Farmer happy drought is over
Former Port fringe player, Mitch Farmer, can’t believe his luck - a regular game at the Tigers and four wins out of the past five games
Traded by Port Adelaide - after playing just three games there in 2008 - as part of the deal at the end of 2009 that saw Jay Schulz leave Richmond and go to the Power, he has slotted in beautifully at the Tigers, missing just two games this season.
The 21 year old has impressed with his skills and his decision-making, and was again good in Sunday's win over the Sydney Swans, racking up 14 touches (five contested), laying three tackles, putting it inside 50 twice, kicking a goal and missing another after a four-bounce run through the middle.
The win is the Tigers fourth in the past five games, and lifts the Tigers off the bottom of the ladder, where they had been since round two.
Click here to purchase your DVD copy of the game for just $35
Farmer said in the rooms after the match that it was hard to take it all in.
"It's surreal, to be honest - obviously starting off the season so poorly, we just stuck to our game plan and we can obviously see that it's starting to pay off," he told richmondfc.com.au after the match.
"We do what we've got to do in the game, and obviously the results speak for themselves.
"Four out of five - it's obviously a great achievement from where we've come from at the start of the year to where we are right now.”
The Tigers fell away badly in the middle of the second term, but got going again on the back of an Andy Collins goal midway through the third.
Small forward Collins was then knocked unconscious midway through the last term, but came back on to boot the final two goals of the match.
Farmer paid tribute to the 21-year-old when asked where the Tigers got their belief from to enable them to stand up and win it.
"Andy Collins, maybe? I don't know - like I said, everyone just stuck to the game plan and we just thought we had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so we just hit our kicks and did what we had to do, I guess.
"Andy has been really good the last couple of weeks - he's stepped up when we've needed him.
"He always puts in a four-quarter effort, but a couple of goals at the end there always helps.
"We've got another player up there, Ben Griffiths, who always provides a good contest for us, but Jack is on fire at the moment - he's leading the Coleman at the moment - so other sides are going to go to him more, so it's always good that we've got someone else to step up when we need them."