Preliminary final player ratings: Trent Cotchin stars, Steve Johnson’s sad end
GREATER Western Sydney had some winners, but Richmond had more. Our footy experts rate every preliminary final player after Richmond’s win.
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GREATER Western Sydney had some winners, but Richmond had more.
See how the Giants and Tigers performed as our experts rate every player.
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RICHMOND
TRENT COTCHIN 9.5
Won’t sleep much tonight, but if his bump on Shiel worried him, he didn’t let it show. Sublime display of leadership.
DANIEL RIOLI 9
Great uncle Maurice Rioli won Richmond’s last Norm Smith in 1982, and cousin Cyril won it in 2015. Could James Hird present Dan with one on Saturday? Career-best four goals split the Giants apart.
ALEX RANCE 9
Started on Patton before he danced the dance with Stevie J and, like usual, had the moves all day. Brilliant.
DUSTIN MARTIN 9
The Brownlow Medallist-in-waiting kicked Richmond into its first Grand Final since 1982, after signing up until 2024, with three goals in a row. Hope Auckland gets Channel 7 in HD.
KANE LAMBERT 7.5
This jet should be the poster-boy for every state-league prospects. Set up Shane Edwards for the game-breaking goal and worked his backside off at the Northern Bullants and Williamstown for a rookie lifeline.
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TOBY NANKERVIS 7
Adam Treloar got his list management analysis wrong, but Nank the Tank got his bang on – picking the Tigers over the Dogs last year. Aggressive streak a highlight for this ruckman.
SHANE EDWARDS 7
Always there when needed and calm. One of the longest-serving Tigers who can dream for another week.
DYLAN GRIMES 7
Given the task on Greene and kept him quiet. Didn’t allow the Giant any space on a night he could have been vital.
BACHAR HOULI 7
Found space and directed the ball beautifully. Mopped up with class and worked hard for his teammates, especially on the rebound.
DAVID ASTBURY 7
Always plays his role and isn’t that what you want in September? Overcame an early shoulder issue to apply strong pressure.
JASON CASTAGNA 6.5
Ty Vickery nicknamed Castagna ‘George’ and his set-shot kicking was like Jerry Seinfeld’s mate in the second quarter. But boy, that pressure as hot as Saturday’s weather.
DAN BUTLER 6.5
His table tennis antics forced Jason Castagna to get ‘DB’ tattooed on his backside, and some silver service in the Grand Final will have Butler in line for some premiership ink next week.
DION PRESTIA 6.5
Chose the Tigers as a board threat loomed and wakes up preparing for Grand Final week as his old Gold Coast mates roll onto another week of holidays. Prestia for pick six? Tick.
JACOB TOWNSEND 6
His kick-to-goal ratio is a bit like how Adam Voges once rivalled the great Don Bradman’s average. Has a JJ Liston Medallist ever become an AFL premiership player two weeks later? Worked hard defensively and will again get coach’s love.
NATHAN BROAD 6
Shared the load with Astbury on Greene and held his own given his lack of experience. Nan will be happy — her boy should keep his spot.
NICK VLASTUIN 6
Clean across half-back. Knows how to arch the back and broke away on a number of occasions to get the Tigers out of jail.
KAMDYN McINTOSH 6
Wasn’t always effective but kept the heat on with tackling pressure and that’s become the Tigers’ September trademark.
SHAUN GRIGG 6
Spent time in the ruck as a chop-out for Nankervis. Provided grunt heading inside forward 50.
JACK GRAHAM 6
One club dismissed Graham as a trier at last year’s draft. Well, after 32 tackles in four games he’s a tried and true Grand Final Tiger.
BRANDON ELLIS 5
Quiet by usual standards. Disposal count wasn’t up to his 2017 averages — much like against Geelong — but worked hard on Kelly.
JOSH CADDY 4
Smarts early impressive and while the Sun-turned-Cat-turned-Tiger wasn’t great, he’s through. Only Tiger not to lay a tackle a concern.
JACK RIEWOLDT 3
Badly beaten by Phil Davis, was Jack. And Riewoldt’s 17 goals from 11 games against Adelaide his poorest return. But, should have plenty more to give.
GWS GIANTS
ADAM TOMLINSON 9
Outstanding in crunch game. Used as the link man across half-back and responsible for several scoring chains. Finished with career high 25 disposals.
CALLAN WARD 8
Enormous for his side and impacted at the contest and up forward in a stellar effort. He threw himself at everything and then got up and ran too. Kicked three goals and was easily the Giants’ best player.
JOSH KELLY 7
Started the game on fire with five touches in the first five minutes and had a massive first-half but went quiet when the game was on the line in the third term and couldn’t find the energy to go again in the last quarter.
HARRISON HIMMELBERG 7
Quick out of the blocks with two goals but faded as the Giants battled to get the ball in scoring range with any purpose.
JACOB HOPPER 7
Busy in and under so many contests and clean with the ball the young Giant was good by hand helping put his runners into space with three times as many handballs as kicks but his work at the coalface wasn’t enough.
PHIL DAVIS 7
Tried hard all game but was unable to stem the Tiger tide. Kept Jack Riewoldt on a short rein, but others did the damage.
HEATH SHAW 6.5
Fumbled and fell over in the opening minutes but worked his way into the game. Was cool under siege but at times found the Tigers mosquito fleet too zippy for old legs.
TOM SCULLY 6
Ran and ran and ran and ran and found himself on the outside in space plenty of times but didn’t do any real damage with the bulk of his touches and didn’t hit the scoreboard until it was too late.
NICK HAYNES 6
Peeled off well but Tigers prefer to attack on the ground than through the air. Operated at 85 per cent efficiency in hot game.
STEPHEN CONIGLIO 6
With Shiel out of the game needed to stand up for the Giants to be any chance. Got enough of the ball without causing any damage.
JON PATTON 6
Could have been the difference if he backed up his opening half in the second. Was a target up the ground and down forward in the first two quarters, and worked hard in the ruck too but couldn’t impact when it mattered.
ZAC WILLIAMS 5
Went from chocolates to boiled lollies in three strides. Couldn’t have placed some of the kick ins any better but in play miscued a few too many.
MATT DE BOER 5
Did his job. Honest as the day is long, the ex-Docker tried hard to lock the ball inside 50m with six tackles and two clearances.
STEVE JOHNSON 5
A mixed bag from the enigma that is Stevie J in his final game. Found the footy in good scoring positions, but couldn’t kick it 40m and a classic turnover in the third term maybe evidence he's made the right call to quit.
RORY LOBB 5
Battled manfully in the ruck and willed himself to take some good contested marks but like so many of his teammates couldn’t keep up when things got hot in the second half.
LACHIE WHITFIELD 5
He plays like Tom Scully and his night was much the same although he spent more time running the ball out of the backline and did a lot more running for a few less touches and copped a high knock late.
DYLAN SHIEL 4
Rotten luck to be sent to the bench with concussion after a bright start. Lively early but day ended in the second quarter with blurred vision following a high bump from Cotchin.
TIM TARANTO 4
Tough kid who’ll be better for the experience but failed to fire a shot in the first half when the game hung in the balance. Six tackles a big tick.
TOBY GREENE 4
Thrown into the midfield in the second half after failing to impact the game up forward, Greene was another who found himself handballing more than kicking and ends his season with a whimper not the bang Giants fans are used to.
NATHAN WILSON 3
Far too ambitious when the Giants needed composure during the second and third terms. Turned the ball over far too easily and the Tigers feasted on the errors.
BRETT DELEDIO 3
Tackles were the former Tiger’s only real effective stat as he battled to find the football at all and showed limited signs of the run he was once known for. Left Tigerland at exactly the wrong time.
AIDEN CORR 2
Blitzed by Daniel Rioli and a crucial third-quarter turnover was among just seven ineffective possessions in a horror night. GPS tracking had him sprinting a lot, but mainly chasing Rioli.
Originally published as Preliminary final player ratings: Trent Cotchin stars, Steve Johnson’s sad end
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