We return to the MCG now for the last quarter of play. This match is well and truly over and the only real question today remains how much the Tigers can win by. Will Melbourne lift for the last quarter and at least give their fans something to cheer about? Or will they continue their dismal form which has seen them slump to a 61-point deficit in the last quarter..
4TH QUARTER
Richmond started off the scoring in the fourth quarter after Adam Pattison received a free-kick from just 20 metres out after just two minutes of play. He casually kicked the goal as Melbourne sunk further into defeat.
Finally, however, the Demons got one back. It had taken them a while for them to record their fifth goal of the match but thankfully it was here. Daniel Bell delivered the ball to the goal square and Ricky Petterd used his body superbly to nudge his opponent Chris Newman out of the way before snapping the ball straight through the middle of the goals, to give the Melbourne fans something to finally cheer about.
Petterd kicks his first
Just looking at an injury report on the sideline - Cale Morton has his right leg heavily strapped and it looks very unlikely that he will now return to the match, he has got the jumper on so I can't imagine we'll be seeing too much more of him today.
After a couple of minutes of short passing around the ground by the Demons, Richmond effected the turnover and immediately passed it straight to their man, Richo who had already kicked 4 and had numerous assists to his name. Richardson made no mistake from his set shot, kicking a beautiful drop punt which swung in the air a bit but narrowly made it home. As he celebrated to the crowd, about 100 Melbourne fans filed out of the ground, refusing to watch the end of this thrashing. Richardson had now 5 goals to his name as well as 27 possessions and was simply dominating today.
Richo celebrates after his fifth
Melbourne's show of incompetence wasn't over yet though. James Frawley had the ball on the mark deep in Richmond's attacking 50, and he casually chipped it straight to Mark Coughlan who couldn't believe his gift as he played on and kicked a goal from twenty metres out, making the margin 76 points.
Still, the Demons refused to give their fans any hope or bright signs. Ricky Petterd and Aaron Davey both missed very gettable shots, with the Demons seemingly giving up. On the other hand, Matthew Richardson took mark after mark for Richmond - it seemed that he was trying to beat the AFL record of most marks in one match - with still 5 minutes to play he had racked up 17 marks. It wasn't too long either before he took his 18th, which he used to find Kane Johnson on the chest just 20 metres out.
Despite not even looking at the ball, Johnson still marked it
Kane Johnson had slipped out of the centre, evidently keen to get into the action and he went back and nailed his first goal of the afternoon, further extending the margin.
Just after it seemed Richmond were going to be content with a comfortable 75 point win, now they had further hit a surge of adrenalin - trying to reach the 100 point barrier. They were dominating centre clearances and it wasn't long before Brett Deledio snuck another home for the Tiges, as he dribbled one home through an open goal square. With just 3 minutes remaining, Richmond needed just two more goals to reach the 100-point margin, and it seemed they could be a good bet on making it.
Thankfully, Melbourne refused to let that happen and managed to hold out defensively, restricting the Tigers for the rest of the quarter, but it was still a massive loss and one they would be very disappointed.
So, that was it for the match - Richmond running out 87 point victors over the shocking Demons - what a poor game that was from Melbourne. Richmond look like a new class act so far and it seems they could be final contenders if they keep playing like they did today.
Richmond: Goalkickers: Matthew Richardson 5, Adam Pattison 2, Daniel Connors 2, Kayne Pettifer 2, Mark Coughlan 1, Ben Cousins 1, Graham Polak 1, Kane Johnson 1, Brett Deledio 1, Troy Simmonds 1
Top Possessions: Richardson 37, McMahon 26, Simmonds 22, Pettifer 22, Connors 22 Top Marks: Richardson 18, Simmonds 9, McMahon 9, Polak 8, Coughlan 6 Top Tackles: Newman 4, Pattison 4, Deledio 3, Johnson 3, Polak 2
Melbourne: Goalkickers: Ricky Petterd 1, Russell Robertson 1, Jack Watts 1, Brad Green 1, Liam Jurrah 1
Top Possessions: Bruce 31, Green 29, Frawley 25, Jones 23, Whelan 18 Top Marks: Frawley 11, Bruce 9, Green 8, Warnock 6, Watts 5 Top Tackles: Davey 5, Green 5, Garland 4, Petterd 3, Frawley 3
Points Scored
37: (RICH) Matthew Richardson (5.3)
15: (RICH) Kayne Pettifer (2.3)
15: (RICH) Daniel Connors (2.3)
13: (RICH) Adam Pattison (2.1)
7: (RICH) Troy Simmonds (1.1)
7: (RICH) Kane Johnson (1.1)
7: (RICH) Brett Deledio (1.1)
7: (MELB) Russell Robertson (1.1)
7: (MELB) Brad Green (1.1)
7: (MELB) Ricky Petterd (1.1)
6: (RICH) Graham Polak (1.0)
6: (RICH) Ben Cousins (1.0)
6: (RICH) Mark Coughlan (1.0)
6: (MELB) Liam Jurrah (1.0)
6: (MELB) Jack Watts (1.0)
1: (RICH) Trent Cotchin (0.1)
1: (RICH) Joel Bowden (0.1)
1: (RICH) Nathan Brown (0.1)
1: (RICH) Shane Tuck (0.1)
1: (MELB) Brent Moloney (0.1)
1: (MELB) Aaron Davey (0.1)
Melbourne Best and Fairest Voting 8: Brad Green 7: Cameron Bruce 6: James Frawley 5: Nathan Jones 4: Russell Robertson 3: Matthew Bate 2: Daniel Bell 1: Matthew Whelan
After the game we caught up with Matthew Richardson who was a happy figure after returning to some stellar form with a 5 goal haul as well as 37 disposals.
"G'day Richo - congratulations on your and the team's performance out there today."
"Cheers mate - it was a really good feeling getting out there and giving it my all and I am really pleased with how I played, and I suppose some of the other lads were OK.. but it was a great return to form for me and if I can play like this every game we're definitely on our way to a flag."
"You moved around the ground today brilliantly, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever. How are the fitness levels going and how long do you think you will be able to keep playing for?"
"Well, mate, you saw how I played today - I was everywhere, and Melbourne never had a chance. I was moving fine up the field, and if I keep playing like this, I think I could play until I'm 45 - that's how good I am."
"OK then Richo... er, you better get off with your teammates then, thanks for taking the time to have an interview."
"No problem at all, you should be feeling privileged after having me here for the interview."
Well, that was all from Richardson.. and that's the end of today's game. Melbourne copped a 87-point hiding.
Let's take a quick look at the image gallery after today's match.
Matthew Richardson after not getting a free-kick
Ben Cousins gets a handball off despite being under pressure from Matthew Bate
Ben Cousins gets away from Ricky Petterd
Nathan Jones takes an outstretched grab
Melbourne are disappointed after their loss
Jordan McMahon after taking drugs.. oh wait, we weren't meant to show that
Another brilliant update blake, rubbish game from the Dees, that was the performance you`d expect from the Dees last season. Should`ve done better tbh.
Of course your not, you got thrashed by a shithouse team. I also noticed that you changed the 'Today`s Videos' and the 'Today`s Headlines' to the situations in your story. Nice job.
GH: Welcome to the AFL Discussion show. I'm Gerard Healy, and I have Robert Walls and Tony Shaw joining me here as we cover all the news, results, reports and statistics in the AFL. We're here after another very exciting round as the season kicks off. After four matches, West Coast are still holding strong but Richmond have pressed to second place after their big win over the Demons, whilst Port Adelaide remain the only team to have not won a game. Robert - it's good to have you here. What are your thoughts on this season so far?
RW: Cheers Gerard, it's great to be here. Look - the season so far has been very interesting. There seems to be a large number of teams gridlocked in the middle so far - and I couldn't really tell you which team looks to be the standout so far. We have some very even teams competing each week and we've had some strange results - Geelong and St. Kilda both lost their first two games but have both countered and won their last two. The Eagles are on top right now, but they are tied on points still with Richmond, Hawthorn and Brisbane who have all looked threatening. It's a very even ladder right now and it looks set to be an enthralling season.
TS: I'd have to agree with you there, Robert. The way this season has started could provide for some very interesting matches come the business end of the season as the finals squabble commences. For mine, West Coast have looked impressive but Richmond have also looked in top form this year. Brisbane have been a surprise package so far - after a 76-point thrashing in the first week against West Coast which saw them sit on bottom they have recovered with three successive wins - although their percentage is only 95. Still, they impressed me by defeating Collingwood on Friday night by just 11 points - new coach Michael Voss must've been delighted with that.
GH: What are your predictions for the wooden spoon? Port Adelaide have obviously looked the weakest, slumping to 0-4, but do you think Carlton, Melbourne or the Kangaroos might be a chance?
TS: Port Adelaide haven't looked terrible in the matches they have played - although they have hardly impressed me either. I think it will be a close battle at the bottom between Melbourne, Port Adelaide and the Kangaroos. Whilst Melbourne have picked up two wins, they have been against Port and the Roos respectively, and they were only by narrow margin - and on the opposite side they have copped two massive floggings which sees their percentage the lowest in the league at just 65% right now, compared to Port's 73%.
RW: I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict the Kangaroos. They haven't shown me anything at all and in my opinion were lucky to get away with a win over the under-strength Hawks who were missing several players. Some people might think defeating a current top-4 team would be enough to ensure they are a fairly good team, but they really don't do it for me. They should take out the spoon this year, with Port finishing a close second.
GH: Personally I think the Power will take it out after their dreadful start, with the Kangaroos close behind and then Melbourne and Carlton to round out the bottom four. Still, there is eighteen more rounds to go in the AFL so there is plenty of time for these teams to start making improvements. In the middle of the ladder, however, there is some serious competition. No less than 9 teams are tied on points with two wins and two losses right now - Geelong have recovered well to fifth place whilst Melbourne hold out thirteenth. Robert - do you predict this will clear up?
RW: Obviously it will clear up a bit as the ladder starts to take place, but this has shown us that this season is far tighter than previous seasons and there will be a lot more competition - which is great for the game. If all these teams stay in contention it will be an extraordinary last couple of rounds - but most realistically, we will see some teams making a breakaway and the final 8 will probably start to form by about round 19.
TS: I don't think it could possibly stay this close and I'm confident we will soon start to see a top bunch of teams develop - West Coast, Richmond, Geelong, Collingwood and the likes forming a top group - but as for the lower and middle half of the ladder it could be a very close race come finals time. It will definitely be an interesting season.
GH: Thanks for your feedback on that. So - now, let's look at statistics. First of all - we'll take a quick look at Richmond. They are easily the most efficient team in the AFL right now - they are 16th in disposals averaging just 337.5 a game compared to Geelong's 394.3 - yet they average over 15 goals a game, showing how well they move the ball. They are the best attacking team right now in the AFL, despite not having the most prominent of forward lineups, and they average over 107 points for every game so far this season. It's hard to lose when you are scoring that many, and if they keep that up they could really be serious contenders this season.
RW: Yes, that really is a fantastic stat for them. Their ranking of #16 in disposals could either show that they aren't winning enough football or they aren't overusing it, and thankfully it is the latter. They are bombing the footy long when they get it and not bothering with pointless chip kicks. They have taken it directly through the corridor and they seem to control the middle half of the ground in their matches. Their attacking style is really working for them.
GH: On the other hand, the Kangaroos are #16 in terms of points scored. They have scored just 237 points from their four matches - an average of under ten goals a match. This really is not good enough - how can you expect to win a match when you only score 59 points every game?
TS: I don't know, Gerard, but they really need to step up their game. They have a poor midfield and their forwards aren't working hard enough. Drew Petrie and Corey Jones have kicked 12 between them which is a solid effort, but the rest of the team is not working for them and they aren't winning the ball into their forward 50. I can't see them going anywhere this season.
GH: The Kangaroos have actually kicked two more goals than the Demons this season, but Melbourne has kicked far more behinds. On that subject, let's take a look at the accuracy and inaccuracy of the teams for this season.
RW: Some teams are boasting disgusting accuracy in that table - Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in particular. Sydney have been extremely wasteful, kicking 62 behinds this season at an average of over 15 per game. This has definitely cost them this season - in their match at the Gabba in round 3 against Brisbane, they had the same amount of scoring shots as the Lions but went down due to their inaccuracy as they kicked 8.17 to Brisbane's 12.13. This is something they definitely need to work on.
GH: On that topic, let's have a look at a list of the most inaccurate players that have kicked 5 or more behinds this season.
GH: Justin Sherman the worst of that bunch - he has blazed 7 behinds for no major so far this year, whilst Adam Goodes, who is normally a reasonable shot on goal has kicked just 1.5 this season. It is worth noting that 6 of the top 8 most inaccurate players are from either Brisbane or Sydney - showing how poor they have been. Now, let's have a look at the most accurate players - the sharpshooters of the competition to compensate for the inaccurate.
RW: Jason Porplyzia is an excellent shot on goal so it is no surprise to see him on the list. Geelong's Shannon Byrnes has been surprisingly effective this season - he is not a huge goalkicker regularly but has started this season off with a bang, kicking 10 goals alongside his forward partner Mooney who has 11. Byrnes' accuracy has been superb, however.
GH: Now, whilst we will cover the disposals and goals later on this week, let's have a quick look at some other statistics regarding the players. For the most amount of media votes we have the Kangaroos' Brent Harvey with 12 who has easily been their best player. He is the only one that does anything in the midfield right now for them. Each week he has been consistently delivering it to Petrie and Jones to the best of his ability, but as soon as the ball rebounds, the Kangaroos have no chance. Nobody else is standing up for them. Next with the media votes we have Bartel, who has picked up four less than Harvey with 8, and Melbourne's Cameron Bruce follows behind with 7 votes.
RW: It's only to be expected that Harvey is leading too - he has been simply inspirational this season so far, averaging no less than 39 and a half disposals every game. Also, looking at the top ruckmen we can see a very close contest. Sandilands and Hille both have 113 hitouts this season, whilst Will Minson has 110 and Mark Blake and Jolly both follow behind on 108. The ruckmen have been fairly evenly matched this season and nobody has really dominated the hitouts each week.
GH: Finally, we'll have a look at the stat nobody wants to be leading - the most clangers. Unfortunately that honour goes to Kane Cornes, who isn't having the best start to the season with 20 clangers already. He hasn't had a whole lot of effective disposals this season either, and he really needs to step up if Port wants to get off the bottom. Four other players have 16 clangers - Tuck, Mitchell, Judd and Murphy, whilst nine more have 15.
TS: To make matters worse, Cornes has only had 79 disposals for the entire season as well. By this average, every fourth time he gets the ball, he turns it over with a poor disposal. This is really a poor stat for him and he will not be happy. He has not looked in good form this season at all and considering he is supposed to be one of their senior players, he is not standing up at all.
GH: Anyway, we've pretty much covered everything except for the tribunal and the injuries. On Wednesday seven players will be fronting with the next few weeks in the tribunal's hands. Dean Brogan, Paul Bevan, Darren Pfeiffer, Andrew McLeod, Brent Moloney, Michael Osborne and Mitch Clark will all be fronting the tribunal after they were reported. This week has also seen a lot of players go down with injury. Young Cat Dawson Simpson and ex-Kangaroo Leigh Brown both developed OP and will miss the season. With Leigh Brown now 28 years old, his future must be starting to be ever so slightly in doubt, especially with the injury keeping him out of the game for the rest of the year. In other injury news, Daniel Jackson will miss a week, whilst Brad Ebert, Cale Morton, Steven Dodd, Richard Douglas, Andrew Walker and Tom Logan should all miss at least a few weeks with their respective injuries. Anyway - that's everything for tonight. It's been an interesting session and it should be an interesting season as well as the teams battle it out through the year. Anyway, I'm Gerard Healy and thank you for watching AFL Discussion.
I keep trying to fix this but I think the file is corrupted now. Footy Fanatic on a whole is struggling on my computer, a lot of my files now have strange database errors.
I'm trying to fix this.. but it's not working too well..
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