Richmond great Matthew Richardson highlights six key points arising from the Tigers’ 38-point victory over Adelaide at the MCG last Saturday.

1. Brett Deledio set the win up in the first half, roaming free across half-back.

How Adelaide could leave a player of Deledio’s calibre unattended for a half of football, is unfathomable.   Deledio cut the Crows up in his rebounding role off half-back, picking up 17 disposals in the opening half and playing a major role in Richmond taking a five-goal lead into the main break.  Although the dual Jack Dyer Medallist did have an opponent after half-time, it’s fair to say the horse had well and truly bolted by then.  Deledio continued to be a driving force for the Tigers, finishing the match with 28 touches, including five rebound-50s and five inside-50s.  You can bet that Richmond’s opponent this Saturday, the Western Bulldogs, will try and put a tight leash (pardon the pun) on Deledio, but he’s certainly good enough to work his way through that.

2. Dustin Martin is a nightmare for opposition teams to match up on.

Goalkicking midfielders are a major asset, and Richmond’s got one of the best going around in Dustin Martin.  Although he finished with “only” 19 disposals last Saturday, he had a significant impact, kicking four valuable goals and having a hand in others for the team, in a top-class display.  After an up-and-down season last year, Martin has hit an impressive level of consistency in 2013. I would think he’d be right up there in the Club’s Jack Dyer Medal voting at the midway mark of the season.

3. Ivan Maric produced his best performance of the 2013 season.

The big bloke’s output hadn’t been quite what it was in his first year with the Club throughout the opening weeks of this season, but he’s really started to hit his straps in the last couple of matches.  He did a sterling job competing hard against dynamic West Coast ruck duo Nick Natanui and Dean Cox in Round 10 and then, against another quality opponent in Adelaide’s Sam Jacobs last Saturday, he was terrific.  Maric had his spring back at the centre bounces, he took some strong marks around the ground, kicked a crucial goal in the last quarter, after taking the ball out of a ruck contest, and he just had a strong presence overall.  Make no mistake, he is a player pivotal to the Tigers’ hopes . . .

4. Nathan Foley is running into top form.

It’s been a frustrating few years for Nathan Foley, due to injury problems, which is why I’m extra pleased to see him now (touch wood) getting some continuity with his football and, as a result, starting to thrive again.  He was one of the Tigers’ best last Saturday, leading the team numbers for clearances, contested possessions, tackles, and equal leader for inside-50 entries.  A fit and firing Foley will be a huge positive for Richmond during the second half of this season.

5. Jack Riewoldt is playing a really valuable team role.

It was interesting to hear Richmond coach Damien Hardwick say in a pre-game interview on 3AW last Saturday that he thought Jack Riewoldt was having his best season of AFL football.  Some may have been surprised with that comment, but I can certainly see where ‘Dimma’ is coming from.  The dual Coleman Medallist has become more team-orientated with the way he goes about his football, as further underlined in the clash with the Crows.  He took only three marks and kicked three goals, but his defensive pressure up forward, combined with creativity, again made him an extremely valuable contributor for the Tigers.  Interestingly, Riewoldt finished with an equal-team high six inside-50s, which highlights how his role in the side has changed.  Mind you, he’s still managed to kick 34 goals in 11 rounds, which is more than he had on the board at the corresponding stage last year.

6. That was Richmond’s most important win in Damien Hardwick’s time as coach.

I make that statement, given how much the football media built the match up in terms of Richmond’s prospects for the second half of the season.  Coming off that meritorious victory over West Coast at Patersons Stadium, all eyes were on the Tigers, to see if they could back it up in a match where they went in as warm favorites at home.  Adelaide’s coach Brenton Sanderson had added to the pre-match hype by declaring it an absolutely non-negotiable, must-win game for the Crows.  Richmond responded in a professional manner, seizing control early and maintaining it throughout – winning every quarter on the way to a solid 38-point victory.