THE Tigers had to change, be bolder, become stronger.
You can’t start with a 3-10 win-loss record, come home 9-0, get belted in the elimination final, and think another pre-season will rectify the damage on the field and in the heads. It’s one game, but it’s a positive one.
Taylor Hunt and Kamdyn McIntosh not only added depth to Richmond’s midfield last night, they controlled it.
MATCH: TIGERS CRUISE, BLUES SNOOZE
INJURY: DAISY’S SEASON HANGS IN THE BALANCE
McIntosh, in the No. 33 guernsey, was close to best afield. Never heard of him? He was drafted in 2012 and has dealt with shoulder and foot problems. Last night was his first game of senior footy.
Brandon Ellis, McIntosh and Hunt were the three dominant midfielders. One is a Geelong reject, another is 21 in two days and was a childhood star, and Ellis — well, he might be something special.
Ellis owned the midfield corridor. He has only two touches in the first quarter with Ed Curnow for an opponent. Curnow then gave up the tag — a strange move — and Ellis had 19 possessions in the second and third quarters.
The Tigers took control of the game in the second quarter, battled for a further two-goal lead in the third quarter, and comfortably held sway in the final term.
Depth might be one key to unlocking the magical mystery tour that is a Richmond football season, and Ellis, McIntosh and Hunt were far more effective than Cotchin, Martin and Deledio. That’s depth.
Another move was simple enough in its action, but devastating in its effect.
The Tigers’ rough and tumble half-back flanker Steven Morris was redeployed to a sort of half-forward missile role, and coach Damien Hardwick would’ve been rapt.
Morris will be a sore boy today, crashing and banged into 30 congested situations without any fear for himself and fear for his opponent. He was only credited with three possessions and four effective tackles, but pressure goes beyond actual tackling.
His most memorable came in the second quarter when he spoiled a Chris Yarran mark from a kick across goal, which led to yet another Tigers goal.
He might not kick many goals, but his defensive pressure is one small cog that will improve the Tigers.
Criticised last year for being crab-like in their ball movement, the Tigers were frightening last night.
Time and again they shredded the Blues through the second and third quarters, led by Ellis and Bachar Houli.
We had a crazy 15 minutes where the Tigers caged the Blues; and when the Blues coughed it up, the Tigers mauled them through the corridor.
In the end, Houli had 665m gained off a back flank, which is elite, and Ellis had 364m.
Both of them had 18 uncontested possessions, which was the equal second-most of any player on the ground.
Possessions in the corridor were 11 of 19 for Houli and 12 of 26 for Ellis.
This will kill Carlton coach Mick Malthouse, but total possessions won uncontested were Houli 95 per cent and Ellis 69 per cent.
The numbers make Houli’s game better than first thought.
The margin flattered Carlton, notwithstanding it lost Dale Thomas with a pinged shoulder in the first minutes.
The Blues were dangerous for 40 minutes and plugged away for another 80 minutes.
At one stage early it looked like the Jones and Jaksch Show in the Carlton forward line, but soon enough it was the No Show.
About 10 minutes into the second quarter, the game turned on its head.
The Tigers seemed to be all over the shop. At that time Jack Riewoldt (five touches), playing high half-forward, had more touches than Cotchin (four), Deledio (four), Ellis (three), Miles (four) and Martin (two).
By the end, only Martin failed to flatter with Simon as an opponent, while Riewoldt kicked four and clearly was among Richmond’s better players.
Riewoldt’s role, which has been questioned for several years, worked well. He was influential wherever he roamed, while Ben Griffiths (six marks, three goals) was the big-bodied key target the Tigers have been waiting for him to become.
