RICHMOND 12.12 (84) def FREMANTLE 8.9 (57)
IT has been clear for at least a couple of weeks now that Richmond will – barring absolute disaster and bad luck – make the finals for the first time since 2001.
What was not as clear was whether Richmond fulfilled some of the criteria that makes a football team a “genuine contender”.
The general consensus is that the Tigers needed a “scalp”. Wins over Carlton, an in-form Port Adelaide and West Coast in Perth didn’t count, depending on who you asked.
But a win over Fremantle surely classifies as a scalp. The Dockers had heretofore lost just three games for the year; now they sit fifth and remarkably just two points ahead of the sixth-ranked Tigers.
It is probably fanciful to suggest the two clubs could trade places, given their respective runs home: Adelaide, Carlton, GWS, Melbourne, Port and St Kilda for the Dockers compared with Richmond’s Sydney, Hawthorn, Brisbane, Carlton, GWS and Essendon.
But there was plenty to like in Richmond’s win at the MCG. They held Fremantle to just two goals at half-time, and even in Freo’s best quarter – four goals in the third – they kicked five of their own.
Jack Riewoldt booted four, Trent Cotchin (34 touches) and Dustin Martin (30) had plenty of the ball, the much-maligned Alex Rance played one of his best with 30 touches.
But there are still six games to play and the Tiigers will remain focused according to their coach.
“The expectation, whether it’s there or not, the reality is we just go about our business and worry about the process we go through on a weekly basis,” said Damien Hardwick.
“There were some areas of our game today we weren’t overly pleased with and there’s some areas we did really well, so we’ve got some work cut out for us.
“We just worry about a formidable outfit next week in Sydney on their home deck, so it’s going to be another great challenge for our guys and one we look forward to.
Fremantle can take some heart that they were missing Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands, Luke McPharlin and Hayden Ballantyne, but they must improve in the coming weeks if they are to hold onto a home elimination final or possible burst into the top four.
Here are the highlights from the game:
RICHMOND 3.3 4.6 9.9 12.12 (84)
FREMANTLE 2.2 2.5 6.6 8.9 (57)
GOALS
Richmond: Riewoldt 4, Deledio, White, Martin, King, S. Edwards, Vickery, Cotchin, Jackson
Fremantle: Mzungu 3, Mayne 2, Walters, Silvagni, de Boer
BEST
Richmond: Cotchin, Rance, Ellis, Vlastuin, Jackson, S. Edwards
Fremantle: Mzungu, Crowley, Dawson, Clarke, Johnson, Fyfe, Mundy
INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Fremantle: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Matt Arnot substituted out for Nathan Foley in the third quarter
Fremantle: Alex Silvagni substituted out for Cam Sutcliffe in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, McBurney, Stewart
Official crowd: 40,125 at the MCG