Australian Football

Match Report

Richmond and Melbourne continue to confound football’s so called experts, winning when they are expected to lose and vice versa. That trend continued on Friday night when the Demons led for most of the night to defeat the Tigers comfortably at the MCG. Richmond had thrashed the Lions a week earlier and were highly fancied to make it 3-1 after four rounds but an insipid second half saw the Tigers fade badly to lose by 34 points, giving Melbourne its second win of 2015.

The Tigers’ night was made worse by the news that debutant Nathan Drummond, who came off with an injured knee in the second term, had ruptured his ACL and would face 12 months on the sidelines.

Nathan Gordon got the Tigers off to a good start with the first goal of the match, but the Demons got on top over the next 20 minutes, with two goals to Chris Dawes and one to Jesse Hogan giving them an 11-point lead. The Tigers finished the quarter off with two of the finals three goals, though, and at the first break trailed Melbourne by just three points.

The Tigers started the second quarter as they had in the first, with a goal in the first couple of minutes, this time to Shane Edwards. That gave Richmond a three-point lead but the Demons had the better of the remainder of a dour term, goals to Aaron Vanderberg and Jack Watts answered by just one from Richmond through Taylor Hunt, the two sides otherwise trading in behinds. At the long break, the Demons led narrowly by two points.

Dour football continue to be the order of the day for the first 20 minutes of the third quarter, the only goal going to Melbourne’s Jeff Garlett. But the Demons broke free in time on, and majors to Nathan Jones, Angus Brayshaw and Garlett saw them take a 24-point lead. A late goal to Edwards cut the margin to 19 at three-quarter time but Melbourne appeared to have the moment32-poinyum going into the final term.

And so it proved. The trademark defence of a Paul Roos coached team held firm, the Demons holding Richmond goalless in the last quarter. Bernie Vince and Hogan added goals for Melbourne and the Demons cruised to a 32-point win.

Melbourne’s best included Vandenbeg (12 tackles, 20 disposals), and Bernie Vince (20 possessions, six tackles), while Richmond was well served by Edwards (24 touches and two goals) and Brandon Ellis (22 possessions and seven tackles).

A tough task awaits Melbourne in round five, the Demons to host top side Fremantle at the MCG on Sunday. The Tigers will face Geelong at the same venue a day earlier.

GOALS
Richmond: Edwards 2; Gordon, Arnott, Griffiths, Hunt 
Melbourne: Hogan, Dawes, Garlett 2; Kennedy-Harris, Vandenberg, Watts, Jones, Brayshaw, Vince

BEST - THE AGE
Richmond: Edwards, Miles, Ellis
Melbourne: Jones, vandenBerg, McDonald, Tyson, Vince, Hogan, Brayshaw, Michie

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Richmond: Edwards, Ellis, Martin, Miles, Riewoldt, Cotchin 
Melbourne: vandenBerg, Hogan, Jones, McDonald, Brayshaw, Tyson, Lumumba 

INJURIES
Richmond: Drummond (right knee), Ben Griffith (calf) Hunt (right knee) 
Melbourne: Kent (left hamstring), Jetta (possible concussion) 

SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: McDonough replaced Nathan Drummond in the second quarter
Melbourne: Michie replaced Kent in the second quarter.

UMPIRES: Farmer, Harris, Jeffery 

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Dennis Cometti, Wayne Carey, Cameron Ling, Matthew Richardson