Richmond’s first appearance in the Peter Jackson VFL top eight has come courtesy of a 36-point victory over Essendon last Saturday in the inaugural Dreamtime match between the VFL sides.
Tiger ruckman Orren Stephenson was the standout player; his 30 hit outs, three goals and 20 disposals saw him named the recipient of the Sir Doug Nicholls best player award.
While Richmond make their top eight debut for the 2014 season, Essendon tumbled to tenth spot in a disappointing loss for the Bombers, as Kate Smart reports.
In a tightly contested first quarter, Essendon held the lead throughout the first term. Stephenson ended the quarter by putting through an after the siren goal to place the Tigers within seven points at the first change. This would be the only time the Bombers found themselves in the lead all day.
Richmond gained momentum in the second term, outplaying the Bombers by adding three unanswered goals before the Bombers managed to convert. The Tigers found themselves in the lead at the 10 minute mark and they never looked back. The Bombers failed to make the most of their chances and were unable to contain the Tigers after such a promising start. The Tigers led by three points at half time.
Richmond put the foot down in the third quarter, kicking seven goals to two. The Tigers kicked the first five goals of the term before Kurt Aylett managed to convert for the Bombers. It wasn’t long before Richmond added another two, thanks to Stephenson and Aaron Edwards kicking his fourth, to finish the quarter 37 points ahead at the final change.
The final term was plagued by inaccuracy from both sides. Corey Dell’Olio kicked Essendon’s only two goals for the quarter but the Bombers wasted opportunites with just the two majors from eight scoring shots as they fell 36 points short of the Tigers.
Speaking on Roar Vision, Richmond coach, Tim Clarke praised his team’s efforts in what he knew would be a challenging match.
“The boys really came to play on Saturday. We knew that Essendon was going to be a tough game.
“The boys played really well, played the style that we wanted to and finished off the second half really well.”
Anthony Miles was one the Tigers’ best, ending the day with 35 disposals, with Ricky Pettard and Aaron Edwards also putting in solid performances. Pettard sat out the first half but once on the ground was an important influence with 20 disposals. Edwards kicked four goals for Richmond, making him their top scorer. Stephenson’s ruckwork was invaluable, feeding the midfield the ball and enabling the Tigers to make the most of their opportunities.
Among the best for the Bombers was Corey Dell’Olio, who top scored with four goals. Travis Colyer put in a solid performance with 26 possessions and Ben Duscher led a young midfield with 17 possessions. Leroy Jetta had a solid performance with 22 possessions and like Duscher contributed to the Bombers first term goals.
The two teams will have a rest this week due to the split round and hope to return fresh for Round 10.
Richmond will be looking to consolidate their place in the top eight with a win over the Northern Blues whilst the Bombers will meet the Werribee Tigers in what is a must win match for them.
Photo: Dave Savell
Last Modified on 04/06/2014 17:34