RICHMOND 7.3.45 10.6.66 14.9.93 23.9.147
SCORERS - Collingwood: Swan (2.0), Blair (1.2), Elliott (1.2), Cloke (1.1), Greenwood (1.0), Pendlebury (1.0), Crisp (0.2), Adams (0.1), Williams (0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Pendlebury, Swan, Sidebottom, Greenwood
INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Alex Fasolo replaced by Jordan De Goey at half-time
REPORTS: Jarryd Blair (Collingwood) reported in the first quarter for rough conduct against Anthony Miles (Richmond)
OFFICIAL CROWD: 63,178 at the MCG
| 1. Top four Tigers? Hawthorn's surprise loss to Port Adelaide on Friday night has opened up the top four, and means the Tigers are just one game behind the premiers with two rounds to play. Losses to Fremantle and Adelaide in the last four weeks had made it tough for the Tigers to contend for the double chance, but now with consecutive wins over Gold Coast and Collingwood, they're right back in the mix. With a winnable clash against Essendon and a final round encounter with North Melbourne – who are in a similar place to the Tigers - to come, there's plenty to play for in the run to September. 2. Tyrone time Jack Riewoldt leads Richmond's goal-kicking but it was another enigmatic Tiger that took control of Saturday's game and made life hell for the Collingwood backmen. The often-maligned Tyrone Vickery excelled where the Pies struggled and was cool, calm and collected in front of goal to boot a personal best bag of six majors. He marked strongly, kicked truly and played with the confidence of a player who is determined to appear in this year's finals campaign after he was left out 12 months ago. 3. Forward follies The Magpies' forward line woes continued with a variety of mistakes thwarting their ability to put on any form of scoreboard pressure. They took the ball inside 50 enough – the final tally was 58 to 48 their way - but time and time again they bombed it in without any real intent to isolate a target with Travis Cloke taking his first mark inside 50 in the fourth term, Darcy Moore trying hard but going goalless and Ben Reid having two touches in the first half before moving to defence. When they applied pressure, they got shots on goal but their accuracy was awful, particularly in close. It's definitely an area that needs attention over summer as they work through just where their season fell apart. |
4. Crouching Tigers ready to pounce In comparison, the Tigers set their sights on improving some key areas they were deficient in last week against Gold Coast and would have pleased their coach with their application. Last week, they registered just 30 tackles – this week, they'd surpassed that by half time and ended with 56. They were also better defensively and narrowly won the contested possession count, which was where they fell down two weeks ago against Adelaide. One element at a time, it's starting to come together for the Tigers after an up and down five weeks. 5. Newman's swansong Hearts were in mouths late in the third quarter when Chris Newman hobbled off clutching his right hamstring. The former Richmond captain announced his retirement at the end of the season this week, which has given the Tigers an additional reason to finish the year on a high. The initial look on Newman's face when he limped off indicated a known injury, but a few rub downs and a jog along the boundary was enough to get him back up and out there, where he joined in the final-quarter party and kicked one of the Tigers' nine goals. The Magpies' forward line woes continued with a variety of mistakes thwarting their ability to put on any form of scoreboard pressure. They took the ball inside 50 enough – the final tally was 58 to 48 their way - but time and time again they bombed it in without any real intent to isolate a target with Travis Cloke taking his first mark inside 50 in the fourth term. |
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Nathan Buckley has challenged Collingwood to play "unconditional" football in its final two games of the season, saying his team simply stopped working in the last 20 minutes of its 91-point loss to Richmond on Saturday. Despite the lopsided final margin at the MCG, the Pies fared well in many of the statistical counts, winning the inside 50s 58-49 and tackles 63-56, and narrowly losing contested possessions 130-133 and clearances 31-36. But after going into three-quarter time 44 points down, the Magpies conceded nine of the last 10 goals. Buckley said after the game that the Pies seemed to hit "a breaking point" in the final term where they stopped trusting their team plan and each other. "We went away from the way we wanted to play and then we turned into 22 individuals and not a team," Buckley said. "It's just the players trying to make something happen because they don't trust what we've gone in with, and I think that's where the effort drops off. "What we saw in that last 20 minutes was a culmination of the day where we weren't rewarded for what we were doing. "But the other thing is it's a culmination of a season of effort unrewarded and there was a breaking point and to me that's what that last 20 minutes was. "It's not us, it's not acceptable. We need to be better and cleaner to take advantage of the opportunities that we create." Collingwood entered Saturday's game with a mathematical chance of making the top eight, but the Tigers officially snuffed out that faint hope, pushing the Pies down to 12th on the ladder. Although understanding his players no longer had the "carrot" of finals to motivate them, Buckley said they had to "stay the course" in their remaining clashes against Geelong and Essendon. "We've got eight quarters of football left in our season and we'll use it to try and improve, to play closer to our best footy and to maintain a really consistent effort around that," Buckley said. "We were disappointed not to see that at the end of the game today. We lowered our colours today against our own standards, not necessarily against the opposition or against the competition. "We want to be an unconditional footy team that plays its best football regardless of what's (riding) on it or what's not (riding) on it, whether it's a NAB Cup (Challenge) game, an early home and away game, a late home and away game, a final. "We've got to be an unconditional side and we're still learning to do that." Levi Greenwood's tagging job on Tigers skipper Trent Cotchin was one of the few positives to come out of the loss for Collingwood. The former Kangaroo has had a tough first season with the Magpies after suffering a serious ankle injury in the pre-season, but his ability to keep Cotchin to just 13 possessions in his sixth game for his new club was encouraging. "Levi was one of the few boys who put his hand up at the end of the game and said that he put up a four-quarter effort," Buckley said. "It's been a frustrating year for him, missing the first half through injury and an up-and-down return through the second half. "But we set him for these three weeks to really finish off the season strongly and give himself the best chance of taking something out of the year." Richmond has kept its top-four hopes alive with a 91-point thrashing of Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday that was highlighted by a six-goal haul from spearhead Tyrone Vickery. The Tigers flew out of the gates, kicking the game's opening four goals in a sign they were switched-on for the must-win clash. The Magpies hit back with the next three goals, but Richmond then broke their will with seven straight goals from the 26-minute mark of the first term to the opening minute of the third quarter to set up a 23.9 (147) to 7.14 (56) win. The Tigers led by 44 points at that stage, a margin they maintained to three-quarter time, but they turned a comfortable win into a rout with a nine-goal-to-one final term. The win was the Tigers' 13th for 2015 and, more importantly, keeps them within striking distance of their chief challengers for the finals double chance, the Western Bulldogs and Sydney Swans. The Swans held a comfortable lead over Greater Western Sydney late in their clash on Saturday, so look set to maintain a one-game break on Richmond with two rounds to go, but the Bulldogs must beat second-placed West Coast at Domain Stadium on Sunday to maintain the same buffer. Vickery took 10 marks (three contested) in an imposing performance and finished with a precision in front of goal that the misfiring Pies could only dream of. With captain Trent Cotchin well held by Levi Greenwood, Brandon Ellis (31 possessions and one goal), Dustin Martin (32 and one) and Bachar Houli (29 and two) gave the Tigers much of their drive around the ground. Alex Rance was outstanding on Travis Cloke, keeping the Magpie spearhead to one goal, while fellow Tiger defenders Jake Batchelor, Steven Morris and Nick Vlastuin combined well to keep dangerous Pies smalls Jamie Elliott, Alex Fasolo and Jarryd Blair quiet. Ruckman Ivan Maric spent some time off the ground in the first quarter after copping an accidental boot to the nose when he tried to smother young Magpie Darcy Moore, but he returned to play out the game strongly. Despite the magnitude of the win, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said the Tigers still needed to improve elements of their game after an up-and-down past five weeks. "We're starting to get some consistency in our performance,” Hardwick said. "We still feel we've got some areas we'd like to get better in, so we've got some work to do still. "We got penned in a little bit in defensive 50 today, which we were probably a little bit disappointed in, so we'll just have to look at that and work through it. "There are some areas of our game we're not quite doing at the level we'd like, which is a little bit frustrating." Although Collingwood won the inside 50 count 58-48, Richmond controlled the game with its speedy and precise ball movement, and was regularly able to hit unattended forward 50 targets with long kicks over the back of the Pies' zones. Collingwood's loss was its eighth from its past 10 games and put a full stop on its finals hopes, sending it plummeting to 12th on the ladder. For the second successive year, the Magpies have missed the top eight after winning eight of their first 11 games, and for their latest defeat they could partially blame their inaccuracy in front of goal that, at its worst, saw them kick 0.7 in the second quarter. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said his players had stopped working in the final quarter after not getting reward for their efforts in the first three terms. "We were clearly not happy with the last 20 minutes and I think that was a culmination of solid effort without results," Buckley said. "We went inside 50 quite a bit in that first half but just didn't score and then couldn't stop it coming back the other way. "We were disappointed with that last 20, we loosened the grip, we let go. "We stopped working, we didn't trust, and that was a really poor aspect of the game." Captain Scott Pendlebury (a game-high 33 possessions and one goal) led the way for Collingwood, with Dane Swan (28 and two) and Steele Sidebottom (32) his best support acts. Greenwood could also hold his head high after holding Cotchin to 13 possessions. The Pies' day could yet be soured further with Blair reported late in the first quarter after appearing to catch Anthony Miles high with his hip as he charged in off the square to contest a loose ball. The Richmond midfielder had his head over the ball at the time of impact, but Blair also appeared to be making a genuine attempt to win the ball. |
NATHAN Buckley says Collingwood must learn to be an “unconditional football side” after skipper Scott Pendlebury described yesterday’s big loss as his “first game that didn’t sort of mean anything.” Speaking after his side’s horrid 91-point loss to Richmond, Pendlebury — who was Collingwood’s best with 33 disposals — said it was strange knowing his side could not make the finals. “It’s a disappointing day and I’ve sort of never played in a game like that where it is my first time ever that didn’t sort of mean anything,” Pendlebury told 3AW radio. “As a football club we can’t get to finals. “We just can’t defend at the moment. “I know we’re not playing for much in the last two weeks, but the boys want to turn up next Friday night and restore some pride.” The Magpies coach said it was crucial his battered side “stays the course” with two matches still to come. “We’re in for the journey, but we’re competitors and want reward for our effort to have a carrot on the end that we’re aspiring to,” Buckley said. “So what Pendles would be talking about there is the short-term carrot of playing finals wasn’t there for him. “I can understand that perspective, but you’ve got to fight against that because as a competitor there’s certain circumstances you’re going to be in control of and there are others you’re not. “We lowered our colours today against our own standards and we want to be an unconditional footy team that plays its best football, whether it is a NAB Cup game or whatever it is, and we’re still learning to do that.” It has been a season of frustration for Collingwood, with a string of near-misses against the top sides proving costly. Buckley said he believed that frustration contributed to yesterday’s capitulation, which was the club’s heaviest defeat to Richmond since 1976. “It is a culmination of a season of effort unrewarded,” Buckley said. “There is a breaking point and, to me, that is what that last 20 minutes was (when Richmond kicked nine goals for the term). “It’s not us and it is not acceptable. “We need to be better and cleaner to take advantage of our opportunities that we create.” The Magpies next face Geelong at the MCG and Buckley said his side will need to regather quickly to avoid a repeat of yesterday’s display. “They another team pushing for finals so they will have an intent and a want,” Buckley said. “We’ve got eight quarters of football left in our season and we’ll use it to try and improve and play closer to our best footy.” The last time Richmond beat Collingwood by a bigger margin was July 3, 1976, when 36,470 fans watched the Pies crumble at the MCG. Nearly four decades later at the same ground the scoreline was remarkably similar - on both occasions the Magpies finished with seven goals and 14 behinds. And while the Tigers would have needed three more behinds to smash that old record, they had much to celebrate with their 91-point win on Saturday. Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury said it was the first AFL match he had played in that "didn't mean anything," but coach Nathan Buckley said he wanted to become a football team that played its best no matter the circumstances. Rarely have Richmond fans sounded more rapturous than when belting out the theme song post-match, as top goal-scorer Ty Vickery ran around the boundary offering high-fives. They were a team roaring towards the finals – skilful and organised - and they kept Collingwood goalless until 15-minutes into the first term, then piled on nine in the last. In a remarkably even season, their dominant display was a reminder they would be real contenders come finals time, even though they were positioned outside the top-four. Despite the emphatic win, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said there were some aspects of their game he would like to see the Tigers improve on - they were getting a bit stuck at times in their defensive 50. But he said the players were now able to adapt their playing style to beat different opponents, a sign of growing maturity. "It's not something we've just brought into our game over night, we've been training it for two to three years," he said. "One thing the playing group has gotten a lot better at now is understanding the timing, the speed of movement, how to shut a game down, how to score when you get the opportunity." Hardwick said it was good to see some of his less high-profile players perform well, including mature-age rookie Kane Lambert who put his head over the ball a number of times in the last quarter. "We're pleased with that developing core coming through that stood up, which was great," he said. It was the biggest loss Collingwood have suffered since Buckley took over as senior coach in 2012, perhaps made worse by the fact that the players really seemed to be trying, before giving up in the dying minutes. They got the ball inside 50 twice as many times as the Pies in the second quarter, but managed just seven behinds to Richmond's 3.3. The final term was a yellow and black party, as the Tigers kicked goal after goal, sharing the love around. Twelve Richmond players kicked at least one goal in the win, Bachar Houli and Jack Riewoldt scored two apiece, Sam Lloyd and Brett Deledio both got three, Ivan Maric four and Vickery starred with six. Collingwood players appeared to stop running hard in the final 20 minutes of the game and Buckley said that was what disappointed him most. "We loosened the grip, we let go, we stopped working, we didn't trust and that was a really poor aspect of the game," he said. In a post-match interview on 3AW, Pendlebury gave some insight into how he felt about the match. "I've never played in game like that, it's my first time ever playing in a game didn't mean anything," he said. "As a football cub we can't get to finals, and I thought early we didn't start too well but the effort was there... we just can't defend at the moment." Buckley said he understood his skipper's point of view, because the game lacked the short-term "carrot" of a finals berth. But he said Collingwood should be a team that tried its best each time they played. "We lowered our colours today against our own standards and we want to be an unconditional footy team that plays its best football, whether it is a NAB Cup game or whatever it is, and we're still learning to do that." Buckley said the team went into the game with two major focuses, the first to prevent Richmond from getting too many contested marks and controlling the football. The second was to was to be more measured with their inside 50s – neither of which they succeeded with. Buckley said the players then deviated from the game plan, which quickened the slide. "We turned into 22 individuals and not a team." His players were tired of working hard for little reward. "There's a season of effort unrewarded, and there's a breaking point, and to me that's what that last 20 minutes is." "It’s a disappointing day and I’ve sort of never played in a game like that where it is my first time ever that didn’t sort of mean anything. Scott Pendlebury |
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