Richmond great Matthew Richardson highlights six key points arising from the Tigers’ nine-point win against the Gold Coast Suns at Cairns’ Cazalys Stadium last Saturday.
- The Cairns curse has been buried.
The conditions may have been pretty difficult, and the match may not have reached any great heights as a spectacle, but the four points for Richmond at the end of the contest were worth their weight in gold. No Tiger fan worth his or her salt, needed reminding of what had happened to the team on two previous trips to Cairns for home games against Gold Coast. And, given the hefty defeat at the hands of North Melbourne in the previous round, we all knew the eyes of the football world were trained on the Tigers to see if they could finally overcome the Suns at Cazalys Stadium. The fact Richmond was able to get the job done this time, against an improved Gold Coast side, highlighted the improvement within the Tiger playing group this year.
- Daniel Jackson is one of the most improved players in the competition.
Jackson has always been highly regarded at Tigerland for the midfield grunt and leadership he provides the team. He finished runner-up in the 2009 Jack Dyer Medal and had been a fairly consistent performer over the first nine years of his AFL career. This season, however, Jackson, having shrugged off his nagging hamstring tendinitis trouble of the past couple of years, has taken his game to an extremely impressive level. He’s so much more than a run-with player these days, as he proved again in last Saturday’s clash with Gold Coast. Not only did Jackson help Richmond nullify champion Suns midfielder and captain, Gary Ablett, he also generated plenty of drive for the Tiger team. He finished the match with 24 disposals, including a game-high 16 contested possessions and eight clearances. For good measure, he booted two goals which, in the context of such a low-scoring contest, were so valuable. At this stage of the season, I reckon there’s a good chance Jackson is leading the Jack Dyer Medal count. And, if he does win it, you can bet his speech will be a ripper because, as we know, he’s a highly intelligent, well-spoken man.
- Troy Chaplin continues to show why Richmond was so keen to secure his services as a restricted free agent.
After 140 games in nine seasons for Port Adelaide, Chaplin has made an excellent transition into his new football home at Richmond. His maturity, composure and strength have made him a very valuable addition to the Tigers’ line-up this season. Chaplin was one of Richmond’s best, again, in last Saturday’s victory over Gold Coast. He patrolled the backline and consistently repelled Suns’ attacking moves by getting into the right positions through his clever reading of the play in the difficult conditions. Such has been the influence Chaplin has exerted in his first season at Tigerland, I can’t help but think how handy he’d have been last year in the corresponding match against Gold Coast, and in those other nail-biting Tiger losses.
- Matt Arnot made his presence felt in just his second game of AFL football.
The strongly-built, 19-year-old midfielder had to wait a fair while to make his senior debut for Richmond, after being picked up by the Club in the 2011 National Draft. He didn’t debut until Round 14 this year against St Kilda, was a bit unlucky to be dropped after that game, but returned to the line-up for the Gold Coast clash last weekend. Arnot plays like every match is his last – throwing himself into each contest and thriving on the physical side of the game. He cleaned up Suns’ key defender Rory Thompson with a bone-jarring bump, but also showed there’s more to him than just crash-and-bash action, kicking the team’s first goal of the game – a particularly valuable one into the wind – picking up 15 disposals all-up, and certainly not looking out of place at the level.
- Ricky Petterd was a significant inclusion in the Tigers’ line-up.
Despite not having played for Richmond since Round 6 due to a persistent calf injury, Petterd didn’t miss a beat in his return to the side at the weekend. He had 24 disposals, took a game-high 11 marks, and held sway across the backline. In the absence of the injured Bachar Houli, who’s been in such good form this season, Petterd’s performance was a critical factor in the Tigers’ hard-fought win. Although the ex-Demon has had an injury-interrupted start to his time at Tigerland, he’s certainly shown enough to suggest he’s going to be a decided acquisition, long-term, for the Club.
- Jack Riewoldt showed that although it may not be your day, it can be your moment.
It certainly wasn’t an evening for key forwards at Cazalys Stadium on Saturday due to the wind, and showers, so, not surprisingly, Jack Riewoldt had been kept fairly well in check up until three-quarter time. In the crucial last quarter, however, the dual Coleman Medallist lifted, just when the Tigers needed him most, picking up several important possessions, with the highlight being his left-foot goal from the boundary line after taking a clever mark. It was the only goal Richmond scored in the final term, but it, in effect, sealed the game for the Tigers.
