Australian Football

Match Report

Richmond has scored a gritty come-from-behind win against GWS to further strengthen its credentials as a team that has what it takes to win a game in September. Though the Tigers were expected to win this game quite comfortably against the undermanned Giants, they struggled for three quarters and found themselves 15 points behind at the last change. But as good sides do when things aren't going their way, they found a away, with their senior players lifting to get them across the line and consolidate a place in the top six.

The Giants had the better of the first few minutes and Rhys Palmer put them seven points ahead with the first goal of the match at the seven-minute mark. Richmond then held sway for a period but could produce no more than three behinds - two to Ben Griffiths and one to Shane Edwards - on the back of that control. Jack Riewoldt finally found the big sticks to level up the match at the 26-minute mark but a late goal to Callan Ward saw GWS take a five-point lead into the first change of ends.

Richmond looked like getting o top early in the second term. During the first 10 minutes the Tigers restricted GWS to just one behind, and majors to Trent Cotchin and Brett Deledio saw them take a seven-point lead. But the resilient Giants kept plugging away, and goals to Jeremy Cameron at the 15-minute mark and Adam Treloar seven minutes later saw them back in front by five points when the half-time bell rang.

Tigers Cotchin and Deledio registered behinds to kick off the third quarter, before a goal from Dustin Martin restored a three-point Richmond lead at the five-minute mark. The two sides traded behinds for the next eight minutes, before a pair of goals via Palmer and Tom Scully saw the Giants back in front by nine points. Nathan Gordon cut that back to three wit his first but goals in time-on to Palmer and Devon Smith saw GWS go out to a 15-point lead at the final change and Richmond was staring down the barrel of an upset loss.

Kane Lambert scored a behind early in the final term and Riewoldt followed up with a major that saw Richmond back within eight points but when Cameron kicked his second at the seven-minute mark the Giants lead was back out to 14 points and they looked the likely winners. This Tiger outfit, however, is perhaps made of sterner stuff than the sides that exited in week one of the finals in both 2013 and 2014, and over the next 15 minutes, it added 3.4 - the goals going to Shane Edwards, Cotchin and Ty Vickery - to wrest back an eight-point lead. Rory Lobb reignited the Giants' chances with a goal at the 24-minute mark but Edwards' second goal at the 29-minute mark ensured that Richmond would hold on for a character-building nine-point win. 

Standout players for the victors included Cotchin (33 touches, seven tackles), Martin (10 tackles, 28 disposals) and Riewoldt (two important goals in a low-scoring affair). The Giants were well-served by Treloar (23 touches and a goal), Dylan Shiel (25 possessions) and Heath Shaw (nine marks, 23 disposals). 

Next up for the Tigers is a return match against Carlton, whom they comfortably beat in round one, while the ninth-placed Giants will also take on their round one opponents - St Kilda - with the much improved Saints coming off a massive 110-point win over Essendon in round 13. 

GOALS
Richmond: Cotchin, Edwards, Riewoldt 2; Deledio, Gordon, Martin, Vickery
GWS: Palmer 3; Cameron 2; Lobb, Scully, Smith, Treloar, Ward

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Richmond: Cotchin, Martin, Ellis, Edwards, Houli, Riewoldt, Rance
GWS: Treloar, Greene, Griffen, Shaw, Shiel, Scully, Whitfield

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
Richmond: Cotchin, Riewoldt, Martin, Edwards, Rance, Miles, Maric, Houli
GWS: Shiel, Shaw, Scully, Griffen, Greene, Treloar, Ward

INJURIES
Richmond: Griffiths (shoulder)
GWS: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Ben Griffiths (shoulder) replaced by Kamdyn McIntosh in the third quarter
GWS: Caleb Marchbank replaced by James Stewart in the fourth quarter

REPORTS: Ivan Maric (Richmond) - reported for striking Jack Steele in the third quarter

UMPIRES: Fisher, Margetts, McInerney

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Gerard Healy, Jonathan Brown, Cameron Mooney