Jack Riewoldt and Damien Hardwick are new men leading a revitalised Richmond
UPDATED: JACK Riewoldt and Damien Hardwick are new men and are leading a revitalised Richmond after beating Port Adelaide.
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IT IS so long ago now when Jack Riewoldt was being criticised for being too selfish.
It’s not so long ago now when coach Damien Hardwick was being talked of a coach who might be looking for a new job at season’s end.
On the same weekend, Riewoldt played perhaps his best game against good opposition and Hardwick chalked up one his best wins under his reign.
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The Tigers were what teams have to be on the road: Gritty, resilient and purposeful.
This was a 15 to five goal game which required all of what Richmond could physically offer, let alone while dealing with ghosts of recent paths.
They won the first quarter, which gave them the confidence, steadied in the second quarter which gave them a four-goal lead at the break and then were under siege in an enthralling third quarter, when they did not score.
Port had 14 inside 50s to Richmond’s five in that term, but could only muster 1.4.
Riewoldt kicked the first goal of the final quarter and the penultimate goal in the victory which catapulted the Tigers into eighth spot.
Don’t believe the Tigers didn’t have last year’s elimination hiding in their minds.
Riewoldt said after the game: “I can’t stress enough how big this was for our footy club. To have our guys step up, our younger guys step up, is a really big achievement.’’
He was phenomenal, Riewoldt.
He started deep and then moved up the ground when Tyrone Vickery hurt his knee in the second quarter.
Riewoldt’s workrate this season has been a standout feature of his game and yesterday he pushed as high as is defensive 50m and ran back to be a target deep inside 50m. He finished with 16 disposals, nine marks, four tackles, five inside 50s and four goals.
Brett Deledio has suddenly become a forward/midfielder and he again was outstanding.
Although Trent Cotchin was beaten by Kane Cornes, the likes of martin, Ellis, Grigg again, Maric and Anthony Miles were enormous between the arcs. All of them bar Ellis had double-figure contested possessions.
Hardwick should be chuffed.
After the loss to Melbourne in Round 4, there were serious doubts on Hardwick’s long-term future, mainly from a small sector of the media.
When they lost three in a row leading up to the Collingwood victory - and when they were judged as irrelevant by this observer - Hardwick continued to persist with his confidence in the team.
Sunday, that confidence was rewarded.
Port Adelaide are not the team of last season and it’s becoming apparent teams have worked hard to nullify their running game off half-back and that Port is struggling to deal with expectation.
It’s difficult when you are the hunted and the pre-season forecast that the jump from a preliminary final to a premiership is the most difficult jump of all.
The Tigers now face Essendon at the ‘G next Saturday night.
The Bombers are also a team unrecognisable to the one that played a three weeks ago, mainly because their ball movement has straightened.
Form improvements have helped. Michael Hibberd is out of his slumber, Joe Daniher kicked six and took five contested marks, and the having Paul Chapman, Jake Carlisle and Adam Cooney in the forward line makes it less of a push over.
Now, if Jobe Watson can get himself close to 100 per cent, the Dreamtime game should be a beauty.
FREMANTLE, THE DEFENSIVE POWERHOUSE
FIFTY-NINE is the magical mark in golf and Fremantle is on the verge of achieving that remarkable figure in football.’
In eight games this season, the Dockers have conceded an average of 62.9 points per game.
It is the lowest score against for a team since Collingwood in 1966, when they conceded a miserly 59.6 points per game.
The easy assessment is to say Ross Lyon’s men are blue-collar.
Try blue-collar in rolled gold.
Once they were slow and careful, now they are blitzkrieg — especially at the start of games — forever controlling of the tempo.
North Melbourne coach Brad Scott lamented his team’s schoolboy errors but this game was far more than that.
The Dockers made the Kangas look second-rate. Third-rate at times. They didn’t allow the Kangas to be in the game. Other than Port Adelaide in Round 1 and the Western Bulldogs in Round 7, they haven’t allowed any teams into their games.
Many of the errors, which cost the Kangas about 80 points on Saturday night, were forced by Fremantle’s pressure, perceived pressure and the ability of Fremantle’s defenders to cut off forward entries.
But that’s only one aspect of their performance.
Fremantle is a machine. They play football by committee. No individual, no matter how marvellous Nat Fyfe is, he’s not relied upon more than another.
In every bracket on the ground, they have dominant players.
Michael Walters kicks four goals up one end and Lee Spurr shuts down Lindsay Thomas up the other.
Hayden Ballantyne annoys everyone up one end and Garrick Ibbotson annoys all opposition with intercept marks up the other.
Lachie Neale goes into midfield and wins the ball, Michael Barlow becomes a forward flanker-winger and kicks goals.
Michael Johnson will be an All Australian defender and Zac Clark is a legitimate centre half-forward.
And then there’s Fyfe, Mundy, Sandilands, Hill and Danyle Pearce in the midfield and even Clancee Pearce is in career-best form.
They are ranked No. 1 in quarters won, points for, points against, disposal differential, contested disposal differential, clearance differential, hitouts to advantage, inside 50m differential and are second on goal conversion once inside 50m.
But there is a quirk.
Clearly, they are the best contested possession team in the competition and then own the footy when they get it, averaging 47 more disposals than their opposition, which is another reason for their terrific low points against.
But they are 16th for tackle differential. Again, they win the ball and keep it.
North Melbourne was Struggle St. They had 46 inside 50s for 5.9. Fremantle had 45 insides 50s for 17.11. Mostly everything for them was a scramble, a hurry, or a panic.
Still, it is only Round 8 and all of Fremantle’s players and philosophies will be tested in 16 weeks’ time.
When they get there, they should be in a situation to play a home final (and win) and then a home preliminary final (should win).
They are one of two teams there is trust in. The other is Sydney. They did everything to win in the final quarter when Hawthorn did everything to lose in the final minutes.
The Hawks are 4-4 and were caught out the back several times, which allowed easy goals to the Swans.
It is only Round 8, but it would be a minor concern for coach Alastair Clarkson.
Growing trust are GWS and West Coast, while most of the rest falter with their consistency.
Six teams sit 4-4 — all of them Victorian teams — and the surprising failure is Port Adelaide.
They look shot and Richmond is only a percentage off seventh.
Whoever would’ve thought 12 games — from now to last year’s elimination final — was a long time in football.
Originally published as Jack Riewoldt and Damien Hardwick are new men leading a revitalised Richmond
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