Richmond pulled off its biggest win since claiming premiership success in 2017 by defeating Sydney at Etihad Stadium on Thursday night by 26 points.
It was a see-sawing contest that had something for everyone and was battled out in front of more than 43,000 people.
In the opening term it was a style showcase, both sides kicking accurately and hitting the board early – until tragedy struck for Richmond approximately ten minutes in.
Midfielder Reece Conca, playing in his 100th AFL match and in the best form of his career, found his ankle pinned and then bent in a tackle from Sydney’s Lance Franklin.
In a horrifying split second Conca’s screams of pain were captured by the on-field microphones and after a touching send-off from the entire Richmond squad along with Sydney’s Gary Rohan, the momentum of the contest was left up in the air.
Richmond had a choice as a team – run out the clock missing one midfielder on the bench and just make up the numbers for the rest of the night or get the job done in the name of a teammate.
The Tigers opted to go nuclear. With Jayden Short, Kane Lambert and Dan Butler in devastating form, Richmond pumped through three goals and claimed a sizeable first-quarter advantage.
The Tigers continued to roll through the second and third term, devastating Sydney’s midfield with its silky brand of non-linear movement until late in the third the Swans managed to hit the board and bring the difference back to five points heading into the last.
Despite a filthy third quarter jam-packed with rough hits, chops to the throat and elbows to the head, Richmond remain unshaken and exploded again in the last – kicking three goals to one in the team’s tenth fourth quarter win in the last 11 weeks.
As a consequence of the win, Richmond remains on top of the ladder, leading West Coast in second, Sydney in third and Collingwood in fourth.
For the Tigers, the positives seem endless coming out of this match.
Richmond’s level of fitness and ability to maintain intensive pressure both offensively and defensively until the final siren remains unparalleled.
To close out a match against Sydney, who heading into this encounter had a staggeringly good record at Etihad Stadium and are surely top-four finishers, all while being down one midfielder from the opening minutes is a terrifying effort.
The key to the victory for the Tigers in this one was a dynamic group effort, with more than a half-dozen players emerging from the woodwork and playing borderline best on ground games.
While plenty of Tigers played an important role in the result the clear standout was full forward Jack Riewoldt.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Riewoldt finished with 23 disposals and three goals two behinds, however, his biggest achievement by far was his leading up the ground and domination in congestion – taking 16 marks along the way, the AFL record for 2018.
Richmond’s biggest loss from this match comes in the departure of Conca. Watching the injury unfold it’s hard to believe he’ll be able to rebound and play again before the end of September.
Richmond are also likely to say goodbye to halfback Nick Vlaustin for at least a couple of weeks after throwing an unnecessary elbow after a tackle and earning himself a report.
For Sydney, the positives were Jake Lloyd and Josh Kennedy.
Lloyd finished with 34 touches, eight marks and three tackles and continues to find the footy at a rate few in the competition can match.
Kennedy likewise was a wrecking ball in the middle, chalking up 36 touches and laying nine tackles.
While the ledger suggests that Franklin, finishing with four of Sydney’s 11 goals, could be happy with his night, I think the Swans will be quietly anxious about the performance of their offensive head honcho.
For 90 per cent of the match Richmond’s offensive quad of Alex Rance, David Astbury, Dylan Grimes and Nathan Broad rotated hard to ensure Franklin was double and triple teamed.
If it wasn’t for a few choice free kicks and a dubious 50 metre penalty Franklin would have little return to offer his side and the match would’ve been even more one-sided.
The quality of Franklin’s opposition was conversely matched with his inability to provide second and third attacks on the football. Possibly nursing an injury or two, Franklin rarely offered run and chase and was caught ball watching far too often.
At the other end of the ground Sydney will likely put plenty of examination into Dane Rampe’s game.
Matching up directly with Richmond’s Riewoldt for most of the night, Rampe struggled to overcome blocking and as a result conceded a staggering amount of marks and shots on goal for a player of his remarkable calibre.
Beyond Rampe and Franklin, question marks also appeared above the heads of Isaac Heeney, Gary Rohan, Kieran Jack and James Rose. But everyone has an off night so it’s not worth freaking out just yet.
Sydney managed to win the tackle count 84 to 69 and the contested possessions 152 to 143, two huge efforts and indicators of attempts.
The game was won and lost in other departments, however. Richmond crucified Sydney in total marks, 109 to 66 and collected 14 more intercept possessions (85-71).
With Richmond and Sydney likely to meet one another in the finals at some stage, it’s a rematch that should have all football fans licking their lips.
The venom between the two sides is well recorded, with two premium midfields loving nothing more than slamming the other over the line and into the ground while in the goal square the match up between the arguably the competition’s best fullback and best full forward produces sparks without fail, every single time.
After the excitement of tonight, September really can’t come fast enough as a lover of football.
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