Indigenous All Stars to play Tigers in Red Centre

Updated December 14, 2012 15:55:08

The AFL has confirmed an Indigenous All Stars team will play Richmond at Alice Springs next year.

The match will be staged at Traeger Park in February.

Former Sydney Swans star Michael O'Loughlin will coach the All Stars and will be assisted by Roger Hayden, Troy Cook and Andrew McLeod.

The match will be part of a biennial event and 67 Indigenous AFL players will take part.

AFL Central Australia chief Andy Hood says a football clinic being hosted during the game week will be a "once in a lifetime" opportunity for the region's footballers.

Mr Hood says the game and players camp will provide a boost for football in Central Australia.

"We have actually got about 120 AFL players in Alice Springs from Tuesday right through to Saturday," he said.

"Both the All Stars and the Richmond Tigers have got their community camps in Alice Springs and there's a big super-clinic on the Wednesday.

"I don't think there will be an opportunity like this again.

"To have both these teams for a super clinic on Traeger Park is just amazing."

Tickets for the match are on sale.

Tags: australian-football-league, community-and-multicultural-festivals, alice-springs-0870

First posted December 14, 2012 14:14:14

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Tigers sign Knights from Crows

Updated October 01, 2012 13:40:38

Richmond has picked up Adelaide's Chris Knights in the first completed player move of AFL trade week.

Knights, 26, played eight seasons with the Crows and was a part of Adelaide's finals sides under Neil Craig, but struggled to make an impression under new coach Brenton Sanderson.

He moves to the Tigers as an unrestricted free agent.

"We're delighted to have gained Chris' services, as we believe he'll be a valuable acquisition for our group," Richmond's general manager of football, Craig Cameron, said in a statement.

"Chris has the all-round talent, versatility, and experience to really help us, and we feel that he'll thrive with the opportunities at Tigerland."

Knights said the week leading up to his signing had been "nerve-wracking" but that he was happy to move on with a fresh club.

"I spent eight years with the Adelaide Football Club, which has been fantastic to me," Knights said.

"Your career is a short one, and you just have to make the most of it, and Richmond gave me that opportunity, so I'm just delighted to be here."

In other trade week news, the Fremantle Dockers have made a formal offer for Port Adelaide utility Danyle Pearce.

Pearce is an unrestricted free agent, and the Power has 72 hours to match the Dockers' offer.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, richmond-3121, vic, australia, adelaide-5000, sa

First posted October 01, 2012 13:40:38

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Tigers re-sign Tuck

Updated September 19, 2012 17:56:07

Shane Tuck has signed a one-year contract extension with Richmond.

The deal will see Tuck play out a 10th season at the senior level and he is set to add to his 163 appearances for the Tigers.

The 30-year-old enjoyed a consistent 2012 season, playing every match for the Tigers and averaging just over 26 possessions.

He led the club in contested possessions, centre clearances and tackles, and finished fourth in the Jack Dyer Medal voting.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, richmond-4822

First posted September 19, 2012 17:56:07

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Tigers down Bulldogs in MCG shoot-out

Updated August 12, 2012 20:57:20

Richmond stormed away from the Western Bulldogs for a comfortable 70-point win at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.

Key forward Jack Riewoldt kicked five goals as the Tigers won an often scrappy battle, 22.18 (150) to 12.8 (80), keeping their mathematical chance of a finals appearance alive for another week.

The Tigers had not beaten the Bulldogs in seven years, the emphatic victory a sign of the overall improvement at the club in 2012.

Already fielding an inexperienced side, the Bulldogs were dealt a further blow when their best player Ryan Griffen suffered back spasms during the warm-up and withdrew from the game.

The more settled Tigers jumped out of the blocks quickly, kicking the first six goals for what looked like a match-winning advantage.

The scoreboard showed the difference in the quality of ball use from both teams and Richmond's more active forward line.

The Dogs could not hit a target by foot in the opening term, while the likes of Tigers Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin were finding space to create opportunities for their forwards.

Cotchin led all day, kicking three goals, winning 35 possessions and taking seven marks.

"He has had an outstanding year - there is no doubt about it," Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said after the match.

"Trent is one of those players - there is not another player quite like him. His ability to get inside, then outside is second to none.

"He is probably very similar to Chris Judd in that way, getting out of traffic while other players would just crumble in the tackle."

At quarter-time, the scoreboard was lopsided but the Bulldogs were grabbing back some momentum.

Defender Brian Lake played as a forward for much of the game and started to give the Dogs some presence in attack.

The Bulldogs kicked six of the next seven goals to cut the deficit to 17 points. It became the pattern of the day - bar a one-sided final term.

The Dogs would kick a burst of goals, with the experience of captain Matthew Boyd and Daniel Giansiracusa coming through, to get within striking distance of the Tigers, only for Richmond to steady and rip the game away from them.

After kicking the first five goals of the third quarter, the Dogs were trailing by just six points before best on ground Cotchin took his - and Richmond's - game to another level.

Cotchin tackled hard, won the ball and created scoring opportunities for the Tigers.

He kicked two of his three goals for the day late in the term, and steadied Richmond as it booted six of the last seven goals of the quarter to restore their comfortable lead.

The last term was a rout - the Tigers kicking five goals to none to enjoy a percentage-boosting win.

Well out of finals contention, the Bulldogs continue to blood new players and coach Brendan McCartney said he wants to continue to make use of the opportunity.

"There have been a lot of challenges this year but I know that we have unearthed some good young players," McCartney said.

"The scoreboard might not show it at the moment but - four young men brought in the last two weeks - there is a bit to like about that going forward."

AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted August 12, 2012 18:08:34

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Giants push Tigers all the way

Updated June 16, 2012 18:44:55

Greater Western Sydney delivered a four-quarter performance but Richmond took the points with a two-goal win over the Giants in the wet in Sydney on Saturday.

The Giants stayed in contention for most of the day with fierce tackling and making the most of their scoring opportunities before the Tigers steadied to win 11.20 (86) - 12.2 (74).

Richmond had nearly double the number of forward 50 entries than GWS - 66-35 - but the Giants' defence handled the attacks well, and the home side out-tackled the Tigers by 87-69.

The Giants' James McDonald told Grandstand that the team had focused on fighting the game out to the end after some second-half fade-outs in recent weeks.

"Obviously against Essendon and Geelong the two previous games we were good for a half and then fell away," McDonald said.

"It was disappointing we didn't get the win in the end, but the boys will get a lot of confidence for playing four quarters out."

GWS's number one draft pick, Jonathon Patton, took a couple of strong contested marks and kicked his first AFL goal, while the Giants' other young gun Jeremy Cameron kicked three to give the home fans hope.

McDonald said the Giants were excited about the development of Cameron, who kicked five goals against the Western Bulldogs earlier this season.

"They're like rare as hen's teeth, (if) you can find big blokes who can take marks and kicks goals," he said.

"He (Cameron) has got a lot of weight to put on ... but he's got a lot of upside, he's got a big future ahead of him."

The Tigers had a 14-point lead at quarter time in wet and slippery conditions, and were expected to go on with the job.

However the Giants kicked three goals to two in the second term to hold Richmond to a nine-point lead at half-time.

A small crowd of 7,358 at the Sydney Olympic Showgrounds were given hope as the Giants got within a goal late in the final quarter, but majors to Jack Riewoldt and Daniel Connors clinched the win for the visitors.

The Tigers could have a couple of injury concerns, with Trent Cotchin being treated off the ground for a leg injury before returning to sit in the forward line, while defenders Alex Rance and Jake King were shaken up during the game in separate contests.

GIANTS: 12.2 (74) - Cameron 3, Greene 2, Palmer 2, McDonald, Patton, Phillips, Schulz, Shiel.

TIGERS: 11.20 (86) - Connors 3, Riewoldt 3, S Edwards 2, Cotchin, Deledio, Jackson.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, nsw, sydney-2000

First posted June 16, 2012 17:48:36

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Tigers name Riewoldt to face Giants

Updated June 14, 2012 20:57:35

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has praised forward Jack Riewoldt's dedication after going without sleep to give himself every chance of playing against Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.

Riewoldt has been named in the Tigers' squad for the match at Sydney's Olympic Park despite an ankle injury sustained last weekend against Fremantle.

He strapped up the ankle and kept playing, though his impact was limited and he looked at long odds to take on the Giants.

But Hardwick says Riewoldt is an almost certain starter as a result of getting up during the night for several days this week to keep icing his ankle.

"We're very, very confident he'll play, which is a great credit to Jack and the work he's put in to get himself available for this game," Hardwick said.

"It's been a great lesson for our younger players - how much you put into it.

"He's been sleeping about three hours on and off and icing it every three hours."

But the Tigers will be without first-year revelation Steven Morris (shoulder), with Daniel Connors selected for his first senior match of the season as the defender's replacement.

Forward Ty Vickery has also been left out, the Tigers saying he has a leg injury.

The Giants have also been forced into several changes, with consistent ruckman Jonathan Giles out with calf soreness but experienced Dean Brogan replacing him after recovering from injury.

And number one draft pick Jonathon Patton has been named as expected for his AFL debut despite an injury scare at training on Wednesday.

The Giants say 19-year-old man mountain Patton is a certain starter.

St Kilda brings back rebounding defender Sam Fisher and ruckman Ben McEvoy from injury for its match with Adelaide at Football Park on Friday night.

Fisher, who has been missing with a hamstring injury, and McEvoy (knee) have been named in the Saints' side to take on the high-flying Crows.

The hosts will be without Graham Johncock, who was ruled out been ruled out with a back complaint.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has wielded the axe, making four changes for the Kangaroos match against Gold Coast at Carrara on Saturday night and recalling forward Lindsay Thomas.

Aaron Edwards, Cruize Garlett, Luke and Cameron Delaney have all been dropped.

Mature-age rookie Sam Gibson will make his AFL debut for the Kangaroos after some impressive reserves form and his promotion from the rookie list this week.

The winless Suns have also axed four players and lost experienced Campbell Brown to a knee injury, with ruckman Zac Smith among those recalled.

Brisbane will be without three-time premiership player Simon Black for Sunday's encounter with Hawthorn at the MCG, as he is unavailable for another week, while Ash McGrath is sidelined with a knee injury.

Ruckman Ben Hudson has been named in the Lions' preliminary squad and should he see match time, he will chalk up his 150th senior appearance, having previously had stints at Adelaide and Western Bulldogs.

Derick Wanganeen is in line to make his senior debut for the Hawks after being included in their provisional squad.

Brendan Whitecross has been ruled out with a hip injury.

Port Adelaide added Matt Thomas, Matthew Lobbe and Tom Logan to its extended squad to meet the Bulldogs at Docklands in Sunday's twilight fixture.

The Bulldogs will be without Daniel Pearce because of a hip injury.

AAP/ABC

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, richmond-3121

First posted June 14, 2012 20:49:58

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Tigers expecting Dockers lockdown

Updated June 08, 2012 12:39:57

Richmond is not expecting any repeat of the basketball-style AFL on show last week when they face Ross Lyon's Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday.

The Tigers and St Kilda put on a scoring feast in one of the best matches in recent memory last Friday night, Richmond posting a eight-point win in a match featuring 34 goals.

But as Lyon works on getting the Dockers to adopt his miserly defensive style, the Tigers are banking on a return to more conventional scores one week on.

"He is an outstanding coach and the sides he coaches are very disciplined about the way they play, very methodical about the way they play," Tigers coach Damien Hardwick says of Lyon.

"Defensively they're the best in the AFL ... if we don't control the game the way we need to control it, they can do some damage and stifle us offensively."

While the Tigers' midfield has taken much of the spotlight, their defence has improved markedly this season.

The Tigers conceded more than 100 points a match last season.

But they have reined that back to just under 90 in 2012 and the figure was tracking at much less until the Saints booted 16 goals against them last week.

The match pits the Tigers' cult hero ruckman Ivan Maric and his run of career-best form against the competition's ruck benchmark Aaron Sandilands.

So big has Maric's impact been, he looms as a possible All-Australian but his biggest test comes on Saturday against the freakish Sandilands, according to Hardwick.

"His (Sandilands) ability to cover the ground is enormous," he said.

"He's 123 kilograms and he covers the ground like a six-foot player.

"He's a formidable opponent, no doubt about that."

The Tigers' midfield has suffered a blow with in-form Nathan Foley missing with a minor leg injury.

Small forward Jake King is out suspended, with wingman or half-forward Brett O'Hanlon brought in for his AFL debut and defender Matt Dea recalled.

The Dockers have axed defender Paul Duffield, ruckman Zac Clarke and forward Jack Anthony for Nic Suban, Adam McPhee and Jonathon Griffin.

But midfielder Anthony Morabito will not return to the AFL until at least after the Dockers' bye next weekend.

He has played three matches in the WAFL since recovering from a serious knee injury, but the Dockers have resisted throwing him into action against the Tigers.

Both teams boast 5-5 win-loss records but contrasting form, with the Tigers winning their past two and the Dockers losing their past three.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, richmond-3121, fremantle-6160

First posted June 08, 2012 12:39:57

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Riewoldt bags eight as Tigers down Saints

Updated June 01, 2012 23:11:44

Richmond needed an eight-goal haul from Jack Riewoldt and enormous character to post its first win over St Kilda in eight years at Docklands on Friday night.

The Tigers led for most of the night, but the Saints threatened to produce a remarkable comeback victory when they came from 20 points down early in the last quarter to hit the lead with four straight goals.

But Richmond responded with three goals in time-on - two to Riewoldt and one to youngster Brandon Ellis - to surge clear and win 18.13 (121) to 16.17 (113) in front of 49,337 fans.

Riewoldt's haul continued his form resurgence, after he booted six in last weekend's win over Hawthorn.

It took him to top place in the Coleman Medal race with 31 goals for the season.

Midfielders Trent Cotchin (28 disposals) and Brett Deledio (29) continued their stellar seasons, Ivan Maric dominated against a depleted Saints ruck brigade and Steven Morris kept Stephen Milne fairly quiet.

"It's a relief," Tigers skipper Chris Newman admitted to Grandstand.

"It was tight all game and St Kilda are quality opposition, they never say die and they came back at us and hit the front.

"I'm just really happy with the resolve of the group.

"There's a huge amount of belief that we've got and ... I guess it's just another game and we've got to try and dust it off and play next week against Freo."

For the Saints, youngster David Armitage and veteran Lenny Hayes battled extremely hard in the midfield, Hayes having 16 second-half touches to try to drag his side over the line, while Brendon Goddard also had a big game.

Goalsneak Ahmed Saad was a danger man with three majors and Nick Riewoldt battled hard against Alex Rance to also kick three goals.

Richmond's win followed 13 losses and a draw in its previous 14 clashes with the Saints and lifted them to a 5-5 record.

With four wins in the Tigers' past five matches, including quality victories over Sydney, Hawthorn and now the Saints, it will raise hopes they can reach the finals for the first time since 2001.

Jack Riewoldt's big night included a spectacular mark over Jason Blake in the second term.

The Tigers twice looked to have the game in their keeping, when they pushed 20 points clear early in both the third and final quarters.

But the Saints kept coming, hitting the lead in the last term when Armitage, Nick Riewoldt and Jason Gram combined for four goals in a six-minute burst.

"You're always nervous - big games, big crowd, you're always nervous," Newman said.

"You're lying if you say you're not.

"But obviously the boys handled it pretty well.

"We let them score a few goals consecutively and they got back into the game, but as I said the resolve of this young group is really impressive and for a few of the leaders to stand up in that last quarter also is really pleasing."

But, after a series of close losses already this season the determined Tigers bounced back, with Jack Riewoldt sealing the win in his 100th AFL match.

Richmond: 18.13 (121) - Riewoldt 8, Edwards 2, Nahas 2, Tuck, Deledio, Maric, Vickery, Martin, Ellis

St Kilda: 16.17 (113) - Riewoldt 3, Saad 3, Gram 2, Armitage 2, Milera 2, Koschitzke, Milne, Dal Santo, Goddard

ABC/AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, richmond-3121, st-kilda-3182, vic, australia

First posted June 01, 2012 22:42:28

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Tigers arrive with Hawks hammering

Updated May 26, 2012 19:13:18

The Tigers signalled its arrival as a danger team in the AFL by demolishing the fancied Hawks by 62 points at the MCG on Saturday.

Richmond delighted its fans and sent a message to the league with the 21.11 (137) to 10.15 (75) belting, reversing a trend of honourable losses early this season.

With much of the match played in wet conditions, only one team had the skills and the endeavour to win.

Hawthorn's Josh Gibson told Grandstand his team-mates were extremely disappointed by their performance but said it does not stop the Hawks momentum.

"I'd say it's a bit of a speed hump,'' he said of the defeat.

"We've got really high expectations of ourselves and we didn't meet those today.

"We've had a few wins lately but today we got beaten by a team that beat us at the hunt.''

Hawthorn came into the game on the back of an easy win over Fremantle, while Richmond had pushed the Bombers to the limit before coming up short last weekend.

The Tigers jumped the Hawks, however, kicking four goals to one in the opening quarter and the pressure never eased on Alistair Clarkson's men.

Richmond were dominant in contested possessions, and as the match wore on, Hawthorn's defence failed to come to grips with Richmond's forward line.

Jake King was the early target up forward, but as Richmond established its dominance, spearhead Jack Riewoldt came to the fore.

He finished with six goals, while at the other end the Hawks' Lance Franklin had a day to forget with a return of 1.3.

The Tigers' Steven Morris was important at the back, blanketing Hawthorn dynamo Cyril Rioli.

Morris told Grandstand the Tigers weren't taking anything for granted as they get ready to play St Kilda, Fremantle and GWS.

"I wouldn't say there's any easy games in the AFL, this year has proved that," he said.

"We've got to be on our game next week (against St Kilda) and give it our best shot."

The match ended as a contest when Richmond kicked seven goals without reply between the 28-minute mark of the third term and the nine-minute mark of the last.

Hawthorn could not find a way back, and the eight-goal-to-two final quarter set the seal on a fantastic day for the yellow and black faithful.

Gibson said that the Hawks' defence would have to look closely at its performance.

"It's all about halving those contests (inside defensive 50),'' he said.

"I don't feel we did that today, and even the contests we did halve, they beat us at the hunt at ground level."

Tigers: 21.11 (137) - Riewoldt 6, King 3, Edwards 2, Jackson 2, Martin 2, Morris, Tuck, Maric, Cotchin, Nahas, Deledio.

Hawks: 10.15 (75) - Breust 3, Rioli 2, Roughead 3, Young, Smith, Franklin.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

First posted May 26, 2012 16:48:13

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Bombers hold off Tigers fight-back

Updated May 20, 2012 09:01:48

Competition pacesetters Essendon survived a scare from Richmond, losing the lead in the last quarter before finishing strongly to win their round-eight clash by 19 points on Saturday night.

A massive crowd of 80,900 packed into the MCG to watch the eighth annual Dreamtime game, which is the highlight of the AFL's indigenous-themed round.

After blowing a 42-point lead, the Bombers kicked the last three goals of the game to win 19.13 (127) to 15.19 (109).

Essendon's win-loss ratio now stands at 7-1 while for the Tigers (3-5) this was one that got away.

Patrick Ryder kicked four goals for the Bombers while midfielder Jobe Watson was prominent.

Richmond sent half-back Brett Deledio into a midfield role and he was awarded the medal for best-afield after gathering a game-high 35 possessions, 10 tackles and seven inside-50s.

Trent Cotchin and Shane Edwards booted three goals each for the Tigers and onballer Shaun Grigg was another strong contributor.

Cale Hooker held Richmond full-forward Jack Riewoldt to one goal while at the other end Essendon's key forward Michael Hurley failed to score a goal but played a creative role at half-forward in his first game back from a hamstring injury.

Essendon had booted six goals in the opening term including three to Ryder and six more in the second quarter to hold a 35-point advantage at halftime, 12.7 (79) to 6.8 (44).

Richmond defender Dylan Grimes suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted off in the second term for Brandon Ellis.

Ryder's fourth goal early in the second half gave Essendon a 42-point advantage before Richmond gained some momentum with a 5.8 third term to Essendon's 4.2 on the back of a 19-9 advantage in the inside-50 entries in the third quarter.

Essendon also had to reshuffle their defence as Dustin Fletcher was troubled by a groin injury and was substituted off for Nathan Lovett-Murray.

The Tigers' surge came through an improved performance in midfield, although a goal to Ben Howlett in the last minute of the term gave the Bombers a 23-point break at three-quarter time.

Richmond scored the first four goals of the final term to snatch the lead in the 12th minute.

But two quick goals to Lovett-Murray and Angus Monfries put the Bombers ahead by 10 points and Alwyn Davey booted his second to seal the result for the Bombers.

The Tigers dominated the inside-50 count 66-48 and had more scoring shots but suffered through several near misses in the second half.

Essendon play Greater Western Sydney in Blacktown next Saturday. Richmond face Hawthorn at the MCG next Saturday.

Essendon: 19.14 (128) - Ryder 4, Monfries 3, Stanton 3, Davey 2, Jetta 2, Watson 2, Howlett, Crameri, Lovett-Murray

Richmond: 15.19 (109) - Cotchin 3, Edwards 3, Grigg 2, Martin 2, Deledio, Miller, Jackson, Nahas, Riewoldt

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, essendon-3040

First posted May 19, 2012 22:38:19

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Tigers roar again at the MCG

Updated May 12, 2012 20:58:39

Richmond delighted its supporters and kick-started its season with a 29-point victory over the Sydney Swans at the MCG on Saturday night.

Thousands of Tigers fans roared out the club song in the stands after Richmond repelled a Sydney comeback to win 13.13 (91) to 8.14 (62).

There was only one team in the contest early on, as the Swans struggled to get the ball forward.

Richmond had no such problems, scoring 5.6 to 0.2 in the opening term, with Jack Riewoldt (four goals) leading the way.

The Tigers at their peak were 41 points clear at the 11-minute mark of the second quarter, but Sydney slowly edged back by improving its performance at the clearances.

Richmond's Brett Deledio told Grandstand the team was very happy to have knocked off the Swans, who were unbeaten until last week.

"We've had some pretty close calls against some good sides so to finally knock one off is pretty good for us," Deledio said.

"We got our hands on the footy early, Cotchy (Trent Cotchin) was good early, Dusty (Dustin Martin) was good ... Chris Newman led from the front again, so getting off to a good start certainly goes a long way towards winning the game."

A four-goal-to-one third quarter by the Swans put the pressure back on the Tigers as errors started to creep into their game.

The first goal of the final quarter was always going to be critical and Richmond's Shaun Grigg snapped truly at the four-and-a-half minute mark.

When Riewoldt kicked his third two minutes later, the Tigers were on the way to their second straight victory, and third for the year.

Deledio said the Tigers had lost out in clearances and contested possessions in the third quarter, but had not lost confidence in their ability to win the match.

"I think that's a sign that the group, we're starting to mature a bit," Deledio said.

"We didn't get ahead of ourselves, in time gone by we probably would have got a bit excited and got carried away with where we were."

Richmond now has to prepare for a match against old rivals Essendon at the MCG next Saturday.

It was another poor result for the Swans at the MCG - Sydney has now won just one game in its last 15 at the AFL's headquarters.

The last time the Swans won at the MCG was in round 19, 2009, when they beat Richmond by 55 points.

For Sydney, Daniel Hannebery went off in the final minutes after tweaking his hamstring.

Tigers: 13.13 (91) - J Riewoldt 4, Grigg 3, Miller 2, Martin, Conca, Maric, Deledio.

Swans: 8.14 (62) - Kennedy 2, Everitt, Grundy, Hannebery, McGlynn, Seaby, Dennis-Lane.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

First posted May 12, 2012 19:35:42

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Jack kicks Tigers back into winners' circle

Updated May 06, 2012 18:48:48

Jack Riewoldt kicked Richmond to its second win of the year as the Tigers beat Port Adelaide by 37 in shocking conditions at Football Park on Sunday.

On a windy, wet afternoon on Adelaide, Riewoldt was the standout performer, taking six strong marks and kicking 4.2 to drive Richmond to a 13.13 (91) to 8.6 (54) win.

Tigers forward Robin Nahas also contributed three goals on the day.

He told Grandstand that the Tigers felt they had played a "pretty complete game", aside from a lapse for 20 minutes in the third quarter.

"I think our intensity was fairly good, we trapped the ball inside our forward 50,'' Nahas said.

"We all know how that time inside the forward half is extremely important these days.''

One of the other keys for Richmond was the display of ruckman Ivan Maric, who racked up 46 hitouts, 20 disposals, five marks and four tackles.

Nahas said Maric's marking ability had allowed him to play an important role as a loose man in defence for the Tigers.

"Instead of spoiling the ball and getting it on the ground, we're trying to mark the ball and get first use of the ball that way,'' Nahas said.

"Ivan's extremely good overhead, and he also chops out very well, which helps our side rebound out of defensive 50.''

In a battle of the bottom end of the ladder, both sides went in having won just one of their first five matches.

Richmond broke the game open in the second quarter, kicking five goals to one into the wind.

The Power kept the game alive with a four-goal third term, but Richmond responded when challenged to seal the win.

Port Adelaide struggled to kick a winning score, with ruckman Brent Renouf and forward John Butcher the main goalkickers with two majors.

Richmond was clearly the more attacking side, making 55 entries inside forward 50, compared to just 37 for the Power.

It was a disappointing performance by the Power, who have to travel to Perth to play the Dockers next week.

Richmond will have no easier a task, with the Sydney Swans looking to brush off the disappointment of losing to Adelaide in front of their home fans.

Port Adelaide also have an injury concern, after Cameron Hitchcock was substituted halfway through the second quarter with a hamstring tear.

Richmond: 13.13 (91) - Riewoldt 4, Nahas 3, King 2, Miller, Deledio, Newman, Conca.

Port Adelaide: 8.6 (54) - Renouf 2, Butcher 2, Broadbent, Jacobs, D Stewart, Young,

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, sa, west-lakes-5021

First posted May 06, 2012 18:24:09

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Tigers aren't far off roaring in 2012

Dan Lonergan

Updated May 03, 2012 18:52:01

We know Richmond supporters are a passionate lot and over the years they have been impatient, as success has eluded their team for too long now. They have just two finals appearances in 30 years.

It's early days for the Tigers and winning just one of their first five isn't a great sign that they will play finals in 2012. But their efforts over the last fortnight against reigning premier Geelong and only losing by 10 points flag front-runner West Coast indicates they are making giant strides to becoming a consistently good team again in this competition.

Richmond seems to lack the two Ps at the moment - "poise" and "polish" - to claim a decent scalp, but the club's desire, commitment and self belief couldn't be questioned.

In both matches, the Tigers' more highly credentialed opponents threatened to take the game away, but they fought back tenaciously and had chances to win. Damien Hardwick's men, however, lack the finishing touches and composure.

On Sunday against the Eagles at Docklands, the Tigers came from four goals down in the first half to draw level in the final quarter and should have hit the front in time-on, only for out-of-form full forward Jack Reiwoldt to miss a shot he would slot most of the time.

He is struggling so far, with just eight goals for the year. If he was in better form I believe the Tigers would have won those two games, but give credit where credit is due. Despite that loss to the Eagles, Richmond of previous seasons when down by that four-goal deficit would have probably lost by a big margin.

But under Hardwick the Tigers are made of sterner stuff and are starting to adopt a never-say-die attitude, which will make them hard to beat for the rest of the season.

With only one victory in their first five, they have left themselves plenty of work to do to stay in contention for the finals. Their draw over the next few weeks is challenging with the undefeated Sydney along with the inconsistent, but more experienced, St Kilda and Hawthorn among their opponents.

However, this Richmond line-up is a much improved outfit and it will claim a big scalp soon. When it happens, expect that massive Tiger army to stir and roar. As they say in the classics, that will be good for football!

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, richmond-3121, vic, australia

First posted May 03, 2012 18:52:01

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Eagles battle past fighting Tigers

Updated April 29, 2012 18:37:36

West Coast was made to work to defend its undefeated record with a pulsating 10-point victory over a gutted Richmond at Docklands on Sunday.

The Eagles led by as many as 26 points before half-time, but the Tigers fought back to take a thrilling four-point advantage early in the last quarter.

But the boys from the west replied to kick four of the next five majors, making Richmond pay for costly misses in front of goal with the game on the line.

Daniel Kerr was outstanding for the visitors in the crucial stages, finishing with 28 disposals while Matt Priddis had 24 including two match-winning goal assists deep in the forward line late in the match.

Forward Josh Kennedy struggled with an ankle injury but Jack Darling and Josh Hill filled the hole with four and three goals respectively.

Trent Cotchin led the Richmond response with 29 touches along with Dustin Martin's 26 disposals and two goals.

Despite putting his side into the lead after three-quarter time, Jack Riewoldt had a disappointing day, losing his composure with some wayward kicking with the pressure on.

The Tigers started well but the home side struggled to work the ball efficiently out of defence, allowing the Eagles to lead 5.3 (33) to 4.2 (26) at quarter-time.

West Coast brought substitute Adam Selwood onto the field for the second term for Mitch Brown (head knock), who was a late replacement for defender Eric McKenzie.

Kennedy limped off with an ankle injury as Richmond's Brad Miller levelled the scores at the 14-minute mark, while Deledio and Riewoldt also needed attention on the bench.

But West Coast still had plenty of height up forward as Darling and Dean Cox sparked a run of four successive goals, broken by a spectacular mark and goal from Riewoldt.

Miller's second goal left the Tigers trailing by 14 points at half-time, 11.6 (72) to 9.4 (58).

Kennedy returned in the third term with his left ankle re-strapped but had little influence as the Tigers outscored the Eagles three goals to one in that period to narrow the gap to two points.

With scores locked on 14.11 apiece at the 21-minute mark of the final term, Priddis produced another superb handball to set up Scott Selwood's goal to put the Eagles back in front by six points.

Five minutes later, Riewoldt from 25 metres and Deledio from outside the 50m arc, missed set shots which would have given the Tigers the lead.

A huge mark on the wing by Beau Waters with a minute left was followed by a late goal to Darling which sealed the result before a crowd of 28,464.

Port Adelaide host the Tigers next Sunday while West Coast is at home to North Melbourne on the same day.

Eagles: 16.11 (107) - J Darling 4, J Hill 3, C Masten 2, Q Lynch 2, A Hams 2, S Selwood, D Cox, J Kennedy.

Tigers: 14.13 (97) - B Miller 3, D Martin 2, D Jackson 2, T Vickery 2, J Riewoldt 2, I Maric, B Ellis, T Ctochin.

ABC/AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, richmond-3121, vic, australia, perth-6000, wa

First posted April 29, 2012 18:08:55

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Deledio signs five-year deal with Tigers

Updated March 27, 2012 12:56:54

Brett Deledio will celebrate his new-five contract extension with a long-awaited return to the Richmond midfield in Thursday's blockbuster against Carlton.

Coach Damien Hardwick has needed the silky-skilled Deledio to mostly play off half-back in the last couple of years.

But the recruitment before the 2011 season of Bachar Houli and the recent drafting of Steven Morris and Brandon Ellis have freed up Deledio to move back into the engine-room alongside fellow young guns Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin.

They will square off against Blues' prime movers Chris Judd, Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs in what shapes as a mouth-watering clash at the MCG on Thursday night.

"I'm getting a chance to play alongside Dusty and Cotch in the middle now which I'm really looking forward to," Deledio told the Richmond website after agreeing to a five-year contract extension understood to be worth $3 million.

"Jack (Riewoldt) has been a star now for two or three years in a row so he's flying.

"And Ty Vickery, who has re-signed as well, I think he's going to be something special.

"We're starting to build a good little group there and hopefully we can get a few more along and also build up some young boys and help them help us."

Deledio was pleased to get the new deal, which will keep him at Punt Road until at least the end of the 2017 season, sorted out before the 2012 campaign began.

It comes hot on the heels of the Tigers recontracting Hardwick for a further two seasons.

"Dimma (Hardwick) is a fantastic coach," said the 24-year-old Deledio.

"I've got a strong respect for him.

"I know what's expected from me week in and week out.

"I'm rapt to be playing under him for another couple of years."

Deledio has played 150 matches for Richmond since being taken by the club with the number one draft pick in 2004.

The ultra-consistent utility won the Tigers' best-and-fairest award in 2008 and 2009 and also finished in the top three in each of the last two seasons.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, richmond-3121

First posted March 27, 2012 12:56:54

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Tigers after rare strong start

Updated March 11, 2012 18:37:30

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick admits there is a growing confidence that it can at last make a strong start to the regular season.

While Hardwick calls Saturday's surprise preseason win over Geelong "a small step", he is pleased with his team's progress in the past five months.

The Tigers open the season with a tough draw; their traditional round-one clash with Carlton then games against grand finalists Collingwood, Melbourne, defending premiers Geelong and top-four finishers West Coast (at home).

They have not beaten Carlton in round one since 2008 and have become notorious for putting themselves under pressure early in the season.

"We're a lot more confident this time this year than we have been (in) the last three years," Hardwick told Richmond fans on Sunday at the club's family day.

"You only have to look at the depth of our (list), the quality of our players - they've improved enormously from a development point of view, from a size and physicality point of view.

"We're very much looking forward to the challenge of the first five games."

Heating up

The Tigers finished 15th and 12th in Hardwick's first two seasons as coach.

While Richmond should keep improving, there is strong speculation about Hardwick's future as he comes out of contract later this year.

Hardwick said the first two years were spent "transforming" Richmond's list.

"Now is when it does heat up, there's no doubt about that," he said.

"We've put some criteria to our guys, that we're looking to improve in certain areas.

"We certainly think there are some realistic expectations there."

While Saturday's 59-point win was in the preseason, it was also the first time Richmond had won in Geelong since 2006.

It also heightens the expectations of the success-starved Richmond fans, who packed Punt Road Oval for the family day.

This was the first time in about nine years that the Tigers' spiritual home has hosted the function and about 8,000 fans attended, delighting club officials.

President Gary March said membership had topped 40,000 and was about 2,500 up on this time last year as the club aims for 50,000.

Forward Brad Miller would not buy into the speculation about Hardwick's future at the club, but made it clear he is impressed with his coach.

"It (any talks about Hardwick's contract) is none of our business, it's handled by people over and above us, so we just focus on our footy," Miller said.

"I love him, I reckon he's a great coach."

AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, richmond-3121, vic, australia

First posted March 11, 2012 18:37:30

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Tigers' Troy Coates named NTFL's best

Rick Hind

Updated March 12, 2012 12:14:02

Nightcliff Tigers ruck-rover Troy Coates has won the Nichols Medal for best and fairest player in the NTFL.

Coates won the award by 12 votes over the Tiwi Bombers' Paul Scanlon in second.

Players from the two grand final sides dominated the voting.

The Bombers beat the Tigers by 104 points in last week's semi-final, but Coates says his team will draw up a strategy to turn the tables on the premiership favourites.

"We're just going to go in as underdogs, just like we did on the weekend against Wanderers.

"We'll give it a 100 per cent crack and make sure those Tiwi boys earn every possession they get."

Nightcliff coach Mo Motlop says he does not expect Coates to get extra attention from the Bombers for winning the Nichols medal.

He says the ultra-fit midfielder would have to factor in any opponent's game plan.

"He'll be in their radar I guess, in their sights as part of normal preparations and planning and tactics and strategies as part of the Tiwi's planning this week.

"He won't be getting a free run I guess."

Tags: australian-football-league, darwin-0800

First posted March 12, 2012 12:14:02

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Tigers pair under scrutiny

Updated July 10, 2011 15:01:00

The AFL's match review panel is expected to investigate several incidents following a fiery clash between Essendon and Richmond at the MCG.

Richmond's Ty Vickery locked horns with rival ruckman Paddy Ryder at quarter-time of Saturday night's game after Vickery had landed a heavy bump on Angus Monfries.

Television footage showed Vickery swinging a round-arm punch at Ryder although it was not clear if it connected with the Bombers ruckman's face.

And Tigers small forward Jake King could be in trouble for a glancing blow to the chin of Monfries as both players wrestled on the ground.

"It was just more push and shove. There's not much in it," King told the Seven Network on Sunday.

"Everyone got up, walked away and played the game."

King has already served two striking suspensions in 2011.

The Tigers host the Gold Coast in Cairns next Saturday.

Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens clashed with West Coast forward Mark Nicoski behind the play during Friday night's game in Perth in another incident which is expected to be reviewed by the panel.

Eagles big man Nic Naitanui could also face scrutiny following a front-on bump to Geelong's Taylor Hunt.

Nine's The Sunday Footy Show highlighted video footage which showed Geelong midfielder James Kelly pushing Daniel Kerr into the path of oncoming Cats player Mitch Duncan who landed a heavy bump on Kerr, knocking the Eagles rover to the turf.

Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton described the incident as very dangerous.

"I would turn around to the rules committee and say give us something we can work with here so that this doesn't happen again," he said.

In a separate incident on Saturday night, Essendon's Michael Hurley suffered a blow to the ribs after Richmond's Jack Riewoldt pushed Hurley into the path of Bombers player Kyle Hardingham in a marking contest.

"It's a rule that needs to come in next year. What you're trying to do is cannon the bloke," Brereton said.

"It's as dangerous as tunnelling (taking out a player's legs) in a marking contest."

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, essendon-3040, richmond-3121

First posted July 10, 2011 14:22:00

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Ablett expected to take on Tigers

Updated July 13, 2011 19:50:13

Gold Coast AFL coach Guy McKenna says captain Gary Ablett is almost certain to overcome a knee injury and play on Saturday against Richmond.

The Suns superstar injured his knee during Saturday night's loss to Sydney but McKenna said Ablett will travel to Cairns with the team and train on Friday before a decision is made.

"If I was a betting man, I'd probably think he was a good 80 to 90 per cent chance to play," McKenna told the AFL website.

"He'll definitely be going up. We're not trying to pull the wool over (Richmond coach) Damien Hardwick's or the Tigers' eyes. It's nothing to do with that.

"If he was sore and wasn't playing, he'd be staying down here to get right so he could play the following week.

"He'll do more (training) on Friday to give his knee more time to recover to give him the best chance of playing. If he gets through Friday, he'll play."

McKenna said it will be a huge boost for Ablett's team-mates if the skipper can take his place.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, carrara-4211, qld, australia, richmond-3121, vic

First posted July 13, 2011 19:50:13

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Tigers expecting better showing

Updated July 8, 2011 15:39:00

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick is confident his players will not be scarred by their massive loss to Carlton last weekend and are ready to bounce back to their best against Essendon on Saturday night.

Hardwick was true to his word following the 103-point defeat to the Blues at the MCG, binning the post-match review with his team as promised and encouraging all at the club to put it out of their minds.

He believes his players are ready to respond, describing the mood at training this week as upbeat ahead of Saturday night's MCG encounter.

"The one thing I would say about our group is they're very vibrant," Hardwick said.

"You wouldn't know we've come off a resounding loss, and that's something we try to pride ourselves on.

"We try to take away the emotion of the ups and downs of our season.

"We understand where we're at, but we certainly know where we're going. There's going to be bumps along the way, and last week was one of those."

The Tigers have lost ruckman Andrew Browne with a hip injury, with Tyrone Vickery to shoulder the ruck load and key position duo Ben Griffiths and Jayden Post to pinch-hit.

Meanwhile, the Bombers expect the Tigers to be breathing fire on Saturday night.

The Bombers are trying to keep a lid on celebrations after upsetting Geelong last weekend.

They will also have to contend with an ordinary record at the MCG and a poor recent record against the Tigers.

And they are smarting from their round-nine loss to the Tigers, which started a four-match slump for the high-flying side.

Bombers' coach James Hird says he is anxious the players atone for their performance earlier in the season and does not believe they will still be carried away with their defeat of the previously-unbeaten Cats.

"I hope not," he said.

"We've just basically trained hard this week and prepared for Richmond who caused us a lot of troubles last time and beat us quite convincingly.

"It's a very important game for both teams but we're very keen to play Richmond again and give a much better account of ourselves than we did last time."

Hird feels he has moved to counter the Bombers' difficulty in the past with the wide open spaces of the MCG.

"The team this week has got a lot more running power than we've had in the past," he said.

"You need a good spread of inside players and guys who can run and create at the MCG - that's why it's such a great ground, because it's got something for everyone.

"The MCG is probably the hardest ground to defend in the AFL because of its width, which makes it hard to cover all spaces."

Despite the Bombers' dramatic return to form, he refuses to speculate on the finals.

"It's not something we've been thinking about," Hird said.

"The way the guys played at the weekend was a real positive for our supporters and an affirmation of what we're doing but it's not the be-all and the end-all of what we're doing.

"If finals come along, they do - we're six-and-a-half wins and nine games to go so anything can happen."

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, richmond-3121

First posted July 8, 2011 15:38:00

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