Tigers refine late pounce

BEWARE. These Tigers like hunting late.

Richmond have cemented their place at the top of the ladder going into tonight’s AFL grand final rematch with Adelaide and, if there’s one piece of advice the Crows should heed, it’s to leave plenty in the tank.

The Tigers have turned punishers late in games, a net 100 points ahead of the next best in fourth quarters this year.

And we’re talking really late – Champion Data statistics reveal the premiers have been 50 points better than their closest contender for points differential from the 20-minute mark of their last quarters.

According to two-time North Melbourne premiership player David King, a lot of it comes down to what has become the Tigers’ trademark – unrelenting pressure.

“They seem to be so good without the ball that, when other teams get tired and the errors come, they’re already in that pressure-turnover mindset,” he said. “Everything that they do late hits the scoreboard, because the opposition just puncture – they can’t go with them. They can’t handle the pressure for 120 minutes.”