Tigers’ low-scoring slog
HAVING made five forced changes from the team that defeated Melbourne last week, it probably shouldn’t come as a shock that Richmond battled for cohesion on Sunday.
Even when rain swept across the Gabba from the second quarter onwards — conditions that usually suit the frenetic Tigers — they struggled to put away the dogged Swans.
With an undersized backline, Sydney locked up Richmond’s forwards by using
Callum Mills as a spare defender.
It made for dull football but Richmond could not solve the riddle.
However, its own organised defence was rarely tested, conceding just 11 scoring shots.
Two wins on the trot now puts the premier back into the top eight with plenty of room for improvement.
TOM Lynch has had quite the week.
After breaking his finger against Melbourne seven days earlier, he made a late dash to Queensland to join his teammates on Monday night.
The former Gold Coast captain looked like he might be in for a big day when Sydney decided to replace Aliir Aliir just prior to the match with the smaller Robbie Fox.
It wasn’t to be though, as Fox kept Lynch without a touch in the first half, halving any aerial ball that came their way.
However, with his team struggling to kick goals, Lynch stood tall in the third term, taking a powerhouse contested mark against Dane Rampe and converting from 45m.
It turned the tide and Richmond never looked back.
Losing three of their midfield prime movers was going to change the dynamic in the middle of the ground for the Tigers.
No Dion Prestia (ankle), no Trent Cotchin (hamstring) and no Shane Edwards (left in Melbourne) exposed some younger, less experienced heads to the coalface.
Shai Bolton took his chance with both hands, finishing with 14 touches and a goal, although he faded as the game wore on.
Jack Graham was strong (16 touches), despite giving away a reversed free kick for slinging Will Hayward to the turf, while Marlion Pickett (11) had his moments.
Dustin Martin kicked an early goal but had little more influence.
The Tigers kicked the first three goals of the match and the scoreboard looked like getting out of hand for the Swans.
Riewoldt, Martin, Bolton, Lynch.
Papley 2, Rowbottom.
Lambert, Short, McIntosh, Baker, Broad, Higgins
Mills, Lloyd, Cunningham, Florent, Clarke, Heeney.
Gabba
With Mills failing to get near it in the first quarter, coach John Longmire threw him behind the ball in the second as a spare defender.
For the next two quarters Richmond proceeded to kick it to Mills again and again … and again.
Not only did he sweep up ground balls, but he took intercept marks, and along with Isaac Heeney looked the most likely source of anything positive from the Swans.
Mills finished with a gamehigh 29 disposals, 15 of which were intercepts.