Richmond VFL coach Steve Morris provides a summary of how the Tigers’ players performed in last Sunday’s 26-point win against Gold Coast at the Swinburne Centre.

Lachlan Wilson (25 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 10 tackles, nine clearances, two goals)

“Lachy is having an outstanding season. The conditions certainly suited him on the weekend, and he got down and dirty with 25 disposals, 10 tackles and two goals. He was a standout on the ground.”

Austin Johnson (23 disposals, five marks, four inside-50s, six rebound-50s, two goals)

“Austin is having another really good season, and I'm certain that he'll be attracting some interest from a higher level. I love the way he plays the game. He's a hard runner with great aerobic capacity, a beautiful kick of the footy and he's tough. He stood out again on the weekend.”

Kaleb Smith (22 disposals, five marks, nine tackles, seven rebound-50s)

“The work that Kaleb is putting in at the footy club each and every morning is certainly paying off. He looked like he was in a class above on the weekend. His cleanliness with his hands really stood out and he had a huge nine tackles as a defender. He's in great form.”

Thomson Dow (22 disposals, 14 contested possessions, three marks, four clearances)

“Thomson was really good again for us. I’m loving what he's bringing to our team. He's a great teammate, and he certainly got to work on the inside with 14 contested possessions.”

Tom McCarthy (20 disposals, four marks, four clearances, five rebound-50s)

“Tom has been a revelation for us since moving down back. His attention to task has really been impressive and I think we're seeing more of his high-end speed on show in defence. He's been a really important part of our back six in the last few weeks.”

Jacob Blight (20 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 10 marks, five tackles, five rebound-50s)

“It was sort of a tale of two halves for Jacob. The first half, he probably played the game like it was a dry conditions game. He adjusted as the game went on and he was important for us in the second half helping us intercept, and was a part of a really strong back six.”

Joel Garner (20 disposals, five tackles, 10 hit-outs, eight clearances, three rebound-50s, one goal)

“I love what Joel's bringing to the table in our team. He's got great leadership and he's tough over the footy. I’m just loving the ruthless nature of his footy. He was also important for us in the ruck and had a high clearance count of eight.”

Chad Harris (19 disposals, six marks, five tackles, five inside-50s, four rebound-50s)

“Chad was absolutely outstanding once again with 19 disposals. He really helped our link-up play with 10 handball receives on the day. Unfortunately, he's been placed in concussion protocols, and will miss the next couple of games, but we're looking forward to him joining the team again after the (Round 19) bye.”

Kane McAuliffe (19 disposals, 11 contested possessions, eight tackles, six clearances, one goal)

“Kane's got some things that he is looking to work at in his game. But, it was great to see him step in with eight tackles on the day and kick a beautiful goal after holding his balance at contest, which is a really important part of his growth as a player.”

Mutaz El Nour (18 disposals, eight marks, three tackles, four rebound-50s)

“I'm so pumped to have Mutaz back in our side. We're a better defence for having him in. He certainly started where he left off before going in for surgery on his shoulder, and he was one of the standout players on the ground.”

Cam Olden (16 disposals, three clearances, two tackles)

“Cam played a forward line role for us on the weekend and had some really good opportunities to help us forward of the footy. I thought it was another solid performance from him.”

Noah Cumberland (16 disposals, 11 contested possessions, four tackles)

“It was good to see Noah really try and bring his teammates into the game and win some important contests. We know he's a contested ball beast, and 11 of his 16 possessions were contested. I'm really looking forward to seeing him continue to lean into helping the team in whatever roles are required of him.”

Nick Guiney (14 disposals, two marks, one goal)

“Nick had another really good game. He played on a wing for the majority of the day and had a couple of scoring opportunities once again. He's in really good form and such a versatile player for us.”

Liam George (14 disposals, three marks, one goal)  

“Liam was once again important for us, and he played his role really well at half-forward. He's got some real flexibility, but we're just loving the energy that he brings, and his vibrant attitude is really infectious. He's going to continue to improve this season.”

Matthew Clarkson (14 disposals, 93% disposal efficiency, six marks, two tackles)

“Matty has been fantastic since coming back into the side. He's gone at above 90% (disposal efficiency) for the past two weeks, and once again, was a really important part of our backline. Really pleased for him to establish himself as a solid VFL player this season.”

Sam Davidson (13 disposals, eight contested possessions, three marks, four tackles, six inside-50s, two goals)  

“Once again, Sam looked like a serious threat ahead of the footy. He had four shots on goal; Two of those hit the post, and he kicked two goals on the day and had a major role to play in others. He's in super form and continues to grow as a player.”

Oliver Hayes-Brown (12 disposals, eight contested possessions, four tackles, 63 hit-outs, four clearances)

“Oliver had a mammoth 63 hit-outs on the day and helped us gain clearance dominance around the ground. He's really growing his game and he's a much-loved player in our team.”

Tom Brindley (11 disposals, six marks, three tackles)

“Tom continued his outstanding season. He led the team with eight spoils on the day and just looked like an absolute rock in defence. We're really pleased with what he's bringing to our team.”

Mohammad Yassine (10 disposals, 80% disposal efficiency, two tackles, one goal)

“I thought Mohammad had another big influence on the game defensively. He's got a couple of areas of his game that he's really keen to work on, and he's coming into the club early and putting the work in to better himself. I think he can play a huge role for us in the coming month or two.”

Matthew Coulthard (eight disposals, three tackles, one clearances)

“Whilst Matty's numbers were relatively low, I thought his impact on the game was significantly higher than what the stats sheet suggests. Some of his efforts to stick at it in the contest were outstanding, and I'm sure that he's just a moment away from another breakout game.”

Jacob Bauer (six disposals, three marks, three goals)

“Really pleased with Jacob's game. His decisions to impact the game in the air when outnumbered and make the right decision at the right time were crucial. He hit the scoreboard with three goals, but also really helped us nullify Gold Coast’s aerial advantage that they had in the first half, and I thought it was a really selfless game from him as a key forward.”

Nicholas Collier (five disposals, one mark, one goal)

“Whilst his numbers once again were quite low, he had a big influence on the game. I’m just loving what he's doing for our team. He's so important to our team defence and I'm sure that he knows how much we value the role that he's playing for us in the Yellow and Black this season.”

Luke Haddara (three disposals, one mark, one inside-50)

“Luke played as our 23rd player on the weekend. He played predominantly in defence and had a couple of crucial spoils. He's going to greatly benefit from this opportunity that he's had to play at VFL level, and we know he's got big upside.”