Richmond young gun Sam Lalor hurt again as Jeremy Cameron and Geelong hand Tigers a 72-point lesson at home
Sam Lalor’s return from a six-week injury lay-off ended in disaster quickly – and it didn’t get much better for the young Tigers on a nightmare trip down the highway.
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It was a nightmare trip down the highway for Richmond.
The young Tigers were handed a 72-point lesson from premiership contenders Geelong, after losing young star Sam Lalor to a recurrent hamstring injury minutes into the contest.
The thumping win saw the Cats celebrate premiership coach Chris Scott’s 350th game in charge in style, while star forward Jeremy Cameron became the 27th V/AFL player to bring up 700 career goals late in the third term – the Coleman medal leader ultimately finishing with four goals.
Fresh off a bye, the Cats were without star midfielder Bailey Smith, who was a late out with illness in a blow to his Brownlow medal chances.
But it didn’t matter as the home side ran riot in the second term, piling on eight goals to one to take a 59-point lead into halftime before pressing on for the percentage-boosting 18.16 (124) to 7.10 (52) win.
It was the rebuilding Tigers’ fourth lowest score this season.
Cruel blow for young Tiger
Richmond coach Adem Yze says the Tigers will wrap their arms around an injured Sam Lalor, conceding the 18-year-old’s reinjured hamstring “looks like a bad one”.
Lalor hobbled off clutching his left hamstring in the opening minutes of his first game back from a six-week sideline stint with the same injury.
Lalor, the number 1 draft pick last year, had had his return held back a week in a cautious approach by the club.
“It’s an unfortunate one, he’s done the same one and I think the mechanisms, it’s hard to train so it looks like a bad one,” Yze lamented post-match.
“He loves this club and he loves his teammates and he just wants to help.
“So when you see him go out the game straight away, it flattened us, not only flattened his teammates but us as coaches.
“We’ll wrap our arms around him and help him through that - he’s obviously flat right now and seeing what happened in the second quarter he’ll certainly take responsibility for that, which isn’t fair on the kid.”
It comes after Lalor suffered an injury-riddled draft year which culminated in a serious hamstring injury which sidelined him for the draft combine.
He made his debut in round 1 before injuring his hamstring against Essendon in round 11.
When asked if further investigation was warranted, Yze said the Tigers’ medical staff would work through that with Lalor.
“The power of work, the numbers that he was producing from training, like I said he was ready the week before (last),” he said.
“We need to help him through that, we don’t want this to happen again.
“We want him to have a long career without these little hiccups.”
The Tigers managed to take it up to the Cats in the first term without Lalor, Yze’s defence kickstarting counterattacks as players moved the ball on the outside with moments of flair.
But despite winning inside 50s 17-12, it failed to conjure any strong looks at goal for Richmond, as the Cats’ experience, depth and link-up play came to the fore to start the second quarter with a seven-goal run via seven individual goalkickers.
Skill execution, including several dropped marks inside 50, continued to haunt the Tigers, though they finally broke the Cats’ run minutes before half-time via a Rhyan Mansell snap.
Jezza’s magic moment
With the game well and truly put to bed midway through the third, all that was left was to see if Jeremy Cameron could reel in the four goals needed to crack 700 career goals.
It might have come earlier as the 32-year-old missed a few chances to sit on 3.5, though the time finally came late in the third, Cameron slotting his fourth with a trademark curling snap on his left foot as GMHBA Stadium erupted.
The boy from the ‘Bool
Geelong debutant George Stevens had to wait more than 18 months for a chance to crack a star-studded Cats’ line-up, with the 20-year-old working his way into the game with confidence.
The big-bodied midfielder showcased his range of skills from an elite kick to strong vision through traffic, while his strength came to the fore several times to withstand opposition tackles to dish off to his teammates.
The South Warrnambool product got in on the action himself in the second term, kicking a goal from a set shot to get fans up and about for their newest Cat.
Scoreboard
GEELONG 3.3 11.8, 15.13, 18.16 (124)
RICHMOND 1.2, 2.4, 4.6, 7.10 (52)
BEST
Cats: Z. Guthrie, J. Cameron, M. Holmes, G. Miers, T. Atkins, B. Close.
Tigers: R. Mansell, K. McIntosh, T. Nankervis, T. Taranto, J. Hopper.
GOALS
Cats: J. Cameron 4, S. Neale 3, P. Dangerfield 2,, J. Bowes 2, B. Close 2, S. Mannagh, M. Holmes, G. Stevens, J. Martin, O. Henry.
Tigers: R. Mansell 3, M. Rioli, T. Nankervis, J. Faull, T. Brown.
INJURIES Cats: Bailey Smith (illness, late out); Tigers: Lalor, Ralphsmith (hamstring).
31,060 at GMHBA Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
MEG SAULTRY’S VOTES
3 Z. Guthrie (GEEL)
2 J. Cameron (GEEL)
1 M. Holmes (GEEL)
Originally published as Richmond young gun Sam Lalor hurt again as Jeremy Cameron and Geelong hand Tigers a 72-point lesson at home
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