goal, he got a fingertip in and forced the opposition into a pressure situation. He's going to continue to grow his game over the coming weeks after a long layoff, and he’s going to be a big part of our second half of the season.”

Archie May (six disposals, five contested possessions, three contested marks, five tackles)

“Really disappointed for Archie, a young kid going places. Unfortunately, he hurt himself later in the game, but not before he was able to bring down three contested marks. I am looking forward to seeing him impact the scoreboard even more greatly as we get towards the backend of this season, but he'll be on the sidelines for the next few weeks and we wish him a speedy recovery.”

Campbell Gray (six disposals, three marks, one goal)

“Some really pleasing signs from Campbell once again in just his second game in Richmond colours. He just attacks the contest with aggression and his follow-up work is really strong, and he was able to hit the scoreboard for us.”