Richmond extend stay at top but Collingwood showing signs of life

Richmond extended their stay at the top of the ladder with a strong 43-point win over Collingwood at the MCG.

Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt plucks the ball out of the air between Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard, left, and Flynn Appleby at the MCG yesterday. Picture: AAP

Having waited 23 years to sit atop the home-and-away ladder, Richmond extended their stay at the summit with a strong 43-point win over Collingwood at the MCG yesterday.

The Tigers seized top position for the first time since 1995 by thumping Melbourne last Tuesday and were in no mood to surrender it to an archrival in Collingwood, emerging victorious in a quality affair far tighter than the final margin of 16.17 (113) to 10.10 (70) suggests.

The reigning premiers booted 10 goals after halftime but the Magpies again played well enough to suggest they can contend for the eight should they hold form.

Four late goals inflated the margin, with the Magpies hamstrung by injuries to at least three players, but this was a tight affair played at a finals-like intensity.

The injuries to Ben Reid, who suffered an achilles problem, and James Aish, who has a posterior cruciate ligament issue, are significant concerns though.

The quality of the match prompted former Collingwood and West Coast premiership coach Mick Malthouse to ponder whether Richmond and the Magpies were the best two teams in the competition.

A premiership player with Richmond, Malthouse argued the Tigers had improved on last season and said it was evident Collingwood had changed markedly as well.

And Malthouse had an ally in Tigers coach Damien Hardwick in regards to Collingwood.

“I thought they were the best side we have played this year,” Hardwick said.

Rival clubs including Adelaide, who inflicted the Tigers’ only loss to date with ease, the Swans, the third-placed Giants and West Coast will certainly argue the toss.

The Eagles managed to seize a hard-fought derby played for the first time at Optus Stadium by eight points after being jumped by Fremantle early.

After a loss to Sydney in the opening round, West Coast have now won five matches in succession to share top position with Richmond.

It is their best start to a season under coach Adam Simpson, who took the Eagles to a grand final in 2015.

A win over Port Adelaide, who returned to the eight when beating North Melbourne, in Perth next Saturday would further burnish the Eagles’ credentials as a top-four contender. Eagles captain Shannon Hurn said there was no doubt both sides were fatigued at the end of a “high-intensity” game but is pleased his side is performing well early in the season.

“You don’t want to be chasing wins at the end. We are playing good team football and we have to continue to do that,” he said.

The Dockers challenged throughout but suffered a significant blow with the loss of Michael Walters, who injured a knee in the opening quarter.

How much of a contributing factor it proved is difficult to ascertain, but of the four sides to play in the Anzac features last week, the two sides with an additional night of sleep, Richmond and Melbourne, won yesterday.

Earlier in the day at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne found form after halftime to blitz Essendon by 36 points.

It is an important victory for the Demons after lacklustre performances against Richmond last Tuesday and Hawthorn a week prior.

Provided Melbourne can retain this form — and they should be strengthened by Christian Petracca and possibly Jack Viney in coming weeks — they can set themselves up with clashes against St Kilda, the Gold Coast and Carlton over the next three weeks.

Essendon, on the other hand, are in trouble. Although they sit only one win outside the eight, they have a difficult run to the bye.

On form, they will start favourites against only Carlton in a fortnight and the Lions at the Gabba, perhaps, in round 12.

In front of a crowd of 72,157 yesterday, the Tigers were able to break open the match when booting four goals to two in the third quarter to take an 11-point lead at the final change.

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin was critical through the third term, gathering 10 touches, while Josh Caddy proved a livewire in attack with three goals in succession as the Tigers broke the game open.

The Magpies appeared to be tiring and their cause was scarcely helped when Aish, who has been performing well, injured his knee after landing awkwardly. Brayden Maynard rolled an ankle in the last term while Buckley was pessimistic when discussing the injury to Reid, who has been important playing forward this year.

Collingwood had 50 more possessions than the Tigers but Richmond were far more direct, as evidence by the fact they entered their attack 67 times to 51 and scored every second time they went forward.