Reigning premiers Richmond prevail against Carlton in a first-round match like no other

RICHMOND 7.2 11.3 14.5 16.9 (105)
CARLTON 2.1 3.5 8.7 12.9 (81)
Goals: Richmond: Rioli 3, Castagna 3, Riewoldt 3, Bolton 3, Martin, Prestia, Lambert, Edwards.
Carlton: Martin 4, Cuningham 2, J Silvagni 2, Casboult 2, Newnes, McGovern.
Best: Richmond: Martin, Prestia, Riewoldt, Grimes, Edwards, Castagna, Cotchin, Rioli.
Carlton: Martin, Casboult, Cripps, Weitering, J Silvagni, Murphy.
Umpires: Simon Meredith, Robert O’Gorman, Nathan Williamson.
Venue: MCG.

Shhh. The footy has started.

In a game that felt more philosophy question than football match, Richmond provided an answer that required no sophistry.

A tree that falls unseen in the woods might not have fallen but a football game without a crowd is still a game, albeit a weird one. A tight match without a crowd is not as good, but still good. And a match played in a shorter time is still a match.

Socrates was not required to confirm that it takes more than one off season to completely bridge the gap between first and 16th from the year before, especially with two key forwards out from the lesser team.

Richmond begins this unusual season in the usual position on top, winning by 24 points before more empty bays than people ... and consequently not one seagull.

Richmond's Dustin Martin fends off Carlton's Marc Murphy in their first round encounter.Credit: AAP

Pre-game it sounded like a sound check before a concert: music but no moshpit. Then when the game began it felt like an early morning TAC Cup match, voices echoing around the stadium. Here the argument for not having runners met no opposition - coaches could yell instructions from the boundary.

For those here it provided the amusing additional insight into footy sledging for you could hear every word on the field (hint: they work pretty blue, and it's not that sophisticated).

Opening night was Riewoldt's night for the first half when the game was to be won: he had three goals to half time and set up another. Perhaps out of courtesy they played Mr Brightside by The Killers over the PA, just to remind those present that he had sung before bigger crowds here than he was now playing footy in front of.

Carlton's Jack Martin had a great game on debut for the club.Credit: Gerry Images

Carlton will have been pleased and angry at the absence of a crowd because Richmond's opening 10 minutes, when they booted five unanswered goals, would have been deafening and left them fighting a momentum that could not have been stopped.

But in the final term when, having given up that five-goal head start in the first term and saw the lead stretch to 50 points in the third quarter, Carlton got back to 15 points in that last quarter and the crowd might have given the comeback that extra pep.

The opening quarter proved decisive. Carlton offered less pressure than a witches hat, or as much as GWS on grand final day. Like the last game they played on this ground the Tigers romped freely away to kick seven goals to two.

Carlton improved their pressure and began owning the ball in their territory but struggled at length in the second quarter to score.

It begged a question of Carlton that was not philosophical but practical: who is going to kick goals if Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay are not there? This question was made more immediate once Matthew Kreuzer went off with an ankle injury early in the second quarter and Levi Casboult went into the ruck.

Richmond's Jack Riewoldt celebrates a goal.Credit: AAP

Mitch McGovern was playing forward but couldn't find space. Jack Silvagni was their most likely target.

An answer emerged in the third quarter: Jack Martin. He was excellent in his first game for Carlton, for, of course, having come from the Gold Coast Suns he was accustomed to empty stands. In the third quarter he booted four goals and found David Cunningham in the goal square for a fifth.

But it was the ease with which Richmond by comparison was able to score that was most instructive. To three-quarter time Richmond had kicked seven straight goals from stoppages, which is an unforgivably high number.

Routinely taking an extra player and often two up to the stoppage, whether it be on the wing or even half back, the Tigers extra player would often be unmanned by Carlton and with quick hands Richmond would release the ball to scuttle down the field and sieve through Carlton to goal.

Liam Jones closed Jack Riewoldt down after half-time and Jacob Weitering did very well in the air against Tom Lynch but the Tiger forward was still able to bring the ball to ground where Daniel Rioli, Jason Castagna and Shae Bolton were sharp at ground level.

Carlton will leave the game encouraged that they gave up a lead and fought to be back in the game and Richmond that they withstood Carlton's comeback.