Jacko was otherwise occupied

After staying at my friend Jeff’s house, he told me on Saturday night that he would set his alarm for 7:00am and wake me up by 8am. We both woke up at 8:15am. We quickly got ready and headed off to Melbourne with his Dad in his old Torana. I’ve been in comfier cars, I’ll say that much.

We arrived at Keon Park station at midday, catching the train to the MCG, a first for me. Waiting in the large queue, Jeff pointed out that we were standing next to Ernie Dingo. I laughed at this, and received my ticket from Jeff’s dad, which only cost him $2.50 since I’m under fourteen…

Arriving in section m36, the place to be if you’re an Almanacker, I spotted Steve, and introduced myself to the delightful Tim Ivins. For all the talk on the Almanac about meeting up at this match, we were the only ones to show up at the time, and you can count Daniel Jackson as well. The Tigers and Eagles ran out on the ground as I noticed the MCG bigscreen is far better in comparison with Etihad Stadium’s, but Etihad has the edge in the sound department. The match started and the first few minutes were scrappy without a score. We saw Adam at the end of our aisle of seats, looking everywhere for us. He looked left, right, behind him, even skyward, before noticing we were right in front of him.

Jack Riewoldt pounced on a loose ball, running into an open goal, before taking a strong mark and kicking his second. He took yet another strong mark, and guided through his third, and he was on. A one-handed juggling grab saw his fourth goal go through, and it was Riewoldt 24, West Coast nothing. That changed though, with Kennedy, an equal talent of Riewoldt, dribbled through the Eagles’ first. Dustin Martin impressed with a very classy goal after shrugging off an opponent to drill the major from a tight angle, and Riewoldt got onto the end of a great kick from Shane Edwards, taking another contested grab and steering through goal number five for the quarter. He was playing extraordinary footy. Mark LeCras kept the Eagles within distance with a great snap goal, the Tigers leading by 22 points at quarter time, 6.1 to 2.3.

Andy Collins found space to mark and kick his first, but Matt Priddis replied with a great goal from a stoppage in the forward pocket. Daff showed up, talking and sitting with us briefly. Riewoldt takes another outstanding contested mark and boots a career-best six goals, and it wasn’t even half time yet! Although, he kept getting sucked into the play in the middle of the ground and Richmond had no one to kick to when they won the ball. Ben Nason increases the margin to 35 points with a goal from the goalsquare. Tyrone Vickery shuts Adam up temporarily with a good mark and goal, and a big roost from Mitch Farmer just clears Nic Naitanui in the goalsquare, and Richmond led astonishingly by 48 points at half time, 11.5 to 3.5.

After getting some food at half time (and also running into Ernie Dingo, again), we returned to our seats to find Daff gone. Beau Waters and Naitanui had both been shifted into the forward line. Kennedy skipped into goal after a 50m penalty and dobbed it, and then a toe-poke in the goalsquare from Ben McKinley saw the Eagles back within 35 points. LeCras found the ball at the bottom of a pack and kicked his second, but Nason relieved the Tigers with his second after Scott Selwood found Ben Cousins’ boot and threw it away, something I watched intently. Matt White continued his good game with a goal on the run, and Martin snaps his second with a bit of shepherding help by Nason on the goal line, somehow holding off Shannon ‘Tree-Trunk Legs’ Hurn. Riewoldt is given a free kick after a push in the back and boots his seventh, a career-best, and Richmond undid all the work the Eagles had done at the start of the quarter, leading by 55 points. White kicked perfectly in front of Nason who ran onto it and slammed home his third, but a late goal to Waters saw the margin at 59 points at three quarter time, 16.11 to 7.6.

Richmond supporters were loving this. When they win, they win big. The Eagles wanted to spoil the party though, with LeCras and McKinley kicking goals and I wonder if I should have taken the $200 Betfair had on the Eagles winning. Riewoldt gathered and put through his eighth from the goalsquare as the Tiger army rose and screamed at the top of their lungs. Riewoldt had a couple of chances to kick more goals, but Will Schofield outmarked him on one occasion and Jack missed the lot with his other shot. He then marked, and prepared for his ninth goal but he missed much to the dismay of Tiger supporters, and perhaps even West Coast fans. He is given one more chance at his ninth, and this time he dobbed it, and it seems like a huge relief to him. The Tigers led by 50 points, but Bradd Dalziell kicked a nice goal on the run. The talk around the stadium was whether Richo, sorry I mean Riewoldt, could kick his 10th. Steve, Adam, Jeff and Tim all wanted him to notch the double figures, and as the ball sailed high into the forward line, we held our collective breaths. And he marked! From about 15m out and on a tight angle, Riewoldt prepared for perhaps the most nerve-wracking kick of his career. No it wasn’t an ‘after-the-siren’ kick; it was for his tenth goal. And he put it through! He pumped the air with his fist and the new goal was to get his 11th. Brad Ebert lined up for goal and missed, but Jeff and I both noticed who marked the ball in the crowd. Ernie Dingo, we just couldn’t escape him today. The siren sounds on another Richmond victory, this time by 49 points, 19.12.126 to 11.11.77.

We stayed and listened to the greatest theme song in the AFL, and it sent tingles down my spine hearing the Richmond faithful scream out ‘YELLOW AND BLACK’ during the famous few lyrics. We bid Tim farewell, and filed out of the great MCG, talking about what unfolded before us, a new King fully awakening in the Richmond forward line. As we walked along the outside of the stadium, a girl’s Footy Record fell out of her handbag without her noticing. I picked it up and gave to Adam as he gave us his farewell. As Jeff’s Dad, Jeff and I boarded the train back to Keon Park, Jeff and I kept an eye out for Ernie Dingo.

Richmond 6.1—11.5—16.11—19.12.126

West Coast 2.3—3.5—7.6—11.11.77

Goalkickers:

Richmond-Riewoldt 10, Nason 3, Martin 2, Collins, Farmer, White, Vickery

West Coast-McKinley 3, LeCras 3, Kennedy 2, Dalziell, Priddis, Waters

Best:

Richmond-Riewoldt, Deledio, Edwards, Martin, Nason, Tuck, White

West Coast-Cox, Priddis, Waters, Dalziell

Crowd:

30,870 at the MCG

Votes:

3: Jack Riewoldt (R)

2: Brett Deledio (R)

1: Shane Edwards (R)

About Josh Barnstable

21 year old North Melbourne supporter from country Victoria. Currently living in Melbourne studying a Bachelor of Sports Media. Dreams of becoming a sports journalist and broadcaster.

Comments

  1. Hi Josh,

    Sorry, I had a prior engagement with two brothers who are Richmond fans and I wanted to return to the Tigers stronghold to savour the victory. The Tigers were great, the Eagles were terrible. I love it.

    Was that Jeff sitting next to you? I should have introduced myself.

    You are the biggest 13-year-old I know.

  2. John Butler says

    Paul

    That should probably read “13 year old”. :)

    No gatekeepers are watching are they?

  3. Peter Schumacher says

    A really good commentary. I would be proud to be able to write up a game that well.

  4. Good work Josh, I do not disagree with anything in the report except for the suggestion that I looked skyward when looking around for you. I highly doubt I did that, although my memory is notoriously inaccurate, like Collingwood yesterday.

  5. Danielle says

    Sounds like you all had fun.
    :)
    great report Josh

  6. johnharms says

    What model Torana Josh (year)?

  7. Steve Healy says

    good report josh :lol:

  8. 1: That’s fine Daff, it’s good that you got amongst the Tiger crowd and enjoyed the victory. My bad as well, I probably should have introduced you to him.

    2: I went to the footy with Jeff on Friday night and he got in for $2.50 as well, gatekeepers are getting very slack. That’s fine though.

    3: Thanks Peter.

    4: Never let the truth get in the way of a good story Adam. Haha I did exaggerate a bit..

    5 and 7: Thanks guys

    6: 1976 LX Torana, it’s a real goer.

  9. 1. Yeah Daff that was me sorry i didn’t talk i was too busy admiring Jack Riewoldts efforts lol

  10. Damian Watson says

    Great work Josh,

    The last time I tried to lie about my age in order to grab a junior ticket the gatekeeper was onto me in a flash, I say good on her.

    LeCras’ goal in the first term was sensational, could almost be a contender from the week’s point of view.

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