Australian Football

Match Report

Having declared the Tigers out of finals contention, Richmond coach last weekpromised his charges would produce a much better brand of football with the pressure off for the remainder of the 2016 season. His team - with five changes made to the side - certainly produced a strong performance against the highly fancied Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, ultimately falling short by just 10 points, having led for much of the evening. The Tigers jumped to a two-goal lead during the second term, and led by as much as 14 points in the third quarter before a six-goal-to-three final quarter allowed the Dogs to scrape home. 

The Bulldogs dominated the early minutes, with the ball spending most of its time deep in their forward line for the first 10 minutes. They couldn't impact the scoreboard as heavily as they would have liked, though, with Lin Jong and Marcus Bontempelli both missing gettable shots before Matt Suckling finally kicked straight to put the Dogs ahead by eight points. Richmond hit the scoreboard after a nice chain of possessions ended in the arms of Ben Griffiths, who converted for a goal. A lovely goal from an angle after an intercept mark by Jack Redpath had the Dogs back out by eight, but the Tigers scored to of the next three, including the first of Jason Castagna's career in his third AFL match, to be within two points at quarter time. 

Dogged by poor kicking for goal in the first 15 minutes of the second quarter, the Bulldogs net reward for their efforts in that period was only five behinds. In contrast Richmond looked the cleaner side while matching the Dogs' hardness in tight, and goals to Shane Edwards, Jack Riewoldt and Sam Lloyd had them out to a 12-point lead shortly before time on and looking the much better side. But the Dogs hit back in time on with a mark and goal to Bontempelli followed by an accurate snap from Tory Dickson and it was the Bulldogs by the narrowest of margins at the long break. 

There was a general expectation that the Bulldogs would come point after half time and put their stamp on the game, but it was the Tigers that surprisingly did so. Brandon Ellis and Castagna kicked goals and if shots from Edwards (twice), Griffiths and Riewoldt had not all sailed wide, Richmond could have built a substantial lead. As it was, it lead by 14 points midway through the term before the Dogs stemmed the flow and a late goal to Jake Stringer after a free kick had them in touch, trailing but just seven at the last change.

With a goal to Jason Johannisen within the first minute of the final term and another to Stringer a couple of minutes later, the Bulldogs came out flying in the final term. Liam McBean responded with a mark and his first AFL goal to restore a one-point lead for the Tigers but a dubious free kick and 50-metre penalty award to Bontempelli saw him convert and the Dogs, back in front by five points, looked to be getting on top. But Richmond would not lie down and majors to Riewoldt and Edwards saw the Tigers back out to a seven-point lead at the 16-minute mark.

After a rushed behind, some great transition football from the Dogs saw the ball finish with Redpath rose second goal levelled the scores. A snap from Riewoldt missed but returned a one-point lead to Richmond but a mark and goal to Stringer, followed by another from in close to Stringer again had the Dogs out by 11 points at the 27-minute mark. They held firm after that, eking out a win that was by non means impressive but nonetheless put them back into the top four. 

Bontempelli's 25 possessions and eight tackles were crucial to his side's victory, while Dustin Martin put in another performance that will surely earn him Brownlow votes - possibly the maximum three - gathering 38 touches and laying five tackles.

With their destiny in their own hands, the Bulldogs will look to cement that top-four spot with a win over Gold Coast in their 'home' game in Cairns next Saturday night. The Tigers, meanwhile, will be heavily favoured to defeat Essendon and record their seventh win of the year at the MCG earlier that day. 

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Stringer 4; Bontempelli, Redpath 2; Suckling, Smith, Dickson, Johannisen
Richmond: Castagna, Riewoldt, Edwards 2; Griffiths, Cotchin, Lloyd, Ellis, McBean

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Hunter, Bontempelli, Stringer, Wood, Suckling
Richmond: Martin, Cotchin, Rance, Edwards, Vlastuin, Hampson, Markov

BEST - HERALD SUN
Western Bulldogs: Stringer, Bontempelli, Daniel, Morris, Wood, Hunter, Macrae, Boyd
Richmond: Martin, Cotchin, Hampson, Costagna, Markov, Miles, Edwards

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Liberatore (ribs)
Richmond: Nil

UMPIRES: Farmer, Bannister, Chamberlain

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling