Richmond tears Melbourne apart with final-quarter burst

Richmond absorbed everything Melbourne threw at it for three quarters before the Tigers powered away for a commanding victory to further erode the Demons’ finals hopes.

Brandon Ellis celebrates a goal for the Tigers. Picture: Getty Images

You can put a line through Melbourne.

A summer bursting with hope has faded before the weather even turned cold, and that would’ve left Demons fans exiting the MCG with an all-too-familiar chill.

Passionate members of the club’s cheer squad might only be reaching for the pencil, but at 1-5 even they must concede it is hard to see how the game’s longest premiership drought can be broken in 2019.

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After their 43-point to Richmond, the Demons sit 17th on the ladder with a percentage of just 69.2.

They would need to win 12 of the remaining 16 games to even reach September.

While Sydney converted a 0-6 start into a home final in 2017, coach John Longmire conceded his team spent far too many petrol tickets getting to September to make a serious premiership play.

That’s not to say Melbourne didn’t begin with a red-hot crack. Coach Simon Goodwin spun the magnets and his team’s first quarter was impressive.

Struggling goalkicker Tom McDonald returned to full-back on Tom Lynch, Michael Hibberd stalked Dustin Martin like a jilted ex-lover, Jake Melksham provided five sharp entries and Clayton Oliver started at full-forward.

Sydney Stack flies over two Demons to take a spectacular mark. Picture: AAP

Brandon Ellis celebrates. Picture: Getty

Melbourne’s new-look midfield was on top. The only problem was, that dominance was absorbed by Richmond’s trademark pressure.

And with McDonald in the defensive goalsquare the Demons’ scoring power dried up.

In fact, they managed just two goals after quarter-time and logged their lowest score in 62 games.

Tigers coach Damien Hardwick lamented after Round 2 that his team put in an “un-Richmond-like” performance.

Well, by halftime it was evident the Tigers of old were back.

Nick Vlastuin had nine intercept possessions (four marks) and the Tigers had created 24 forward-half turnovers.

The league average for an entire match is about 25.

At times it appeared Alex Rance had made a miraculous return and died his hair red, such was Vlastuin’s aerial prowess.

The Demons simply couldn’t penetrate their half-forward line with so many of their kicks dropped to the boot in hope rather than with conviction.

Melbourne’s second quarter was its fourth goalless term for the season and they also lost their fifth third quarter for the season.

The Dees have been outscored by 82 points in third quarters this year while James Harmes laid just two tackles after previously averaging seven against Richmond.

Chief executive Gary Pert pointed out pre-game the club had 14 post-season operations and once again they ran out of puff as a 36-35 score line quickly morphed into 71-35 amid a five-goal burst by the Tigers.

Jack Riewoldt brings Bayley Fritsch to the ground in a tackle. Picture: Getty Images

SYDNEY? MORE LIKE BYRON

Jack Viney won’t forget Sydney Stack anytime soon. In fact, the co-captain will probably wake up with Stack’s imprint on his right arm after a hip-and-shoulder for the ages.

Stack picked off Viney with a perfect bump to start the last quarter that was straight out of the Byron Pickett playbook.

Lucky for him Stack weighs just 72kg, although that lighter frame helped him soar over Tim Smith for a second-quarter speccy. Stack, who has moved out of Damien Hardwick’s house and into Xavier Clarke’s, was overlooked by all 18 clubs (including by Richmond five times) despite his obvious talent last year.

But, since winning his chance under the new pre-season list rules, the West Australian has grabbed it and run.

His cult status was confirmed with a roaring applause when he game to the bench in the final term. A credit to Stack, the Tigers and the AFL’s new rules.

“I’m just giving my best effort out there and putting my body on the line for the team and just playing my role,” Stack told Channel 7 after the match.

“I just feel like I have something to prove missing out on the draft and showing the other clubs how good I am. That’s about it really.”

Sydney Stack crashes into Jack Viney. Picture: Michael Klein

JACK ATTACK STRAIGHT BACK

They call Jack Riewoldt ‘Jumping Jack’. Perhaps they should call him “Reading Riewoldt”.

Is there a player in the AFL that reads the ball in the air as well as the three-time Coleman medallist?

Jack knows when to drift to the front or back and leaps with the timing of Big Ben. Riewoldt’s kicking in the first half was amiss, but back-to-back goals in the third quarter proved telling.

SAM NOT YET THE MAN

Sam Weideman has reportedly asked Melbourne for $650,000 a year from next season.

But after six rounds the club’s list management might be wondering if he is worth half of that.

Weideman hasn’t kicked a goal since Round 4 and took just three marks, struggling to even provide much of a contest.

Weideman at one end was in his 26th game while at the other end stood Riewoldt — a three-time All-Australian — and Tom Lynch — a former captain. Weideman’s three-goal and 24-disposal elimination final feels like it was a long time ago.

RICHMOND 3.1 5.4 7.9 12.13 (85)

MELBOURNE 4.1 4.2 5.5 6.6 (42)

GOALS

Richmond: Riewoldt 2, Ellis 2, Castagna 2, Baker 2, Lynch, Ellis, Martin, McIntosh

Melbourne: Smith, Lockhart, Gawn, Hunt, Neal-Bullen, Fritsch

BEST

Richmond: Vlastuin, Houli, Lambert, Riewoldt, Ellis, Prestia, Baker, Ross

Melbourne: Gawn, McDonald, Hibberd, Stretch, Oliver, Melksham

INJURIES

Richmond: Astbury (ankle), Riewoldt (knee)

Melbourne: Neal-Bullen (hamstring), Viney (shoulder)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Rosebury, Williamson, Fleer

Official crowd: 72,704 at the MCG

SAM LANDSBERGER’S VOTES

3. Nick Vlastuin (Rich)

2. Bachar Houli (Rich)

1. Kane Lambert (Rich)