Richmond v West Coast: Tigers’ dominant second half lifts them over Eagles
Maurice Rioli’s career seemed at the crossroads in round 11, before another stint in the VFL changed the electric small forward. Now, he’s one of footy’s great forward menaces.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
At the end of a round 11 Dreamtime at the ‘G loss that saw Maurice Rioli only subbed into the clash at half time, Richmond knew something had to give.
Their wildly talented small forward was drifting through an AFL career, still with another season on his contract but in danger of never reaching his potential.
A syndesmosis injury had ruined his 2024 season but after five games this campaign he had kicked only three goals in limited minutes.
If Richmond didn’t start him as sub, they often subbed him off.
It was time to reprogram him.
Coach Adem Yze gave Rioli a VFL block playing real midfield time to build his fitness and his involvement in games after often going missing for large periods.
Rival clubs contacted last October doused persistent trade rumours, believing he would never build a tank to compete at AFL level.
On Saturday night Richmond – and Rioli – were rewarded for that recent tough love.
Rioli might have been involved in the run-down tackle of the decade as he spotted West Coast’s Brady Hough 25 metres then flung himself full length to grab onto his jumper while at top speed.
On Sunday afternoon a tired but elated Rioli still wasn’t sure if his tackle was better than Tom Brown’s match-saving tackle on Tom Gross earlier this year.
But he knew it was his time to go.
“I guess I saw him in the corner of my eye by himself and with the way they used the corridor I knew they would use him,” he told this masthead.
“I just thought I would try to give it a crack to see if I could get him. As soon as the ball was in the air I made my move.
“I thought he would probably kick the ball by the time I got him or hit someone up but I was lucky enough he took another bounce and I thought I am just going to dive here and I got him in the end. (Tom’s) tackle is probably better because it was a game-saving tackle but mine lifted the group up and everyone had their moment. That’s what my game is based off. It comes naturally. I love hunting on the footy field and get the ball in play from there.
“It was pretty funny. The boys were calling me Superman and doing posts. Jack Ross posted the Superman poster and edited my face into it.”
Then came the second moment of inspiration as he dived at full stretch again to smother Harry Edwards’ kick before a jinking run to keep the ball away from his opponent and squared kick to captain Toby Nankervis in the goalsquare.
Yze lauded the chase-down tackle as the game-turner after his Tiger had absorbed 15 inside 50s to four at that point.
But it was the work Rioli had done in the VFL that allowed him to “give it a crack” and take on Hough.
In those VFL games he had 25 possessions and eight tackles against GWS and 19 and eight tackles against the Bullants, building fitness and confidence.
Then in his return to the AFL side against Geelong he replaced Sam Lalor after his hamstring injury and played the game of his career with some midfield time reeling off 19 possessions and 395 metres gained.
“Obviously (Edwards is) a big key defender so I thought he would get the ball away so I would go for the smother. I read it pretty well and I was going to have a shot until I saw Toby there and I thought I would give it to the skipper.
“It just comes on instinct. I love doing that stuff, but when I am out there I just play and that’s what I bring to the team. I love doing that kind of stuff.”
Yze was thrilled with consecutive wins — and a road victory — and paid tribute to Rioli’s telling intervention.
“Maurice Rioli’s run-down was the spark we needed. From that moment I felt like our game was in really good shape.
“He wasn’t the only one (we celebrated). At half time we spoke through about half a dozen moments. Nank laid a crunching tackle. Tyler Sonsie stepped in inside forward 50 to lock in a ball and Jonty Faull put his head over a ball with Harley Reid to the left of the bench in front of us. It was two super talented kids going at the footy. Those little moments are part of the growth along the journey we are on, so we celebrated that at half time.”
MCQUALTER’S PLEA: ‘INSPIRATIONAL’ HARLEY NEEDS HELP
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter said he is working hard to find young midfield star Harley Reid some much-needed help.
The Eagles dominated the early running against Richmond on Saturday night, due mainly to Reid’s efforts.
He had 20 touches in the first two quarters.
The Tigers led by nine points at half-time, only due to West Coast’s turnovers - and Maurice Rioli’s run down tackle and smother.
When Reid was tagged out of the game in the third term, by Jack Ross, the Tigers kicked eight goals to one and blew the game apart.
The Eagles had no one else to step up and threaten.
McQualter said they were currently in a difficult situation.
“We are aware that we’ve got a 20-year-old carrying our midfield,” he said.
“It’s not an easy position for him. We need help. We’re going to work hard to give him help.
“We did a few things in the last quarter to give him a couple of different looks, and he’s fighting his way through it.
“It’s a difficult position at the moment, but as a team we have to find more people and players and ways to not rely on one person.
“There’s no AFL team ever that relies on one player to be good, so we’re going to keep working hard to find and create players that can keep influencing in the game.
“I thought Harley was by far our best player tonight. I loved the way he went about it. I loved his team-first approach, the way he attacked the ball. He was inspirational to his teammates. I love the way he went about it.”
Even Richmond coach Adem Yze said after the game that he felt sorry for Reid.
Yze said he had no choice but to tag him after half-time, because he was so damaging in the first half.
“At half-time, we made the decision to try and shut (Harley) out, and I think he kept him to the seven possessions in the second half, which is an amazing effort by Rossi,” Yze said.
Reid had just seven touches in the second half, but still kicked two goals in the fourth quarter when he went forward.
The number 1 draft pick in 2023 is adjusting to life as a full-time midfielder at the end of his second season.
He’s now had 24 touches or more in four of his past five games.
There is plenty of speculation that the Victorian will try to head home at the end of next season, the final year of his first AFL contract.
But McQualter doesn’t seem too worried.
“I think if you see Harley and the way he’s invested, he’s absolutely in and he’s a competitor,” he said.
“He’s wanting to do everything to get this club out of this position.
“So, nobody likes losing, I appreciate that part of it. We’re all sick to death of it to be honest.
“But we’re the only people that can make a change. It’s people inside the four walls that can get us out of here and we have to do it together.”
TIGERS FLY PAST EAGLES IN REBUILDING BATTLE
We should never be surprised when someone carrying the Rioli name sparks an AFL win.
It was a couple of moments of magic from Maurice Rioli at Optus Oval on Saturday night that set Richmond on its way to a 49-point win over West Coast.
While Jacob Hopper, Tim Taranto and Nick Vlastuin saw plenty of the ball, Rioli provided the big moments that turned the tide in the Tigers way.
His teammates reacted and they dominated the third quarter to set up their fifth win for the season, 16.9 (105) to 8.8 (56).
That’s the Tigers biggest score for the season and the first time they have broken the ton.
It’s also the first time Richmond has won consecutive games since winning three between rounds 17 to 19 in 2023. Current West Coast coach Andrew McQualter was interim charge of the Tigers then, sitting in the chair after Damien Hardwick vacated it.
Saturday’s result all but guarantees that McQualter’s new team will claim the wooden spoon in his first season in charge.
MAURICE RIOLI WHAT A TACKLE 🌟#AFLEaglesTigerspic.twitter.com/KEwd5LSsOv
— AFL (@AFL) July 19, 2025
RIOLI PROVIDES THE SPARK
Richmond started slowly and needed someone to provide a special moment to spark them into action.
Rioli provided that moment with five minutes left in the first term, with a brilliant chase-down tackle.
West Coast’s Brady Hough took the ball at half-back and had no one in front of him, so off he went.
Rioli took off after him, starting 10m behind. He caught up as the Eagles defender was taking his third bounce, and won the free kick.
Less than 20 seconds later, Taranto kicked the first of his two goals to finish the quarter and the Tigers led by five points at the break.
If you missed it, you’ll get plenty of opportunities to see Rioli’s chase on highlight reels during end-of-season celebrations.
AND THEN AGAIN
Rioli provided another moment of brilliance midway through the second quarter, that resulted in another Tigers goal.
Eagles defender Harry Edwards was trying to clear the ball from his defence, and had support from teammate Jack Hutchinson, who was standing by himself at half-back.
The only person who could stop West Coast from running the ball out of defence was Rioli.
And he did.
Seeing the opportunity was one thing, closing in on Edwards to smother the kick, was another.
But Rioli wasn’t done. He also recovered better than the Eagle and found Toby Nankervis by himself in the goal square, who kicked the Tigers fifth goal and gave them a 16-point lead.
LOCK DOWN ON REID
At half-time Harley Reid was heading to a career-best game, albeit in only his second season.
His best is not even close to being seen yet.
He had 20 possessions at the main break, after picking up 12 in an impressive second quarter. The Eagles trailed by nine points, due mainly to turnovers.
Jack Ross went on him at the restart and Reid added just four more possessions in the third term.
Richmond cashed in, kicking 8.4 to 1.2 for the quarter. The game was done. Reid finished with 27 possessions and two goals.
In his previous 37 games, 29 disposals is his best, against Fremantle in round 20 last season.
He is now growing into the potential everyone knows he has.
Reid has now had more than 25 possessions in four of his past five games, including 27 and 24 against Port Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney in the two weeks before this one.
He’s been criticised for giving away free kicks, 52 this season before Saturday night.
He improved that against the Tigers too, giving away just two, while being awarded four of his own.
Originally published as Richmond v West Coast: Tigers’ dominant second half lifts them over Eagles
Tszyu dressing room scene is heartbreaking
A heartbreaking scene in Tim Tszyu’s dressing room said it all as the Australian was given some hard truths about his boxing future.
‘Get f***ed’: Boxing robbery torn to shreds
Manny Pacquiao’s historic return to the ring has ended in controversial scenes with fans watching on left seeing red.