Richmond great Matthew Richardson highlights six key points from the Tigers’ thrilling Round 23 victory over Sydney at ANZ Stadium last Saturday night.
1. Alex Rance was simply magnificent.
Rance produced one of the truly great defensive performances of the modern league football era, to further enhance his reputation, right up there among the competition’s best backmen. Of the 16 disposals Rance picked up during the match, 12 of them were from intercepts. And, remarkably, six of those intercepts came in the pressure-packed last quarter, when he was like a ‘one-man wall’ for the Tigers. Rance’s ability to win crucial ball back for the team through strong, contested marking, or cat-like anticipation at ground level, is elite. When it comes to bravery and desperation, he’s undoubtedly at the top of the tree, as well. Since returning from the broken foot that he suffered early in the season, Rance has taken on, and beaten, the best key forwards in the business. He confronts another significant challenge in next Sunday’s elimination final at Adelaide Oval, when he lines up on Port Adelaide’s in-form spearhead star Jay Schulz. One thing you can be sure of, though, he’ll give it his very best shot, because he knows no other way.
2. Jack Riewoldt is playing his best football at the business end of the season.
Riewoldt followed up his best-on-ground, six-goal display against St Kilda Round 22, with a scorching start against Sydney on Saturday. He kicked three inspirational goals in the opening term, and ignited the Tigers with his immense passion for the contest. Then, early in the last quarter, with Richmond desperately needing a steadying goal, it was Riewoldt, who delivered it, courtesy of a clever short pass from Shane Edwards. With 10 goals in the past two weeks, to take his season’s tally to 58, the star Tiger spearhead will enter the finals series full of confidence, and a very dangerous proposition for opposition backs.
See the best photos from the game in our photo gallery
3. Ivan Maric’s ruck dominance again provided Richmond with a decisive advantage.
Maric continues to produce inspirational football for the Tigers. The big bloke was a driving force behind the stirring victory over the Swans, due to the huge influence he exerted at the centre bounces, stoppages, and his general grunt work around the ground. He finished the match with 45 hit-outs, 17 disposals, including nine contested possessions, five score involvements and 17 pressure acts. Raw numbers alone, however, don’t do justice to the mighty impact Maric has in this Richmond side. Maric’s warrior-like attitude makes him such an important player for the Tigers. His mere presence in the line-up clearly lifts those around him . . .
4. Dustin Martin was the man for the moment yet again.
I know I’m sounding like a broken record here, but Martin is a major weapon for Richmond because of his incredible ability to win critical one-on-one contests. We saw it once more on Saturday night, with the match hanging in the balance late in the frantic final term. Sydney had cut the deficit to just two points and seemed to have all the momentum. The Tigers desperately needed to find a way to regain the initiative – and that came when Shane Edwards grabbed the ball on the wing and kicked long to Martin, one-out with his experienced opponent, Ted Richards. Martin, in inimitable style, managed to read the flight of the ball better than Richards, who subsequently fell to ground, enabling the Tiger young gun to gather, compose himself, then run into the open goal and kick the sealer. It was the third time this season that Martin has managed to do this, which is a really big effort that highlights just how strong he is, and how much he thrives on pressure.
5. Trent Cotchin played the consummate captain’s game.
Cotchin displayed terrific leadership right throughout. He willed himself to contest after contest, finishing the match with 29 disposals, including a massive, game-high 21 contested possessions, game-high 11 clearances, four inside-50s and three rebound-50s. Time and again, Cotchin boldly put his body on the line to win the hardest of hard balls and send the team forward. He set a shining example all the way through the match for the Tigers with his excellent work ethic and inspirational efforts. There’s no doubt Cotchin’s captaincy development has been a key factor in the startling Richmond revival during the second half of this season.
6. Richmond has enormous self-belief right now.
Once again, the Tigers were able to dig deep when the going was at its toughest, and find a way to win. That’s been a common theme for the group throughout this amazing run, with victories over Essendon, Adelaide and now, Sydney, coming after they had been headed in the last quarter and appeared likely to be over-run. The Richmond players have shown tremendous resilience to stare down defeat and emerge victorious, regardless of the odds stacked against them, which is something I reckon would not have happened last year. To achieve what they have over the second half of this season has been nothing short of remarkable, but a new season starts now, in September. Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval is a huge challenge, but the Tigers’ record on the road this year has been very good, so they’ll look forward to getting away together again and having a decent crack at the Power. I’m sure the Tiger Army will be there in big numbers, too, providing the team with plenty of support and energy.
