The gap between Richmond and next best team is widening after 47-point win over Adelaide

IT’S Richmond and then daylight. The Tigers’ dominance over the rest of the competition has continued with a 47-point win over Adelaide. That makes 17 wins in a row at the MCG and the question has to be asked, who can beat them?

Dustin Martin celebrates a goal during the Tigers’ big win. Picture: Getty

RICHMOND, then daylight.

These Tigers have charged away.

And the gap between them and the next is lengthening, fast.

The Tiger Train has become a bullet train towards late September, leaving opposition teams — many battling injury concerns — simply blurs in its wake.

Can any team beat Richmond at the MCG this season? At this stage, it would have to be a no.

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That’s 17 wins on the trot on their home deck — 10 this year — with Friday night’s 47-point victory just a point shy of their premiership triumph over the Crows.

And they are scary.

If the pain of last year’s Grand Final defeat still burned, Adelaide wasted no time in turning the heat onto Richmond and had things their way early, dictating proceedings as they eased their way in at the scene of their September heartbreak 279 days before.

Dustin Martin celebrates a goal during the Tigers’ big win. Picture: Getty

But there’s more than one way to get the job done, and Damien Hardwick’s men again showed they’re more than capable of the dirty work as well as the dazzle.

If you don’t capitalise when you have an opportunity, these Tigers will just grind, grind and grind some more before then wrench momentum back their way and pile on the pain.

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And while bringing that late in quarters has been their modus operandi, on Friday night they didn’t wait until junk time to remind the Crows — whose four first-half goals all came from turnovers — just who is boss.

Their handy work with handballs simply must be noted, with commentators likening the premier’s fast and fanciful delivery to the Harlem Globetrotters.

But this team isn’t just for show.

The Tigers were just too good in the end. Picture: Michael Klein

And as Collingwood fights to cover the losses of Adam Treloar and Lynden Dunn, Sydney battles injuries to Jarrad McVeigh, Dan Hannebery and Kieren Jack, Geelong just clung on to a spot in the top eight and West Coast faces the eternal question of playing at the MCG, the Tigers stand firmly at the top of the competition.

It might pay to get the road closure plans in place for Swan Street.

Dustin Martin spent more time forward — as has been forecast by Hardwick for the final third of the season — but was caught out more than usual. His influence on the game swung like a pendulum. He doesn’t have to carry as big a load as in years gone by — they can do it without him firing fullbore but gee, you can count on him when it matters.

It was a scrappy night, there’s no doubt, a bit wet at times but that didn’t dampen the influence of star forward Jack Riewoldt who continued to build what is arguably becoming the best vein of marking form of his career.

Daniel Rioli was at his pressuring best and booted two goals in the win.

Dylan Grimes remained relentless in defence, laying the foundations for much of the glory work, while Callum Moore’s fourth game of the year was a solid one with two goals.

Crows star Rory Sloane’s return last week couldn’t have come soon enough, with the blonde battering ram doing plenty of the heavy lifting, while Josh Jenkins exorcised a few MCG demons with three goals as fellow forward Taylor Walker had a tough night thanks to David Astbury.

For but a swing back its way before three-quarter time, Adelaide — which now sits two games outside the eight — could only watch on as that sustained team pressure claimed another victim. It won’t be the last.

BEST

RICHMOND: Edwards, Martin, Grimes, Astbury, Nankervis, Lambert, Moore

ADELAIDE: Sloane, M.Crouch, Doedee, Gibbs, Greenwood, Laird

VOTES: 3 Shane Edwards, 2 Dustin Martin, 1 Dylan Grimes.

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