West Coast v Richmond: Tigers make huge flag statement after convincing victory over Eagles

Can anyone stop the Tiger train? That’s the question many will be asking after Richmond swept aside fellow premiership contender West Coast – without some of its key players in the line-up.

Matt Turner and Jay Clark

6 min read

August 28, 2020 - 6:33AM

Tom Barrass gets a kick away as Dustin Martin attempts to spoil. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

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Exactly two months ago there were question marks about Richmond’s premiership defence when the Tigers fell to a 1-2-1 record after a 26-point loss to St Kilda on June 27.

Now, Damien Hardwick’s side is well on track to win a third grand final in four seasons, having disposed of fellow flag fancy West Coast by 27 points at Metricon Stadium on Thursday night, making it eight victories from its past 10 matches, and five from six.

In a clash between fourth and fifth, and the past two grand final winners, both sides brought fierce tackling pressure from the outset and only a goal separated them at half-time.

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But Richmond broke the game open during the third quarter via four consecutive goals, highlighted by moments of brilliance by Dustin Martin and Jack Riewoldt, who assisted a Jason Castanga major.

Dustin Martin was at his brilliant best against West Coast on Thursday night. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

West Coast answered, thanks to three goals from Jack Darling, including one after the three-quarter-time siren, which cut the lead to 14 points and gave the Eagles a sniff.

Once Tom Lynch and Noah Balta, who shone again at full-back, kicked the first two majors of the last quarter, the result was sealed.

The loss ended West Coast’s eight-game winning streak.

Hardwick said his side’s pressure and ability to stop the Eagles’ aerial prowess were crucial to the victory.

“If West Coast get to play the game their own way, they’re really damaging,” Hardwick said.

“Time in possession and uncontested marks (are keys to their game), and we probably denied that a little bit tonight (Thursday).

“I thought our key forwards were incredible – Jack (Riewoldt) and Tom (Lynch).

“They didn’t take a lot of marks between them, but it was more about not getting outmarked, which is really important and that’s how West Coast play.

“We knew if we got the ball to ground we’d be a chance.

“The plan worked tonight (Thursday), but it hasn’t worked previous times we’ve played them.”

He’s been the villain all week. But Tom Lynch was one of Richmond’s heroes against West Coast, booting three goals. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Hardwick said his side was starting to build towards the finals.

Having now won five of its past six matches, he added the club had set itself for a big month and West Coast was simply part of that.

“We’re certainly getting towards our best footy,” Hardwick said.

“It’s really coming into the fire-in-the-belly type of season where you’ve got to consolidate your spot in the eight and I thought we did that a little bit (on Thursday night).

“West Coast are a great side. Did they play their best tonight? No they didn’t and we’re a little bit the same.

“I thought we both played a reasonable brand of footy, but we’ve both got some work to do I think.”

West Coast coach Adam Simpson said his side “had a swing”, but was not good enough.

“I thought the endeavour and spirit were there with our players ... but we got beaten by a pretty good side,” Simpson said.

“We probably didn’t manage to stop their style of play as much as they stopped ours and they made the most of their opportunities.”

Simpson said the five-day break before the side’s next game – against Essendon at the Gabba on Tuesday night – would make it tough for key forward Josh Kennedy to front up after his concussion.

“He’s OK, but we’ll need to assess him,” he said.

“It’ll make it difficult but every case is different.”

Simpson said his side’s away form, which included two wins from six matches in Queensland this year, did not have a bearing on the result.

“We got beaten by a better side,” he said.

“What happened nine weeks ago, sometimes it’s hard to connect that but if we’re going to win anything, we need to win away from home, so we’re not hiding from that either.”

Simpson was sure both sides built themselves up for this game.

“The way they played was pretty clean, pretty efficient and we had our moments,” he said.

“But just when the game needed to elevate to another level, we didn’t hit that and they did.”

Eagle Jack Darling did little to hide his disappointment about Thursday night’s loss to the Tigers. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

WHAT AERIAL THREAT?

Richmond blunted West Coast’s aerial game, only coughing up two contested marks and having 10 itself.

A week after he had five contested marks in the Eagles’ win over GWS, Jeremy McGovern had none against the Tigers.

With McGovern, Richmond made a contest every time he flew for the ball and tried to avoid lofting the ball for inside 50 entries.

JUST FOR KICKS

You would struggle to find two more different kicks than the ones from Jarrod Brander and Dustin Martin during the third quarter.

Brander, playing his 10th match, shanked an attempted clearing kick on the last line of defence, booting it left and out on the full, instead of outside the Eagles’ defensive 50.

Brownlow Medallist Martin was the recipient of the subsequent free kick and made Brander pay, slotting a crisp checkside goal from the boundary line.

Martin’s goal started Richmond’s pivotal run of four consecutive majors.

Ruckmen Ivan Soldo and Nic Naitanui do battle at Metricon Stadium. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

STARS INJURED

Both clubs had to deal with injuries to key players.

West Coast lost spearhead Josh Kennedy to concussion midway through the first quarter after he copped an accidental knee to the face from Noah Balta during a marking contest, while the Tigers were without defender Dylan Grimes from the second term due to a hamstring injury.

The Eagles moved Liam Ryan deep into attack, a position he played for WAFL club Subiaco before being drafted, to support Jack Darling.

Ryan’s speed and aerial threat made him a great focal point, and he booted two goals and almost took a Mark of the Year contender in the third term.

CAVALRY COMING BACK

Last week it was Bachar Houli, this time it was Toby Nankervis who returned to the Tigers’ line-up after an extended absence.

Nankervis had not played since Round 5 due to an ankle injury but was brought back at Mabior Chol’s expense to help combat West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui.

Fellow premiership players David Astbury (knee) and Dion Prestia (ankle) are both two to four weeks away from their comebacks, while Shane Edwards, who has been in Melbourne for the birth of his child, will fly to the Gold Coast hub on September 1 then faces a fortnight in quarantine before playing in the final minor round.

TIGERS’ BACKLINE TAKES ANOTHER HUGE HIT

— Jay Clark

Richmond has suffered another nightmare injury blow with gun defender Dylan Grimes sustaining a hamstring problem.

Grimes went off in the second term of the clash against West Coast in a massive blow to the Tigers one month out from finals.

The intercepting defender, who is one of Richmond’s most important players after Alex Rance’s shock retirement last year, won’t come back on in the second half.

Dylan Grimes’ night was ended early by a hamstring injury. Picture: Michael Klein

A standard hamstring will cost Grimes three to four weeks on the sidelines and Richmond is likely to be extra cautious considering Grimes has a history of hamstring issues earlier in his career.

Coach Damien Hardwick’s initial belief was that the injury was “on the minor end of the scale”.

“Dyl’s had some history, so we’ve got to be mindful,” he said post-game.

“He’s such an important player for us and one of the best defenders in the AFL, so we’ve got to make sure he’s right for when the whips are cracking.”

A pre-finals bye would also help give Grimes an extra week’s rest before the finals campaign kicks off in the first weekend of October.

The last round of the home and away season is scheduled for September 18-20.

West Coast also lost gun forward Josh Kennedy to a concussion early in their clash at Metricon Stadium.

Richmond gun midfielder Dion Prestia has also missed the back half of the season with an ankle injury and is about two or three weeks away from a return.

Star backman David Astbury is out with a knee injury.

Midfielder Shane Edwards is also set to catch a September 1 flight up to Queensland after staying in Melbourne for the birth of his child.

Josh Kennedy suffered a concussion early in the match against Richmond on Thursday night. He did not return to the field. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

SCOREBOARD

RICHMOND 1. 5.2 11.2 14.4 (88)

WEST COAST 1.0 4.2 8.6 9.7 (61)

GOALS – Richmond: Lynch 3; Martin 2; Aarts, Riewoldt, Graham, Rioli, Castagna, Soldo, Nankervis, Bolton, Balta.

West Coast: Darling, Ryan 3; Kelly, Naitanui, Cripps.

BEST – Richmond: Cotchin, Houli, Balta, Vlastuin, Graham, Martin, Short, Aarts.

West Coast: Gaff, Sheed, Shuey, Ryan, Naitanui, Kelly.

INJURIES – Richmond: Grimes (hamstring)

West Coast: Kennedy (concussion)

MATT TURNER’S VOTES

3 – Trent Cotchin (Richmond)

2 – Bachar Houli (Richmond)