Richmond vs Bulldogs

There was no fade out this time. The Tigers went on with the job to beat the Dogs at Marvel in Round Four. The Mongrel has the Big Questions.

What this game does tell us is that the Dogs need to do a bit of work around their goal kicking, and possibly around where they’re getting their shots at goal. Sure, there were a number of other factors as to why the Tigers were able to control the footy and run out winners, but Dale’s two errors seemed to come in crucial moments. What I saw from the Dogs was a continued series of unnecessary chips sideways and backwards in an effort to conjure a perfect inside 50 that simply allowed Richmond to get numbers back. It was as though the Dogs were strangling themselves and with every delayed entry to the rope got tighter. His combination of power, hard work, and the ability to work himself into the game after a slow start gave the Tigers a huge lift. In one passage of play, he took the big GooJ mark on the wing, worked hard inside 50 and then launched at the pack to drag down a huge contested grab and convert the goal. Trent Cotchin was once one of them, but now, in the twilight of a brilliant career, he has to take his chances in big moments and make maximum impact when they come his way. He attacked English at the next centre bounce, and though he gave away a free kick in the process, he sent a message that playtime was now over. It was so far removed from the lackadaisical player that capitalised on the hard work of others in his formative years in yellow and black. He worked tirelessly to get back inside defensive 50 and give the Tigers plenty of drive from half-back. More to the point, he is actively looking to defend – that may sound dumb, but there are some defenders in the league that are there primarily to run off their opponent when the opportunity arises. There was no fourth-quarter fade out in this game, and no meek capitulation when the pressure was applied.