Blues give Tigers a first-up fright

RICHMOND’S AFL premiership defence has opened with a major scare before powering away from Carlton for a 26point win at the MCG.

Brownlow Medallist Dustin Martin and Blues young guns Patrick Cripps and Charlie Curnow starred as the Tigers won 17.19 (121) to 15.5 (95) last night in a pulsating game.

The blockbuster crowd of 90,151 is a record for Round 1 and the 11th best for a homeand-away match.

Injuries cruelled the Blues’ chances of a massive upset, with Matthew Kennedy forced out of the game before halftime and star ruckman Matthew Kreuzer hobbled by a groin injury in the third term.

Richmond closed out the match with six goals to three in the last term.

Four of Carlton’s goals resulted from 50m penalties, the product of an AFL crackdown on the protected zone.

Cripps was best afield with 36 disposals, including 25 contested possessions.

Curnow and Matthew Wright kicked five goals apiece, while Tigers Jack Riewoldt and Jacob Townsend had four each.