Richmond great Matthew Richardson highlights six key points arising from the Tigers’ 60-point victory over the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium last Saturday night.

1. Bachar Houli is enjoying his best season of AFL football.

The rebounding defender has worked hard to become one of Richmond’s most consistent, valuable contributors.  He is averaging just over 22 disposals per game this season, having racked up 20 or more in his past six appearances, which is an AFL career first for him.  Included in his 25 disposals against the Bulldogs on Saturday night were a game-high 13 score involvements, plus five inside-50 entries, which highlights just how effective his run-and-carry is out of the back half for the team.  It’s a real tribute to Houli that after managing only 26 games in four years at Essendon, he is now one of the first picked in the Richmond side each week, having played 56 of a possible 56 games since arriving at Tigerland.  He finished fourth in the Jack Dyer Medal in his 2011 debut season with the Club, equal 10^th last year, and I reckon he’d be right up there in the vote counting after 12 games this season.

2. Aaron Edwards has added a valuable, different dimension to the Tigers’ forward line.

I’ve really liked the way Edwards has gone about his football since gaining an opportunity in the Richmond line-up a few weeks ago.  He’s been a lively addition, with his intelligent leading, sure marking and good kicking.  The nine marks he grabbed against the Dogs were the second most by a Tiger player on the night, and he didn’t just take them in the forward half.  His impressive work ethic even saw him marking across the half-back line.  The fact he had five inside-50 entries for the match further underlined his value to the team.  At some stage in the not-too-distant future, I reckon he’s going to have a decent impact on the scoreboard as well.

3. Reece Conca has quickly run into form after his stint on the sidelines with injury.

The Club’s first pick in the 2010 AFL National Draft was in the first few rounds of the season before suffering a foot injury that kept him out of action for several weeks.  In his second game back on the park, last Saturday night, he was one of the side’s best, picking up 21 disposals, including an equal game-high eight inside-50s, and kicking two goals.  When you see Conca play like that, and realise that he’s still only 20 and yet to play 50 games, it’s not hard to appreciate how bright his football future is.

4. Shaun Grigg had his best game of the season.

The hard-running midfielder had not been quite as prominent as he was in 2012, when he finished with 11 Brownlow Medal votes and fifth placing in the Jack Dyer Medal – until last Saturday night.  Grigg excelled under the Etihad Stadium roof, picking up 21 touches, taking a team-high 10 marks, and kicking two goals, including a team-lifting, four-bounce gem.   If the ex-Blue can maintain that sort of form throughout the second half of the season, then he’ll further enhance the Tigers’ prospects.   

5. Matt White is a super ‘sub’.

If the All-Australian selectors were to specifically name a player to fill the substitute’s role in this year’s team, then Matt White would have to be right in calculations to secure that specialist spot, given how well he’s performed as a sub in the Richmond side so far during the 2013 season.  Yet again, in Saturday night’s clash, White had a significant impact when he removed the green vest and took his place on the field late in the third quarter.  In just 33 minutes of game time from that point on, White had 12 disposals, took four marks, applied three tackles and kicked a goal.  It can’t be easy playing so frequently as a sub like White has this season, which is why I really admire the way he’s adapted so well to it.  He’s become a valuable weapon for the team in the sub’s role.

6. Richmond continues to make impressive progress as an even team unit.

No longer do the Tigers need their stars firing on all cylinders to win.  A greater spread of talent is a key factor in their improvement, as shown again last Saturday when they had just three players finishing the match with less than 10 disposals compared to the Bulldogs’ seven.  Richmond also had 12 individual goalkickers on the night, to further highlight the evenness that’s become a cornerstone of the line-up.   The Tigers now have the capacity to get the job done against opposition who they are better than, and that’s an important part of their development.