The mosquito fleet are all the rage but the Tigers’ back six is the real hero, writes Jon Ralph
RICHMOND’S defence once used to house a collection of battlers and role players but it is now the key weapon in their premiership assault, writes JON RALPH.
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RICHMOND has the best defence in the AFL.
We might as well just come out and say it.
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Don’t listen to the views of the rabid Tigers fans or the bandwagon jumpers who believe they are Victoria’s best hope this year.
Instead crunch the numbers and listen to those who have played them this year.
Like Hawthorn midfielder Isaac Smith.
“They have improved a hell of a lot. I was saying last night I didn’t expect their pressure to be that good but that’s as good as anyone we have played this year, that type of pressure,’’ Smith said on RSN radio.
“If they bring that in finals they are going to be pretty hard to beat.”
Richmond’s mosquito fleet of forwards have drawn the lion’s share of credit for the club’s resurgent season.
But it can be argued that not only is Richmond’s back six the best defence in the league right now, their team defence is also unrivalled.
The raw numbers back it up, with the miserly Tigers first in points against (77.5), opposition scores inside 50 (42 per cent) and opposition goals inside 50 (21 per cent).
They concede the fewest points from turnovers, fewest from stoppages and defend turnover ball movement 169 per cent above the AFL average.
That last one sounds like a made-up stat.
But it basically means their pressuring, their defensive set-up behind the ball and elite stars in the back six concede a goal from a turnover nearly half as much as rival sides.
It happened over and again to Hawthorn, a seemingly free Hawks player forced into a U-turn or backwards handball instead of streaming towards goal.
That in turn gives the back six more time to set up and forces kicks long and high into attack when they do get there.
For several years now triple All Australian Alex Rance has been unquestionably the AFL’s best full back.
Yet the emergence of David Astbury as a legitimate star and some tinkering by Damien Hardwick has the Tigers up there with Adelaide and Sydney’s defensive personnel.
Astbury plays on the opposition’s big dog every week yet has lost just 17 of his 89 contests and is in the elite band for intercept marks.
Dylan Grimes has finally thrown off his injury history and is Richmond’s elite stopper on mid-sized and small players.
He has given up three goals to Mark LeCras and two to Jeremy Cameron but none to all of Eddie Betts, Alex Fasolo, Robbie Gray, Steve Johnson, Luke Dahlhaus, Christian Petracca and just one to Tim Membrey.
Then layer that defence with Bachar Houli, underrated as a tough defender who uses the ball impeccably, and Brandon Ellis, one of the AFL’s most improved players.
Ellis’s possessions rarely used to hurt the opposition but Richmond’s new spirit of adventure from defence meant that quick release from Ellis often results in end-to-end goals.
With Nick Vlaustin slotted back into his small defender’s role, the Tigers have the personnel and the system to absorb opposition assaults.
Adelaide’s back six is hugely underrated with two stoppers in Daniel Talia and Jake Kelly, an interceptor in Jake Lever, an elite rebounder in Rory Laird and a small stopper in Luke Brown.
Sydney’s blend is just as impressive — a star full back in Heath Grundy, an elite second tall in Dane Rampe, a small stopper in Nick Smith, a third tall in Lewis Melican, a quarterback in Jarrad McVeigh.
But if Richmond are to break their finals victory hoodoo they have never been in a better position.
And it is the defensive intent — and star power of those that man the back six — that are the weapon that might eventually get them there.
RICHMOND’S DEFENCE
Ave Rank
Points Against 77.5 — 1st
Oppo Score per Inside 50 42.6% — 1st
Oppo Goal per Inside 50 21.9% — 1st
Points Conceded from Turnovers 47.4 — 1st
Points Conceded from Stoppages 25.8 — 1st
Defensive Ball Movement +122% — 3rd
Defending Stoppage Ball Movement +104% — 5th
Defending Turnover Ball Movement +169% — 3rd
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