Round 2 – Richmond v GWS: The charge of the Height Brigade

 

 

 

by John Green

 

 

The Tigers have taken up residence in the Land of the Giants. It’s different to the epoch-making strategy of 2017 with one tall forward and a contingent of tiny terriers scrapping, grappling and darting in for a few goals along the way. This year Dimma is banking on the tall trio of Riewoldt, Lynch and Balta to stretch opposition defences and provide Richmond with a formidable point of difference. It’s just like Richardson, Ottens and Stafford in the early 2000s, with the implied intention of getting another flag out of the cohort of players that has brought such joy to this generation of supporters.

 

But the strategy has been interrupted. For today’s clash with the Giants from Sydney town, the Tigers are missing the services of Jack Riewoldt, who needed surgery after fracturing his thumb in the opening round defeat to Carlton.

 

But have we taken the car in for a service and neglected to repair our most serious defect? Installed a turbo charger when the key won’t turn in the ignition and we can’t even move the Kingswood into the service lane?

 

The Tigers suffered a deflating loss to the Blues when they were smashed at the centre bounce clearances in the final term and conceded the last seven goals of the match. They led by 20 points at quarter-time with Prestia best on ground. Dion suffered yet another hamstring ailment and was subbed off in the second quarter. Whenever the human meatball is removed from the action the standard of Richmond’s on-ball brigade drops away alarmingly. We don’t have the big-bodied midfielders to contend with opposition sluggers and Dusty is no longer able to do it on his own.

 

It gets considerably worse. Grimes is out after pulling up sore following the Carlton game. Then the biggest blow of all – Dusty is taking time out due to personal issues and is on indefinite leave. I give the Tigers little chance today. And GWS were pretty good in the opening round despite their loss to the high flying Swans.

 

It’s the first time since the final round of the 2019 season that my son and I will sit in our reserved seats in the members stand. COVID and all that. We beat the Brisbane Lions that day and repeated the dose at the Gabba in the qualifying final a fortnight later.

 

We stand in a snaking queue outside Gate 3 to score our free ‘Proud To Be Richmond’ members t-shirts. A young boy is standing with his father. He reminds me of when my own boy was of primary school age. The boy turns around and boldly asks me how many Giants supporters I’ve seen outside the ground. “Zero”, I reply, “but I shook hands with a few of them after we beat them in the grand final back in 2019.” I advise him to go up to Sydney one day with his dad to see the Tigers take on GWS at Homebush. Then he’ll see a few Giants fans.

 

Next thing I know I’m struggling with my phone to find the digital ticket for today’s game. I’m a senior supporter struggling to adjust to the new club membership regime in which you need a thorough knowledge of smart phones just to go to the footy. Where is it? The wallet? The messages? What was wrong with the old days when old blokes on the turnstiles snipped your cardboard ticket?

 

The game begins.  We dutifully note Richmond’s centre bounce personnel. In view of last week’s trauma in the centre square, we are amazed to see the inexperienced Thomson Dow in the engine room. Like all barrackers, we believe we that we are smarter than our club selectors. Clearly it’s time for the solidly built Riley Collier-Dawkins to be thrown into the centre bounce cauldron. Or why not Josh Caddy? I’m resigned to the fact that Richmond is about to be monstered in the middle and suffer its first ever defeat at the MCG to the orange and charcoal westies. But within seconds of the first bounce Shai Bolton bursts out of the blocks like the red-hot favourite at the Sandown greyhounds. He streaks and weaves before sending his shot wide. He later climbs all over Phil Davis to almost reel in an early contender for another mark of the year.

 

After an even first quarter with more gloomy predictions on my part I’m pleasantly surprised by the manner in which the Tigers appear to be gaining the ascendency. They are actually winning the clearances. And this is despite the bigger bodies of their assailants in Kelly, Coniglio, Taranto and Tom Green. Ivan Soldo displays perfect timing at the centre bounces and swats the ball into open space where speedsters such as Bolton and Dow, yes Thomson Dow, can gather and launch the ball into attack. Maybe the selectors know more than we do. Cotchin turns back the clock with a series of precise passes to advantage in heavy traffic. The pressure, fierce tackling and waves of handball have returned. Short and Broad constantly repel the Giants. Experienced ex-Roo Robbie Tarrant tutors  second-gamers in Josh Gibcus and Brad Miller on the fundamentals of defensive play. Mark the ball if you have the sit and punch it away if you’re don’t and it seems to work a treat. Gibcus displays his prodigious leaping ability when he takes his first hanger. Ralphsmith’s blonde mane flows in the wind like an angel in motion as he makes regular dashes from defence. The unheralded Matt Parker runs relentlessly and constantly makes himself available to link up with teammates.

 

We’re even winning the free kick count, something unheard of in the Hardwick years.

 

How fares Richmond’s forward Height Brigade with Jack watching from the stand? Very well indeed. Noah Balta is every bit as dangerous as media favourites in St. Kilda’s Max King and the Bulldogs’ Aaron Naughton. He has that imposing combination of height, marking ability and pace that causes  nightmares for opposition defenders. He boots four in a match for the very first time. Lynch sets up a couple for teammates as well as adding three of his own.

 

In the second half the Tigers answer every challenge and maintain their three-to-four goal margin over the Giants. When Balta scores to put the home team up by 31 points at the six-minute mark of the last quarter I can begin to reflect on the afternoon’s proceedings. How delightful it is to come up trumps when you were not expecting it. Noah completes proceedings with a goal after the siren to make it an even six-goal win.

 

Proud to be Richmond? They were seriously undermanned and yet found a way to win with a gutsy team performance. Maybe we’re still in the hunt. I think I’ll wear that new t-shirt when I visit the milk bar to buy the paper tomorrow.

 

 

 

RICHMOND      1.5    7.7    11.9    16.13 (109)
GWS                     1.2    4.5    7.9      10.13 (73)

 

GOALS
Richmond: Balta 4, Lynch 3, Bolton 2, Soldo 2, Baker, Castagna, Edwards, Nankervis, Ralphsmith
Greater Western Sydney: Coniglio 2, Himmelberg 2, Taranto 2, Kelly 2, Brander, Bruhn

 

BEST
Richmond: Short, Cotchin, Pickett, Nankervis, Balta, Rioli, Broad
Greater Western Sydney: Kelly, Coniglio, Taranto, Green, Perryman

 

INJURIES
Richmond: Dow (TBC)
Greater Western Sydney: Lloyd (shoulder), Davis (hamstring)

 

SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Jake Aarts, replaced Thomson Dow in the fourth quarter
Greater Western Sydney: Matt de Boer, replaced Daniel Lloyd in the second quarter.

 

 

 

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