Damien Hardwick praises Tigers after thrashing of Dockers at MCG

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick praised the reigning premiers’ resilience after they surged to a 77-point win over Fremantle.

From left: Richmond’s Jacob Townsend and Jack Riewoldt contest with Fremantle’s Alex Pearce at the MCG yesterday. Picture: AAP

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick praised the reigning premiers’ resilience after they surged to a 77-point win over Fremantle at the MCG yesterday.

The Tigers retained top spot after a dominant display, aside from a strange third term when they were held goalless for the first time since round 18 last year.

That said, they outscored ­Fremantle by 15 goals to four and had a staggering 35 scoring shots to 13.

And yet again they finished ruthlessly, kicking eight goals in the final term while restricting the Dockers to a solitary behind kicked in the last minute by Hayden Ballantyne.

“We have played three games in 12 or 13 days. Guys were tired, I think it would be fair to say,” Hardwick said.

“We probably lacked energy, but credit where credit is due, we challenged them in the last quarter and the pressure went up … and we won contested balls, won tackles, all the stuff we were hoping to do, they did.

“You have to give them credit, this team. When they get questioned, they respond and then some. I am really proud of the way they performed.”

The longer matches progress, the more dominant the Tigers have been in 2018.

They have outscored their opposition in the first, second and last terms in five of the seven matches.

But their last quarter is clearly their most compelling: the Tigers have kicked 39.19 (253), 36 points on average, compared to 20.10 (130), an average of 18 points.

The Crows and Hawthorn finished better in successive weeks early in the season, but since then the Tigers have effectively rendered their rivals exhausted by three-quarter time and then run them ragged in the last term.

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon, who praised Nat Fyfe and Aaron Sandilands as exceptional against the tide, felt the Dockers were still a chance of recovering from an awful first half.

“I didn’t really see it coming in the last (quarter). We were (aware) that it was their third game in the last 10 days … but they just made us pay,” Lyon said.

The Dockers coach did not believe the result was “a wreck” and felt there were “some gems that not everyone sees”.

Those gems included the performance of Adam Cerra through the midfield in the second half, while fellow youngster Andrew Brayshaw showed good intent.

And the more obvious areas where Fremantle excelled included Sandilands’ dominance of the ruck, where he garnered 48 hitouts, 25 of them to the advantage of his teammates — and Fyfe.

The 2015 Brownlow medallist was arguably best on field despite the clubbing his side received, gathering 33 possessions and seven hitouts, the latter a surprising feature. Hardwick was among those who marvelled at Fyfe’s form.

“I actually found myself just watching him. He is an incredible player,” he said.

“He was, in my opinion, by far the most dominant player on the ground.

“I thought he was sensational. He is back to his best, there is no doubt about that. I don’t know how you stop him, to be frank.”

The hidden gems noted by Lyon do not compensate for an ordinary performance that is costly.

It is the Dockers’ fourth-lowest score on record. The four tackles they laid in a lacklustre opening term is the least by any Lyon-coached side in a quarter of AFL football.

Although the Dockers sit only one game outside the eight, their percentage dipped 13 points to 88.72.

It follows another week when Lyon has been the subject of intense pressure for his role in a harassment case involving a former Dockers staff member.

The Fremantle coach refused to attribute any part of his side’s performance to the issue, saying “we want to be a no-excuses football club”.

“I don’t create the system. I am part of the system. I respect the system and that is all I can say,” he said.