Tigers Crushed In Midfield Massacre

wrennyboy

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IT WOULD be far too simplistic to write off Richmond's forward woes on Matthew Richardson's twanged hamstring.

What Richo's mishap in the opening minutes emphasised was the continuing unhealthy reliance on the big Tiger's mix of indisputable athleticism and erratic antics.

Richmond had no Plan B when the spearhead injured his right hamstring in his first attack on the ball at Telstra Dome yesterday.

And St Kilda again underlined the versatility so critical for a team expecting to push to the AFL ladder's highest rungs.

The Saints were adept at covering and compensating a rare off-day from the brilliant and bullocking Aaron Hamill. The options were many and varied as they grounded a disjointed Richmond.

Fraser Gehrig, another key target, did his best work when the heat was at its most intense in the first half, capping another fine performance with five goals.

And Riewoldt again showcased that commitment to take front position in the marking contest, a fundamental that rewarded him with four goals.

The pair shared one goal less than Richmond's meagre tally in an often spiteful contest, which hammered out the message again that this St Kilda unit won't take a backward or sideways step to anyone.

Richmond tested the emerging Saints, particularly in the first quarter. It had the challenge thrown right back into its face by the clinical manner in which it was confronted, shrugged off and eventually buried on the scoreboard.

While the Tigers were left to lament Richardson's early exit, St Kilda's plans were disrupted, too, when ruck option Jason Blake had to be helped off after a boundary-line clash with Greg Stafford in the opening minutes.

Hamill never regained his composure and that fierce attack on the ball after being booked on a tripping charge late in the opening term.

The former Saints skipper even had a brief early spell on the interchange bench. But that initial disappointment would have been tempered by glancing along the line to the opposition camp.

Sharing a mat in front of the Richmond bench were skipper Wayne Campbell and best-and-fairest winner Mark Coughlan. And this before even the first break.

The temporary recall of two of the Tigers' main midfield drivers was in recognition of St Kilda's staggering onball dominance by Stephen Powell, Luke Ball and Lenny Hayes, particularly in the first half.

The trio shared the ball 21 times in that "hot" first term and, more importantly, rarely wasted it as they found space and targets with telling regularity.

Robert Harvey could only sit back and watch in admiration. There just wasn't enough of the footy to go around for everyone.

He saved his breath, joining the midfield massacre to eventually finish with 28 possessions, 26 of them in the last three quarters.

Richmond coach Danny Frawley searched for explanations rather than excuses later, but he did concede Richardson's injury significantly disrupted the game plan.

"We trained all summer with Matthew at the top of the goal square and we lost a bit of confidence after that," Frawley said.

While Richo's absence made the holiday infinitely more enjoyable for St Kilda's key defenders Luke Penny and Matt Maguire, the Tiger counterparts looked like Easter bunnies trying to stop Gehrig and Riewoldt.

Ray Hall conceded four goals to Gehrig before Darren Gaspar was switched on to him. But that only freed up Riewoldt for a damaging second half.

For a team supposedly so blessed with talls, Richmond had no idea how to stem St Kilda's high-ball danger, which was as pronounced as the ground-level control.

Frawley threw Hall forward with Stafford as the tall targets after halftime, sending Nathan Brown and Greg Tivendale into the attacking 50 in a bid to break the Saints' iron grip on the contest.

But St Kilda's defence didn't buckle. That back six which is so often forgotten amid the upfield deeds of Riewoldt, Gehrig and Hamill has now given up nine goals to Geelong, eight to Essendon and 10 to the struggling Tigers.

St Kilda coach Grant Thomas said the backline steadiness was "no mystery" within the club, and neither was it taken for granted.

He pointed to the across-the-board pressure applied by the forwards and midfield players to ensure the defence, still without Max Hudghton, is yet to be tested this season.

Thomas said he detected a collective coolness at each break, a united sense of belief that they always had Richmond's measure.

While it's early days yet, the Saints have never lost the focus to ground an opposition into submission.
 

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oxx

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())(())(())(())(())(())((
#2
Wrenny
post the name and source with the article so i know who
to direct my hatred at.
ok?
cheeyas
Oxx
 

itsintheblood

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#3
There's only one way you need to direct your hatred at oxx and that isnt at the media. Whatever is written is spot in. Our club is a shambles. Clinton Casey needs to salvage whatever is left of the carcass after yesterday. Don't expect too many more memberships to be sold from now on. The rot has set in.
 
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