TonyK
CibbuanoTigers stay alive
August 23rd 2008 07:29
RICHMOND has kept its slim finals hopes alive with a hard-fought seven-point win over Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers trailed at every change but lifted in the final term to record a crucial 15.15 (105) to 15.8 (98) victory.
The win sees the Tigers move to within half a game of the top eight but the club's finals bid could still be over by the end of this round if Collingwood and St Kilda both win their respective matches against Sydney and Adelaide.
The Dockers have now lost eight games this year by single figure margins - the most by any AFL club in history in a single season.
Shane Tuck was prolific in the middle with a game-high 31 possessions and two goals while Brett Deledio was a busy contributor with 23 touches and two majors.
For Fremantle, Paul Duffield (28 possessions) tried hard all day. Roger Hayden was busy in defence with 25 disposals and 12 marks while Mark Johnson chimed in with three majors.
Despite losing skipper Matthew Pavlich before the match the Dockers started the better of the two sides, booting the first three goals of the contest in the opening six minutes.
The Tigers responded with three of the last five goals of the quarter and should have been in front at quarter-time but failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, booting a wasteful 3.6.
Richmond kicked the first goal of the second term through Troy Simmonds and when Tuck kicked his first it appeared as if the Tigers were on their way to their 10th win of the season.
But Fremantle answered every challenge, booting five majors of their own to take a seven-point advantage into the main break.
The Tigers came out firing in the second half, booting the first three goals of the third term to skip out to a 13-point lead at the 11-minute mark.
The predictable thing to do for a Fremantle team with seemingly little to play for would have been to drop their heads and allow the Tigers to cruise to an easy victory.
But the Dockers refused to give in and responded with majors from Ryan Murphy, Josh Carr and Brett Peake to take a five-point lead into the final change.
Matthew Richardson came to life in the final stanza, booting two early goals and when Jay Schulz kicked a goal on the run the Tigers had booted four unanswered goals to open up a 20-point lead at the 17-minute mark.
The Dockers booted the last two goals of the match but ran out of time as the Tigers held on for an unconvincing win.
RICHMOND: 3.6, 8.8, 11.12, 15.15 (105)
FREMANTLE: 5.1, 10.3, 13.5, 15.8 (98)
GOALS: Richmond: Morton 3, Tuck 2, Deledio 2, Richardson 2, Simmonds, Jackson, Connors, Foley, Newman, Schulz
Fremantle: Mark Johnson 3, Murphy 2, Bradley 2, Carr, Peake, Palmer, Headland, Mundy, Thornton, Campbell, Drum
BEST: Richmond: Tuck, Simmonds, Edwards, White, Jackson, Newman, Deledio
Fremantle: Duffield, Hayden, McPharlin, Palmer, Campbell, Mark Johnson, Crowley
INJURIES: Richmond: Nil
Fremantle: Nil
UMPIRES: Schmitt, Ellis, Mollison
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Richmond: Nil
Fremantle: Pavlich (knee soreness) replaced in selected side by Murphy
The Tigers trailed at every change but lifted in the final term to record a crucial 15.15 (105) to 15.8 (98) victory.
The win sees the Tigers move to within half a game of the top eight but the club's finals bid could still be over by the end of this round if Collingwood and St Kilda both win their respective matches against Sydney and Adelaide.
The Dockers have now lost eight games this year by single figure margins - the most by any AFL club in history in a single season.
Shane Tuck was prolific in the middle with a game-high 31 possessions and two goals while Brett Deledio was a busy contributor with 23 touches and two majors.
For Fremantle, Paul Duffield (28 possessions) tried hard all day. Roger Hayden was busy in defence with 25 disposals and 12 marks while Mark Johnson chimed in with three majors.
Despite losing skipper Matthew Pavlich before the match the Dockers started the better of the two sides, booting the first three goals of the contest in the opening six minutes.
The Tigers responded with three of the last five goals of the quarter and should have been in front at quarter-time but failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, booting a wasteful 3.6.
Richmond kicked the first goal of the second term through Troy Simmonds and when Tuck kicked his first it appeared as if the Tigers were on their way to their 10th win of the season.
But Fremantle answered every challenge, booting five majors of their own to take a seven-point advantage into the main break.
The Tigers came out firing in the second half, booting the first three goals of the third term to skip out to a 13-point lead at the 11-minute mark.
The predictable thing to do for a Fremantle team with seemingly little to play for would have been to drop their heads and allow the Tigers to cruise to an easy victory.
But the Dockers refused to give in and responded with majors from Ryan Murphy, Josh Carr and Brett Peake to take a five-point lead into the final change.
Matthew Richardson came to life in the final stanza, booting two early goals and when Jay Schulz kicked a goal on the run the Tigers had booted four unanswered goals to open up a 20-point lead at the 17-minute mark.
The Dockers booted the last two goals of the match but ran out of time as the Tigers held on for an unconvincing win.
RICHMOND: 3.6, 8.8, 11.12, 15.15 (105)
FREMANTLE: 5.1, 10.3, 13.5, 15.8 (98)
GOALS: Richmond: Morton 3, Tuck 2, Deledio 2, Richardson 2, Simmonds, Jackson, Connors, Foley, Newman, Schulz
Fremantle: Mark Johnson 3, Murphy 2, Bradley 2, Carr, Peake, Palmer, Headland, Mundy, Thornton, Campbell, Drum
BEST: Richmond: Tuck, Simmonds, Edwards, White, Jackson, Newman, Deledio
Fremantle: Duffield, Hayden, McPharlin, Palmer, Campbell, Mark Johnson, Crowley
INJURIES: Richmond: Nil
Fremantle: Nil
UMPIRES: Schmitt, Ellis, Mollison
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Richmond: Nil
Fremantle: Pavlich (knee soreness) replaced in selected side by Murphy
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