Richmond thrashes GWS to seal second AFL premiership in three seasons

Big big sound? More like a popgun. The Giants rolled into the decider fuelled by a reputation as September’s toughest side. They were instead sat on their backside by a tenacious Tigers unit that marches to its second flag in three years.

Marlion Pickett is mobbed by teammates after kicking a third quarter goal. Picture: Michael Klein.

The big big sound? More like a popgun.

Richmond is tonight cradling its 12th premiership cup after its 12th consecutive win — silencing the GWS hype with a ruthless 89-point smackdown on the game’s biggest day.

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The Giants rolled into the decider fuelled by a reputation as September’s toughest side.

They were instead sat on their backside by a tenacious Tigers unit that stalked its prey to all corners of the MCG.

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Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt and Brandon Ellis celebrate an early goal. Picture: Michael Klein.

Jeremy Cameron’s 55m set shot after a 20-minute tug of war was the game’s first goal.

Richmond then kicked the next 11 goals unanswered and Leon Cameron’s boys were officially spooked.

They missed targets, they missed shots and they lost the plot. It was stage fright stuff.

The Giants went an hour between their first and second goals and their final score of 3.7 (25) was the lowest since 1960.

Richmond’s second flag in three years makes amends for last year’s preliminary final horror show.

Martin mobs captain Trent Cotchin after his final-term goal. Picture: Mark Stewart

The Tigers did it the hard way, too. They were 7-6 after Round 13 and hit by injury in a campaign in which they had four different captains.

Richmond dropped as low as ninth in the second half of the season before mounting an irresistible charge to the last day of the season.

Every Tigers player on the list ran onto the ground at the final siren wearing their jumpers.

Dustin Martin had Matt De Boer for company, but moved forward to wreak havoc and become only the fourth dual Norm Smith Medallist in history.

“I’m a bit speechless to be honest. I just love everyone at the club. It’s so good,” Martin said.

Dustin Martin was electrifying in winning his second Norm Smith Medal. Picture: Mark Stewart

THE SCENE SETTER

It was the tackle only five minutes into the game that offered a sign of what was to come.

GWS might have bullied their way into a Grand Final, but they weren’t going to be flexing any muscles here.

Ruck enforcer Shane Mumford tried to force a passage on the Southern Stand wing, but Trent Cotchin stopped him, turned him and smashed him into the turf with a statement tackle.

Cotchin wraps up Shane Mumford. Picture: Mark Stewart

NOT-SO FABULOUS PHIL

Maybe Stephen Coniglio made the call Phil Davis didn’t.

Davis didn’t look likely during the week, didn’t look likely during the last-minute fitness test on the MCG and simply shouldn’t have played.

The Giants co-captain made Jack Riewoldt look like Usain Bolt on the lead and made for a sad sight limping around on one leg with a sore calf.

Riewoldt kicked five. Scary thing is it could have been far worse.

How the omitted Lachie Keeffe must have felt looking on.

It was a tough day for Phil Davis. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Tigers swamp Marlion Pickett after his first career goal. Picture: David Caird

TOTALLY ADDICTED TO FACE

Incredibly, Toby Greene has done it again.

Greene appeared to again go at the face of a rival player for the third game in a row after cameras in the first quarter caught him indulging in his nasty habit.

This time Liam Baker was the victim, with Marcus Bontempelli and Lachie Neale forming the Greene facial trifecta.

You couldn’t make it up. Actually you probably could.

THE TURN

From jail to holy grail — Merlion Pickett’s Grand Final debut had the sprinkling of stardust the Tigers thought it would.

None more so than in the second quarter when he emerged with a centre clearance.

Just when it appeared Lachie Whitfield was about to close him down, Pickett unleashed a 360-degree spin to surge clear.

His set shot goal in the third term, after he’d set up Dustin Martin and then got it back, was the definition of dreams coming true.

Jack Riewoldt celebrates one of his five goals. Picture: Alex Coppel.

RICHMOND 2.3 7.5 12.9 17.12 (114) def GWS 1.2 1.6 2.7 3.7 (25)

Goals: Richmond: J Riewoldt 5 D Martin 4 T Lynch 2 D Rioli I Soldo K Lambert M Pickett S Bolton T Cotchin

GWS: H Himmelberg J Cameron J Hopper

Sam Edmund’s Best: Richmond: Martin, Pickett, Prestia, Houli, Vlastuin, Riewoldt, Nankervis, Castagna

GWS: Taranto, Haynes, Shaw, Williams, Hopper

Umpires: Shaun Ryan, Matt Stevic, Ray Chamberlain.

Official Crowd: 100,014 at MCG.

Captain Cotch and Damien Hardwick with the 2019 premiership. Picture: Michael Klein.

VOTES

3 Dustin Martin (Rich) — He produces again on the biggest stage with another game-busting performance. Twenty-two touches and four goals. Irrepressible.

2 Marlion Pickett (Rich) — How darn good was this fella? The 360-spin, the set shot, the poise. In his first game if you don’t mind.

1 Dion Prestia (Rich) — Copped the De Boer tag when Martin went forward, but was big, particularly in the first half when it there to be won.

Riewoldt and Dusty celebrate on the final siren. Picture: Michael Klein.