Australian Football

Match Report

Richmond and Essendon played out an entertaining affair at the MCG on Saturday afternoon, with the game in the balance until very late in the match, with three late goals from the Tigers seeing them over the line by 19 points, keeping alive their very slim chances of participating in a fourth consecutive finals series. The Bombers took it right up to Richmond throughout the match, and indeed at times threatened to take it away from the Dons, but poor kicking for goal, along with greater composure from the Tigers, saw Richmond sneak home 16.6.102 to 11.17.83, despite the Bombers have six more scoring shots.

Essendon's intent was clear from the very beginning. The Bombers dominated the first 10 minutes of the match, and that dominance was rewarded with two goals to Orazio Fantasia and another to Zach Merrett giving them a 19-point lead and sending Richmond fans - if not players and coaches - into panic mode. The Tigers settled after that, however, and took control for much of the remainder of the term, with goals to Shaun Hampson, Sam Lloyd and Connor Menadue having score level at 3.3 apiece at the first break. 

The Tigers looked too be getting on top in the first 15 minutes of the second quarter, their defence holding firm and restricting the Bombers to just two behinds, while second-gamer Oleg Markov, Ben Griffiths and Taylor Hunt all added goals to see Richmond out to a 16-point lead. Fantasia's third goal had the Dons back within 10 midway through the term but Anthony Miles' first had the margin back out to 16 points soon after. The tide turned back Essendon's way in time on, though, and a goal to Jayden Laverde along with a couple of behinds had the Bombers back within eight points at half time. 

Richmond had a couple of early chances in the third term but could manage only a pair of behinds and the first goal of the quarter went to Essendon's McKernan, bringing the Dons to within four points. Majors to Dustin Martin - playing a great game for the Tigers - and Griffiths saw Richmond out to a 15-point lead but the Dons would not go away and Laverde's second had them back within 15 at the midpoint of the term. Two majors in a row to Lloyd again gave the Tigers breathing space but Essendon controlled the time-on period as they had in the second term, again adding 1.2 to nil to be within two goals at the last end-change.

A goal to Joe Daniher had the Bombers within six points within two minutes of the last quarter starting, setting up a potentially thrilling last quarter. Richmond responded with goals to Shaun Grigg and Griffiths and, with a three-goal buffer, it looked like the Tigers might finally have seen off Essendon's challenge. The Bombers, however, had other ideas, completely dominating play over the next 12 minutes, to the extent that Richmond did not score in that period, while Essendon had seven scoring shots. Unfortunately for the Dons, those seven shots produced only two goals - to James Kelly and Daniher. 

While that was enough to bring Essendon to within a point of Richmond, the Tigers settled once more after that, and goals to Daniel Rioli, Grigg and Martin saw them home to a 19-point win, perhaps not one worthy of a finalist, but a win that nonetheless keeps alive a mathematical chance of participating in September action. 

Martin had a huge match for the winners, picking up 43 touches and taking six marks. For the Bombers, Zach Merrett (34 possessions, 10 tackles) played an outstanding match.

If the Tigers are to keep the slimmest of finals hopes alive, they will have to defeat top side Hawthorn at the MCG next Sunday. The Bombers, who have come close to victory several times recently without winning, would give themselves a real chance of breaking a 14-game losing streak against Brisbane at Docklands on the same day. 

GOALS
Richmond: Lloyd, Griffiths 3; Grigg, Martin 2; Rioli, Miles, Menadue, Markov, Hunt, Hampson
Essendon: Fantasia 3; Laverde, Daniher 2; McKernan, Hams, Kelly, Merrett

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Richmond: Martin, Cotchin, Griffiths, Grigg, Lloyd, Castagna
Essendon: Merrett, Fantasia, Ambrose, Kelly, Parish, Gleeson

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
Richmond: Martin, Griffiths, Lloyd, Cotchin, Miles, B Ellis, Short, Castagna
Essendon: Z Merrett, Hams, Fantasia, Parish, Bird, Goddard, Gleeson

INJURIES
Richmond: Deledio (calf)
Essendon: Gwilt (knee)

UMPIRES: Foot, Fisher, Hosking

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Jason Dunstall, Gerard Healy, Cameron Mooney