No coverage of the Richmond match in The Age paper.
Cost cutting.
digital ?
Tigers bump Demons to brink of oblivion
Melbourne’s year is in tatters. A season which the red and blue faithful entered with high hopes is broken, perhaps irreparably. The Demons were ground down by a blue-collar Richmond outfit who outworked the Dees at the MCG on Wednesday night. Melbourne grimly hung in the game for much of the night, but the Tigers’ forward pressure was outstanding, providing Richmond the type of territorial dominance from which victory usually ensues.
Roar power: Daniel Rioli (left) and Kamdyn McIntosh celebrate Richmond's Anzac Day Eve win over Melbourne.Credit:AAP
The most symbolic moment of the night came early in the final term, when fourth-game Tiger Sydney Stack applied a ferocious but fair hip-and-shoulder to Dees co-captain Jack Viney. The Melbourne leader was hurt from the bump, and headed down to the rooms. He returned, but while not quite a knockout blow, Stack, and Richmond, had clearly won on points.
The out-of-form Tom McDonald was shifted back into defence for Melbourne. Along with Marty Hore, McDonald battled manfully against the relentless waves of ball heading into Richmond’s forward 50, but realistically they never stood a chance.
Stack's up: Richmond's Sydney Stack flies high for a mark against Melbourne.Credit:AAP
Melbourne had started brightly, but went goalless in the second quarter. Still, they came back full of vigour after half time, cutting the margin back to a point midway through the quarter.
Enter Jack Riewoldt. The three-time Coleman medallist kicked two goals in the space of three minutes to provide Richmond a handy buffer in a low-scoring game.
Hit and miss: Marty Hore attempts to spoil a Jack Riewoldt mark.Credit:AAP
It turned out to be a busy night for the returning forward, who could also find himself in the match review spotlight over a third-quarter incident with Bayley Fritsch. Riewoldt also spent an extended period off the ground in the final term with a suspected knee complaint.
But whatever trouble Riewoldt is in, Melbourne’s is much deeper. With just one win from six rounds, they will need a mighty comeback even to scrape into the finals, let alone contend for the premiership.
Fowl play
Eyebrows were raised during the third quarter when Riewoldt appeared to apply a “chicken wing” tackle on Demon Fritsch. Having wrapped up Fritsch, Riewoldt grabbed Fritsch’s wrist, pulling the Dee’s arm behind his back. Riewoldt appeared to let go before doing any serious damage to Fritsch, but the incident could still attract attention from match review officer Michael Christian. “Chicken wing” tackles are rare in the AFL, with the most famous incident occurring in 2012 when Chris Judd was suspended for a tackle laid on North Melbourne’s Leigh Adams.
Breaking backs
With Alex Rance out for the season after tearing his ACL in round one, there was perhaps no player Richmond could afford to lose less than key defender David Astbury. So Tiger hearts were sinking when Astbury hurt himself in the second quarter.
Another blow: More injury woe for Richmond after David Astbury was escorted from the ground.Credit:AAP
It appeared as though his left ankle was the issue, with Astbury unable to put any weight on his left leg, needing to be carried off by trainers and taken straight down the race. Astbury didn’t emerge with the rest of the Tigers at half time, but much to the relief of Richmond fans he eventually made his way from the rooms, and was soon jogging laps on the boundary, back on the field inside 15 minutes of the third term.
Stack in the pack
After an under-18 campaign marked by ill-discipline, Stack went undrafted last year. The talented West Australian had to do things the hard way, doing the preseason with Richmond and staying with Tigers coach Damien Hardwick before being taken in the supplemental selection period.
Stack is already making a serious impression. Although starved of possession in the first half he provided a moment for the highlights reel, taking a spectacular grab at the back of the pack after rising onto the back of Demon Tim Smith at half forward. Then in the last quarter Stack applied his telling bump.
Before the bounce: Melbourne players during the ANZAC pre-game ceremony.Credit:AAP
RICHMOND
3.1 5.4 7.9
12.13 (85)
MELBOURNE
4.1 4.2 5.5
6.6 (42)
GOALS – Richmond: Castagna 3, Ellis 2, Riewoldt 2, Baker 2, Martin, McIntosh, Lynch.
Melbourne: Neal-Bullen, Fritsch, Hunt, Lockhart, Gawn, Smith.
BEST – Richmond: Vlastuin, Prestia, Riewoldt, Houli, Lambert, Ellis, Castagna.
Melbourne: Gawn, Melksham, Oliver, Brayshaw, McDonald, Stretch.
INJURIES – Richmond: Astbury (ankle), Riewoldt (knee).
Melbourne: Viney (shoulder).
CROWD: 72,774 at MCG.
VOTES
N. Vlastuin (Richmond)
7
D. Prestia (Richmond)
7
J. Riewoldt (Richmond)
7
B. Houli (Richmond)
6
M. Gawn (Melbourne)
6
‘Annoying’, salami-loving Stack will get a statue from fans: Hardwick
Fittingly, there is only one statue standing outside Punt Road Oval at the moment – that of none other than Richmond great Jack ‘Captain Blood’ Dyer.
But if Richmond fans have anything to do with it, there’ll be another statue erected alongside him very soon, according to coach Damien Hardwick.
Royce Hart? Matthew Richardson? Francis Bourke? Jack Riewoldt? Dustin Martin? No, no, no, no and no. The next statue would immortalise new Tigers cult figure Sydney Stack, Hardwick quipped, after the rookie’s superb performance against Melbourne on Thursday night.
“He’s slowly become a fan favourite,” Hardwick said after the Tigers beat the Demons by 43 points at the MCG.
“He’s taken a hanger, he did a massive bump and he’s kicked a torpedo – they’ll be building a statue of him across the road shortly, the Richmond faithful.”
The bump which Hardwick referred to was mercilessly applied to Melbourne tough nut Jack Viney in the opening moments of the final quarter, forcing the Dees co-captain from the ground for a period of time.
Instant impact: Richmond's Sydney Stack.Credit:AAP
“It was unbelievable,” Hardwick said. “You sort of heard it before you saw it, he was that quick.”
Hardwick revealed that Stack routinely rang him up to check what time training starts during the week, but the Richmond coach was happy to look past the 18-year-old’s "annoying" behaviour given how much value he has already added to the club.
“Relentless. Relentless, he is,” Hardwick said of his phone etiquette.
“But our players love him, he’s that sort of character and he’s got a real persona around him in the footy club.
“We’re very, very fortunate at this footy club that we embrace those type of characters and we allow them to be who they are.
“Are they annoying every now and then? Yeah,” Hardwick said with a smile. “But the reality is they are who they are and that’s one thing [captain] Trent [Cotchin] and his leaders have really stood for about embracing all personalities and diversities and once again we feel that gets the best out of all our players and we are very lucky to have them.”
Stack initially lived with Hardwick when he arrived in Melbourne, and didn’t take very long to make himself at home.
“I remember my daughter had some friends over and she made one of those plates with salami and cheeses and the next day I see him out the back around the pool and he’s got the same thing by himself,” Hardwick said. “He’s just one of those sort of guys.”
Riewoldt agreed that Stack had already achieved cult status among the Tiger army after just four games.
Sydney Stack is fast becoming a team and fan favourite at Richmond.Credit:AAP
“A guy like Sydney and ‘Rossy’ [Jack Ross], they endear themselves to the playing group and they endear themselves to the fans because you know when the ball’s on the ground and it’s a 50-50 that they’re not going to hedge their bets, they’re going to put their body on the line,” Riewoldt told Channel Seven.
“He [Stack] tried to take on Shane Mumford up at the Giants which I advised him not to after that but he still thinks he can fight out of his weight division.”
.