AFL 2023: Richmond defeat Sydney 88-75 to keep finals hopes alive

The Tigers were down and out against the Swans Thursday night, then as they have all season picked themselves up off the canvas, keeping themselves in the hunt for an unlikely finals berth.

Lance Franklin during the Sydney Swans training session at the SCG. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Like Richmond’s whole season, the Tigers looked down and out in the second term.

There was heartbreak for first-gamer Jacob Bauer, a likely three-match suspension for ruckman Toby Nankervis, and a quiet opening for Jack Riewoldt.

But in one of this season’s most remarkable plot twists, Andrew McQualter’s men lifted up off the canvas as Liam Baker and Nick Vlastuin were thrown forward, Dustin Martin produced the spearing drop punt of the year in the last term, and Shai Bolton produced the magic in the wet to pip Sydney by 13 points at the MCG.

Champion goal-kicker Lance Franklin had the chance to take the lead in the tense final term for the Swans but his left foot snap ballooned off-line in potentially his last game at the MCG.

The Tigers held on grimly late in the last quarter to post a win that could not only be significant for the Tigers’ finals chances, but also for McQualter’s bid to replace former boss Damien Hardwick.

Martin produced a starring display to help the Tigers to victory. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Richmond has won four of its past five under McQualter, who spun the magnets and had the bravery to play two debutants as part of the memorable comeback that keeps their September dreams alive.

Baker kicked one of the majors of the year with a miraculous boot out of mid-air with his back to the goal, while Vlastuin marked strongly inside 50m to claw the Tigers back in it.

But most importantly, McQualter and his senior leaders didn’t lose faith when they looked gone early as Isaac Heeney fired and Errol Gulden pressed his All-Australian claims as part of a strong opening for the Swans

But you can imagine Hardwick toasting the Tigers from somewhere in Belgium on his European holiday as they showed incredible character pouring on the pressure and turning momentum in the middle to reel in an 18-point half time deficit.

The triumph means the Tigers need to win six more games from their last seven matches to steal a top-eight berth as part of a difficult, but not impossible journey home.

Thirteen wins is the magic number in 2023, and the yellow and black, who were gone for all money when Hardwick stepped aside, have found something.

Richmond plays regular easybeat West Coast next, followed by Hawthorn, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, St Kilda, North Melbourne and Port Adelaide in the last round. They look dangerous.

But if they drop two of those, they are out of the race.

Interim coach Andrew McQualter has the Tigers still alive in the finals hunt. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

A season that started with only one win and one draw from the opening seven games as gun spearhead Tom Lynch went down with a potentially season-ending foot problem may yet have a fairytale ending with the players’ tails up under McQualter.

Certainly, the MCG roared with optimism as hard nut Jack Graham kicked two late goals including a 60m slider in wet conditions and Riewoldt nailed one from close range to have a late impact in what is looking like his final season

And that spirit and midfield quality is what makes the Richmond coaching job such an attractive one for the new Tigers’ coach.

GWS Giant Harry Himmelberg is weighing up the call to join either Richmond or Sydney Swans or for that matter stay at GWS and it would have been interesting as he watched Richmond win the clearance battle 47-31 and inside 50 battle 57-49.

Bolton looked cleaner than most racking up 31 touches and lurked with intent late as Tim Taranto revelled in the slippery conditions and Martin switched into the middle at times to gather 29 himself including one goal.

It has to bode well for McQualter despite last week’s fade-out in the heavy loss to Brisbane Lions but the sprint finish is on, and on Friday night Richmond sat only two points outside the eight.

But the Tigers will have to experiment with its ruck stocks over the next month with co-captain Nankervis facing a possible three-match suspension for a high bump. Nankervis’ late hit is set to be graded careless conduct, high contact and severe impact as Lloyd was concussed.

Nankervis’ bump forced the Swans to sub out Lloyd and will likely see Nankervis miss the next three weeks. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

He is likely to be sent straight to the tribunal after ploughing into Swans defender Jake Lloyd with a heavy bump.

It will force a reshuffle of the ruck stocks as Richmond has preferred Samson Ryan as back-up ruck for the bulk of the season.

But the Nankervis suspension could see the club call-up Ivan Soldo for only his second game of the year, pending an assessment of his form in the VFL

Soldo remains contracted at Richmond until the end of next season and will attempt to show Richmond’s coaches he still has a key role to play following an early-season foot injury.

Nankervis helped spark the Tigers’ comeback in the third term, kicking a superb goal from a boundary throw-in as part of a four-goal burst either side of half-time.

TIGERS 2.1, 5.6, 8.12, 12.16 (88)

SWANS 4.4, 8.6, 10.8, 11.9 (75)

LERNER’S BESTTigers: Martin, Nankervis, Bolton, Taranto, Broad, Graham, Ross. Swans: Gulden, Heeney, Parker, Florent, Melican, Franklin.

GOALS Tigers: Ross 2, Graham 2, Miller, Pickett, Cotchin, Baker, Nankervis, Vlastuin, Riewoldt, Martin. Swans: Heeney 3, McInerney 2, Hayward 2, Franklin 2, Gulden, Papley.

INJURIES Tigers: Bauer (hamstring). Swans: Lloyd (concussion).

UMPIRES Power, Hosking, Meredith, Findlay

VENUE MCG

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LERNER’S VOTES

3 Dustin Martin (Rich)

2 Toby Nankervis (Rich)

1 Errol Gulden (Syd)

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Originally published as AFL 2023: Richmond defeat Sydney 88-75 to keep finals hopes alive