Australian Football

Match Report

Little more than two years ago, GWS and Richmond demonstrated graphically the yawning gulf that lay between the two sides as the Tigers smashed the Giants by 113 points at the Sydney Showground. Now, just 26 months later, a yawning gulf between the two remains, but the teams are now incredibly on the opposite sides of the chasm, the Giants pressing home the fickle nature of football by trouncing a floundering Richmond by 88 points at Manuka Oval on Saturday, with the Tigers kicking their lowest score - 3.5.23 - since 1961.

The Tigers had travelled to Canberra with a young side that few expected to come away with a win, but most would have expected more from the yellow and black than they displayed in the first term. GWS took only a few minutes to set the tone for the match, with skipper Callan Ward and Dylan Shiel both goaling before the four-minute mark. The Giants continued to pepper the goals after that, denying Richmond many scoring opportunities, and Toby Greene, Tom Scully, Greene again and Steve Johnson twice all added majors before the Tigers finally scored - a point to Sam Lloyd - at the 25-minute mark. By that stage GWS led by 44 points, and another goal to the reborn Sam Reid made it 51-1 at the first break, the Giants headed towards an win of mammoth proportions.

Adam Kennedy extended the margin to 56 points with a goal at the four-minute mark of the second quarter before Jack Riewoldt - who had kicked 11 in that 2014 encounter with the Giants - finally gave the Tiger fans who had made the journey something to smile about with his first goal at the seven-minute mark. That was to be Richmond's only goal of the term but the Tigers did at least restrict GWS's scoring in the quarter, the Giants adding only two further majors via Reid and Devon Smith before half time. Nevertheless, the margin was a more than imposing 63 points at the long break.

Half time may have brought the Tigers brief respite, but their nightmare continued early in the third term, with goals to Jeremy Cameron and Reid extending the Giants' lead to 76 points after 10 minutes. Richmond then experienced a rare, brief period of control, adding a couple of behinds and then goals through Riewoldt and Lloyd to cut the margin to 62 points early in time on. The Tigers then held the Giants to just one further point and it was GWS by 88 points at the last end-change.

The Giants resumed their dominance in the final term, Cameron setting them on their way with a goal at the four-minute mark. While they did not score as heavily as they had done earlier in the match, they did strangle the Tigers' scoring, Richmond kicking just one behind in the last quarter as it had in the first. Greene, Scully and Johnson all added further majors for the term and the final siren saw GWS victors by 88 points and entrenched in second place on the ladder.

Stephen Coniglio continued his fine season for the Giants, picking up 33 touches and laying seven tackles, while Alex Rance, with nine marks and 26 disposals, prevented the Giants' winning margin from being larger than it was.

Next for the Giants is a Saturday twilight match at Carrara against Gold Coast, a match they will be expected to win and win well. Richmond will return to Melbourne to face Collingwood on Friday night, the Tigers keen to atone for the round two match between these two sides which saw the Magpies grab victory from the jaws of defeat.

GOALS
GWS: Johnson, Reid, Greene 3; Scully, Cameron 2; Ward, Shiel, Kennedy, Smith
Richmond: Riewoldt 2; Lloyd

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
GWS: Coniglio, Scully, Shaw, Mumford, Johnson, Shiel, Wilson
Richmond: Rance, Riewoldt, Ellis, Martin

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
GWS: Coniglio, Shaw, Shiel, Scully, Mumford, Johnson, Greene
Richmond: Rance, Martin, Cotchin, Riewoldt, Ellis

INJURIES
GWS: Lobb (ankle)
Richmond: Nil

UMPIRES: Harris, Fleer, Jeffery 

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Basil Zempilas, Jason Bennett, Tim Watson, Jude Bolton