AFL Essendon v Richmond: Bombers pinch win in dying stages, Tigers fluff their lines

Damien Hardwick is still upbeat about Richmond’s finals chances in 2023, but admits they need to play smarter football. Hear what the Tigers’ coach had to say about the one-point loss to the Dons.

Jon Ralph and Sam Landsberger

7 min read

5:59AMMay 21, 2023.

Updated 7:17PMMay 21, 2023

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Jack Riewoldt has admitted his key last-minute error allowed Essendon to steal a rare Dreamtime victory as Damien Hardwick revealed a lack of “smart” football was costing Richmond badly in tight finishes.

The Tigers jeopardised their finals chances after giving up yet another single-figure loss.

Hardwick’s side is now six premiership points and percentage out of the eight ahead of next Sunday’s MCG clash against Port Adelaide

In the club’s past 12 contests where the margin was under a goal the Tigers have lost nine games and escaped with three draws.

Dylan Grimes and his Tigers teammates look dejected after going down by a point. Picture: Getty Images

Last year those losses cost the Tigers a home final and Saturday’s last-gasp goal from Sam Durham with seven seconds left pushed Richmond to 14th spot on the ladder.

Hardwick lauded Riewoldt’s bravery to be on the field given what is understood to be general soreness which would otherwise have seen Richmond resting him against Essendon.

But Tom Lynch is only expected back from foot surgery after the club’s mid-season bye.

Riewoldt had done well to keep the ball inside 50 in that frantic last minute but then toe-poked the ball straight to loose defender Jordan Ridley, who started the final surge.

It came after small forward Rhyan Mansell’s shot from 35 metres out missed everything with minutes left and Richmond five points up.

“There are two ways you can look at it. We are always in games,” said Hardwick as he explained the terrible recent record in close games.

“So one thing you will say about our footy club is every game we come to, we are always a chance to win. We don’t sit there and get beaten by 10 goals like other sides.

“But the fact of the matter is we still compete. There are decisions tonight that weren’t smart, that gave the ball back. Jack is the first one to say he isn’t quite sure why he kicked the ball forward when they had a plus one, but once again he put himself in a position to win the ball one on two.

Jack Riewoldt made a costly error late in the game. Picture: Getty Images

“It is probably unfair to single him out but those are the kind of decisions we have got to get better at. Loss of possession behind the ball and we will look at the tape and go to work but those are the things we can control.”

Hardwick said the Tigers were still capable of playing finals in a close season but would not commit to recalling Noah Cumberland despite another strong VFL game.

He said Cumberland was one of many VFL players being taught AFL traits before they returned to the senior side.

“We’ve got Jack, who’s battling his backside off, and if I’m being honest he probably shouldn’t be playing,” Hardwick said.

“At the moment he’s incredibly sore, and he’s just tough – he’s putting his hand up to play because I need him, but we need more.

“We’ve got young Samson Ryan who’s developing, he probably wasn’t at his best tonight but he had a lot of mates. There’s no excuse from our viewpoint, we’ve just got to get better and keep investing in what we know can work.”

WHY BOMBERS CAN GO SEPTEMBER DREAMING

Don’t go sleeping on Essendon this season.

Saturday night’s stunning Dreamtime comeback snapped a 13-game losing streak against Richmond and four-game losing streak this season.

But this salute had so much more substance than simply stopping those stats. It was a spirited last quarter like supporters have recently seldom seen.

The Bombers had won just two out of their previous 20 games when trailing at the last change. These sorts of wins haven’t really been in their DNA.

Brad Scott celebrates after the game. Picture: Getty Images

Supporters in the crowd of 78,300 would’ve gone home wondering when was the last time they had tasted such a sweet victory.

Coach Brad Scott celebrated it on the grass after the final siren with his troops huddled around him.

Clearly, this was one to savour. So too is the pending selection squeeze and relative fixture ease.

Four of Essendon’s next 11 games are against stragglers West Coast and North Melbourne, including the next two.

That should be 16 premiership points you can bank on. Scott’s side also hosts Sydney, Port Adelaide and Adelaide in the final stretch of the season.

That stinging string of games against Melbourne, Collingwood, Geelong, Port Adelaide, Brisbane Lions and Richmond is officially behind them and they have two wins to show for it.

They should regain Dylan Shiel (ankle) and Jake Kelly (concussion) against West Coast next week, Jayden Laverde not too far after that and possibly best-and-fairest Peter Wright before the bye.

Darcy Parish will play after the bye while No. 5 draft pick Elijah Tsatas will be back in full training next month.

Reinforcements are coming thick and fast after a run of rotten luck rarely seen. Not that the setbacks haven’t had silver linings.

Tom Hawkins made Brandon Zerk-Thatcher look like a bush footballer in the Country Game. On Saturday night ‘BZT’ smothered another champion in Jack Riewoldt (0.1).

Brandon Zerk-Thatcher was impressive against the Tigers. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Kaine Baldwin has been asked to seal a defensive spot and has slotted in seamlessly. Alwyn Davey Jr snapped a stylish first-quarter goal and in the second term he tackled Liam Baker with the sort of aggression Baker usually tackles with.

In the previous month the Bombers had lost the contested ball count by 19.5, ranked 17th in the AFL.

Without Shiel or Parish they were down by 11 at quarter-time and 19 at three-quarter time.

But they won the key stat by 11 in the last quarter as Sam Durham, Nic Martin, Jordan Ridley, Jye Caldwell and Will Snelling cracked in.

Jake Stringer was quiet all night and then exploded when it mattered. Stringer’s centre-bounce goal brought the Bombers to life and he then spotted Durham for the winner.

The Sams – Durham, Draper and Weideman – go OK, don’t they?

The Bombers controlled the Sherrin and therefore thwarted the Tigers’ pressure game.

It was a shrewd plan. They grabbed 154 marks – the most taken by any team in a match this season.

You wonder what sacked coach Ben Rutten was thinking as he watched on wearing Richmond colours as an assistant coach again.

A wounded version of his old team was running hot.

And with players to return and a softer draw there’s no reason to suggest that will stop.

Can the Bombers go September dreaming at 5-5 and with a soft draw? Why not.

DONS IN DREAMLAND AS TIGERS FLUFF LINES AT DEATH

Ed Bourke

Essendon has pulled off an extraordinary Dreamtime comeback as Sam Durham sank the Tigers with a final minute goal to snatch a one-point victory.

With 45 seconds left on the clock, Jake Stringer pounced on a ground ball deep in the Bombers’ forward line and found Durham with a centering kick off his left boot, with the 21-year-old holding firm in a one-on-one contest against Daniel Rioli.

The goal was Durham’s second for the quarter as the Bombers overcame an 18-point deficit early in the final term, with Jake Stringer heavily influential in the fightback after a torrid first three quarters.

Stringer was used mostly at centre bounces to shore up a Bombers midfield missing three of its first choice players, but Tim Taranto and Shai Bolton were the key figures around the stoppages as Richmond dominated the contested ball but failed to capitalise in a frustrating first term.

Bombers players celebrate as the final siren sounds. Picture: Getty Images

Captain Zach Merrett was phenomenal with 39 disposals, seven tackles and three goal assists as he claimed the Yiooken Trophy for best on ground, beaten in the clinches by Richmond’s inside midfielders but running hard both ways to have a huge impact on the match.

The Bombers broke Richmond’s run of 13 consecutive wins over them, ending what was the equal longest active streak in the AFL.

Jake Stringer kicked an important goal. Picture: Michael Klein

SCHRODINGER’S STRINGER

With the Bombers missing three key midfielders in Darcy Parish, Will Setterfield and late withdrawal Dylan Shiel, Jake Stringer was used extensively at centre bounces.

But despite the dynamic Bomber’s near constant presence around the ball, he simply could not get his hands on it.

Stringer had just six touches to three quarter time, and while they were all impactful (he had four score involvements), the Bombers badly needed him to find more of the footy as Tiger pair Tim Taranto and Shai Bolton dominated at the coalface.

It was a sign of his continuing immense quality that he roared to life in the final quarter with five disposals and a goal.

Toby Nankervis came back with a bang. Picture: Getty Images

NANK STILL THE TANK

News that Toby Nankervis was being sent for ankle surgery after the round 4 loss would have rattled Tigers fans. The game’s big men take time to recover from ankle and foot issues, and Nankervis is certainly big.

But the co-captain showed no signs of being underdone as he had a huge impact through the middle of the ground and floating back behind the ball.

Nankervis had 11 disposals and a game-high 10 hit-outs in the first half, with Bombers duo Sam Draper and Andrew Phillips struggling to make an impact.

The Tigers are missing Tom Lynch. Picture: Michael Klein

TIGERS NEEDED A BEAR

The first quarter was likely the most acutely Richmond has felt star forward Tom Lynch’s absence so far this season.

The Tigers were rampant in the first quarter, dominating contested possessions and racking up an eye-watering 23 forward entries, but for all the work of their midfielders they could not find a commanding forward presence in the air and trailed at the first break.

Essendon had been torn apart in recent weeks by Joe Daniher, Charlie Dixon and Tom Hawkins, but with Jack Riewoldt contained by Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, the Tigers had no such threat.

Marlion Pickett was deployed forward as a pseudo key forward but found it hard to stop Essendon’s interceptors.