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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Scott Heinrich

AFL 2021: Tigers blow away Bombers with last-quarter blitz – as it happened

Richmond
Richmond celebrate one of their seven last-quarter goals in the win over Essendon at Optus Stadium Photograph: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos/Getty Images

Summary

A quite remarkable display from Richmond, who dominated for much of the game but found themselves behind midway through the final quarter before shifting gears and putting Essendon away with dismissive ease. That is now 11 wins in a row for the Tigers over Essendon but more importantly it was a triumph that solidifies their place in the top eight. If Richmond’s bid for three straight premierships and a fourth in five seasons looked shaky a fortnight ago, it now looks again well within their grasp.

Though thoroughly outplayed in the end, Essendon boasted the best player on the ground with Darcy Parish winning the Yiooken medal for his club record-breaking 44-posession game. The Bombers star turned it on, as did Perth footy fans and Optus Stadium.

The Dreamtime clash was by any measure a roaring success, with 55,656 fans filling the stadium - a 2021 record for the ground. The occasion itself was not diminished for again not taking place at the MCG. If anything it was quite the opposite and has given credence to the suggestion this celebration of Indigenous involvement in Australia’s national game should be shopped around the country.

Updated

FT: Richmond 19-9 (123) beat Essendon 12-12 (84)

A brutal flexing of muscles from Richmond, who fell behind midway through the last quarter before booting the last seven goals of the game to blow the Bombers away. That’s now 11 wins in a row for the Tigers over the Bombers. Darcy Parish wins the Yiooken medal for his 44-possession game in a losing cause.

Updated

Q4: 1 min remaining: Essendon 12-12 (84) vs Richmond 19-9 (123) Richmond goal! Icing on the cake and now the cherry on top. And other such cliches. Rioli, the medical sub, pounces on a loose ball right in front of goal before snapping truly. And now, somehow, Richmond are now 39 points in front. What a remarkable show of strength.

Updated

Q4: 1 min remaining: Essendon 12-12 (84) vs Richmond 18-9 (117) Richmond goal! Unmarked Tigers everywhere. McIntosh drifts forward and takes an uncontested mark about 30 metres out before rubbing salt into a now gaping wound for the Bombers. Were they really in front just minutes ago?

Q4: 3 mins remaining: Essendon 12-12 (84) vs Richmond 17-9 (111) Richmond goal! Prestia has been subbed out for the Tigers but that just gives him a good view of this latest goal, an audacious bomb from outside 50 that Balta drills with aplomb. Icing on the cake. Game over. Big response from Richmond.

Q4: 5 mins remaining: Essendon 12-12 (84) vs Richmond 16-9 (105) Richmond goal! And now that’s four straight from the Tigers. Graham is awesome in the contest and Bolton is even more awesome in front of goal, spinning out of trouble and kicking truly to put the game pretty much out of Essendon’s reach.

Q4: 7 mins remaining: Essendon 12-11 (83) vs Richmond 15-9 (99) Richmond goal! Cometh the hour, cometh Dustin Martin. Dusty takes a diving mark on 50 before playing on in traffic to kick a big goal and hammer a dagger into the heart of the Dons.

Q4: 8 mins remaining: Essendon 12-11 (83) vs Richmond 14-9 (93) Richmond goal! Classy stuff from Bolton, who is in the right place at the right time to mop up Riewoldt’s centring kick before snapping a big goal with his right boot.

Q4: 9 mins remaining: Essendon 12-11 (83) vs Richmond 13-9 (87) Richmond goal! The Tigers are back in front as Castagna works into space inside-50 and converts after marking smartly. Another twist and likely there will be more to this tale.

Q4: 11 mins remaining: Essendon 12-11 (83) vs Richmond 12-9 (81) Aarts misses a shot that he might have kicked and then Stringer follows suit at the other end of the ground, missing the lot for no score.

Q4: 12 mins remaining: Essendon 12-11 (83) vs Richmond 12-9 (81) Essendon goal! The Bombers are in front! Up and about, they work the ball forward by sheer force of will and get the ball over the top to Waterman, who crumbs the ball off the pack and dribbles one through for a big, big goal. Humungous turn of events.

Q4: 13 mins remaining: Essendon 11-11 (77) vs Richmond 12-8 (80) Essendon goal! The Dons get three in no time at all as Tippa again makes his presence felt to help set jup Langford, who drills his set shot to make it a three-point ball game. Momentum is with Essendon. And momentum is everything.

Q4: 14 mins remaining: Essendon 10-11 (71) vs Richmond 12-8 (80) Essendon goal! Costly, very costly for Richmond, who give away a free kick well away from the ball and Hooker does the rest, holding his nerve from almost 50 metres out to get the Bombers to within nine points.

Q4: 15 mins remaining: Essendon 9-11 (65) vs Richmond 12-8 (80) Stringer marks deep in attack but instead of having a checkside with his left he palms off to Watermna, who fingertips a mark but misses his set shot.

Q4: 16 mins remaining: Essendon 9-10 (64) vs Richmond 12-8 (80) Essendon goal! Tippa and Parish are instrumental in working away from a stoppage before a chain of passes finds its way to Hooker, who marks in the square and makes no mistake from right in front. Hmmm. Game on.

Q4: 19 mins remaining: Essendon 8-10 (58) vs Richmond 12-8 (80) The Tigers clear the ball with ease from the centre and Riewoldt looks set to put more space on the Bombers but his set shot is tepid. Doesn’t even make the distance.

3QT: Essendon 8-10 (58) vs Richmond 12-8 (80)

The Bombers keep coming but the Tigers keep repelling. That was the story of the third quarter and, frankly, the story of the match. Essendon are not out of it but Richmond don’t look like loosening their grip anytime soon.

Q3: 1 min remaining: Essendon 8-10 (58) vs Richmond 12-8 (80) Richmond goal! Oh dear. Martin unmarked 20 metres out from goal = a goal. The Bombers might have gone into 3QT with some hope. That hope now looks diminished. Telling show of strength and class by the Tigers to close the quarter.

Q3: 1 min remaining: Essendon 8-10 (58) vs Richmond 11-8 (74) Essendon goal! Stringer!!!! The Package delivers, using his speed to get some time and space before snapping delightfully from 45 metres out. They just won’t lie down, the Bombers. Gutsy stuff.

Q3: 2 mins remaining: Essendon 7-9 (54) vs Richmond 11-8 (74) Essendon goal! The Bombers get one back as Cox is shoved square in the back in front of goal before kicking truly to give men in red-and-black belief that maybe, just maybe, hope is not yet lost.

Q3: 3 mins remaining: Essendon 6-9 (45) vs Richmond 11-8 (74) Richmond goal! Cruel for the Bombers as Richmond transition venomously from defence with Graham drilling a nail into the coffin with a confident finish. Starting to get out of hand for the Bombers, who have been brave but are now looking outclassed.

Q3: 5 mins remaining: Essendon 6-8 (44) vs Richmond 10-8 (68) Parish zeroes in on goal and it looks like he can’t miss, but that is precisely what he does: miss. The Bombers need scores of six, not one.

Q3: 6 mins remaining: Essendon 6-7 (43) vs Richmond 10-8 (68) Richmond goal! Grimes gets dispossessed deep in defence - how was that not holding the ball?????? - and Essendon are denied what should be theirs: a shot on goal. The ball slings to the other end and Castagna, somehow afforded time and space close to goal, finishes off in a cruel blow to the Bombers. Twelve-point play. Don’t want to bash the umps, but that was awful umpiring.

Q3: 9 mins remaining: Essendon 6-6 (42) vs Richmond 9-8 (62) Richmond goal! The Bombers aren’t clean out of defence and they turn the ball over just where they don’t want to: in the path of Bolton, who reads the ball off the pack and splits the big sticks from close range. That stings for Essendon.

Q3: 11 mins remaining: Essendon 6-5 (41) vs Richmond 8-8 (56) Cotchin coughs up possession with a poor kick inside before Zaharakis takes over and sets up Phillips but he squanders his chance to get the Bombers within two kicks of the Tigers, missing to the left what he really should have kicked.

Q3: 14 mins remaining: Essendon 6-4 (40) vs Richmond 8-8 (56) Essendon goal! Lightning fast work from Mc-T in the middle of the ground opens up Richmond’s zone and Zaharakis is involved to set up Ham, who drills his shot on the run to put Essendon right in this contest.

Q3: 16 mins remaining: Essendon 5-4 (34) vs Richmond 8-8 (56) Dusty almost pouches an extremely tough half-chance deep in attack but the ball spills free and Essendon collect the crumbs to work their way out of danger.

Q3: 19 mins remaining: Essendon 5-4 (34) vs Richmond 8-8 (56) And we are back. Richmond clear away from the centre and Laverde, under heavy pressure from Martin, punches the ball through for a rushed behind.

HT: Essendon 5-4 (34) vs Richmond 8-7 (55)

Richmond maintain their ascendancy but Essendon’s commitment was better in that second term. Though the Tigers extended their 19-point quarter-time lead to 21 at the main break, the Bombers look to be more in the contest than they were in the opening stanza. They started getting their hands on it in the middle of the park and were far more direct in their forward advances. It’s still Richmond’s to lose but Essendon are not out of this by any stretch.

Q2: 1 min remaining: Essendon 5-4 (34) vs Richmond 8-7 (55) Essendon goal! The Bombers pressure Richmond into a turnover and Ham makes another good fist of it, getting on the end of a handpass receive and kicking truly on the run. They won’t go away, the Dons.

Q2: 2 mins remaining: Essendon 4-3 (27) vs Richmond 8-7 (55) Coleman-Jones is awarded a holding free but can’t make the Dons pay, missing his chance to kick three goals inside the first half.

Q2: 4 mins remaining: Essendon 4-3 (27) vs Richmond 8-6 (54) Richmond goal! Waterman spills what he should have taken and Richmond cash in as Graham converts from close range. The closer the Bombers get, the further away the Tigers go.

Q2: 6 mins remaining: Essendon 4-3 (27) vs Richmond 7-6 (48) Essendon goal! And now a quick reply from the Bombers after a centre victory of their own, Waterman doing the rest with a deft finish.

Q2: 7 mins remaining: Essendon 3-3 (21) vs Richmond 7-6 (48) Richmond goal! Quick reply from the Tigers and it again comes from a centre clearance. Bombers defenders can’t do anything to mop up as Caddy spins, dodges and shakes - confusing everybody, including possibly himself - before snapping a goal with his left boot.

Updated

Q2: 9 mins remaining: Essendon 3-3 (21) vs Richmond 6-6 (42) Essendon goal! Riewoldt coughs up a 50-metre penalty in Richmond’s back half and it’s a costly error as Phillips, who outmuscles Pickett in a marking contest before converting nicely. They needed that, the Bombers.

Updated

Q2: 10 mins remaining: Essendon 2-3 (15) vs Richmond 6-5 (41) Richmond goal! Another for Riewoldt and six for Richmond and Jumping Jack rocks back from about 50 out and bisects the middle. Huge tackle from Aarts, and repeat involvement from Houli, set it all up.

Q2: 12 mins remaining: Essendon 2-3 (15) vs Richmond 5-5 (35) McGrath looks done for the night with a knee injury. Big blow for the Bombers. Cox takes a well-judged mark, cops one late from Vlastuin for his troubles, but can’t finish the job as his set shot misses to the left. At the other end, and boy did the ball move fast, Riewoldt hits the post with a left-foot snap.

Q2: 16 mins remaining: Essendon 2-2 (14) vs Richmond 5-4 (34) Richmond goal! Fast break by the Tigers and a searching ball to a dangerous spot is gobbled up by Coleman-Jones, who seals the deal with an assured finish.

Q2: 17 mins remaining: Essendon 2-2 (14) vs Richmond 4-4 (28) Essendon goal! The Bombers rebound and they catch the Tiges unawares with some swift ball movement as Hooker fairly well outmarks three defenders before splitting the big sticks in a much-needed goal. There are already 55,000 people in the stadium. Biggest crowd of the year at Optus.

Q2: 19 mins remaining: Essendon 1-2 (8) vs Richmond 4-4 (28) Michael Long just got interviewed on the telly. We are not worthy. The Tigers look set to start with another goal but a timely touch on the line makes it only a sixth as bad.

QT: Essendon 1-2 (8) vs Richmond 4-3 (27)

All Richmond, really. The Tigers dominated possession in the first quarter and that led to a glut of inside-50s. The weight of numbers told in the end and Essendon have some work to do.

Q1: 1 min remaining: Essendon 1-2 (8) vs Richmond 4-3 (27) Richmond goal! Mc-T has a bit of a fumble in the middle of the ground, but Chol then matches him, and the quarter looks to be petering out before a chaos ball inside 50 hits the chest of Riewoldt, who rocks back and converts. Big first quarter from Richmond.

Q1: 2 mins remaining: Essendon 1-2 (8) vs Richmond 3-3 (21) Laverde’s rushed kick forward is snaffled by Chol, who is having one heck of a quarter - maybe he is a first-choice ruckman - but his disposal lets him down and Essendon have a chance to reboot. Lovely looking set shot from Parish almost on the boundary but it fades to the right.

Q1: 5 mins remaining: Essendon 1-1 (7) vs Richmond 3-3 (21) Richmond goal! The Tigers are cutting Essendon to shreds in the middle - far too easy in the corridor - and Castagna slots one home after marking, unmarked if you don’t mind, 35 metres out from goal directly in front.

Q1: 8 mins remaining: Essendon 1-1 (7) vs Richmond 2-2 (14) Essendon goal! The Bombers are away as Ham gets a slice of the action, marking strongly inside 50 and Ham-mering it home with an assured kick from (free) range. Just as well he didn’t shave the post and instead put it through the middle.

Q1: 10 mins remaining: Essendon 0-1 (1) vs Richmond 2-2 (14) The Bombers get the ball not only inside 50 but onto the chest of a leading forward. Jones has a good chance to kickstart his team’s night but it’s a horrible shank that still manages to register a behind. By the by, Martin has changed his boots. Bigger moulds?

Q1: 12 mins remaining: Essendon 0-0 (0) vs Richmond 2-2 (14) Richmond goal! Chol finds himself with time and space at centre half-forward - he’s off to a blinder - and a pinpoint pass finds Martin, who does what Martin does. The rest. Big start by the Tiges.

Q1: 14 mins remaining: Essendon 0-0 (0) vs Richmond 1-2 (8) Ripping tackle by Redman on Aarts saves Essendon’s bacon in the right forward pocket. The Dons might want to start possessing the ball, however!

Q1: 15 mins remaining: Essendon 0-0 (0) vs Richmond 1-2 (8) Richmond Goal! Coleman-Jones gets manhandled in the square and it’s an easy conversion from there. First goal of the game. All Richmond so far. Killing it in the middle and Essendon can’t get their hands on it.

Q1: 17 mins remaining: Essendon 0-0 (0) vs Richmond 0-2 (2) Dusty gets his hands on it in the centre and he finds Riewoldt on the chest - how many times have we seen that?! - but the entry inside-50 is a bit off and it’s anyone’s ball before Prestia has a rushed snap that misses to the left.

Q1: 19 mins remaining: Essendon 0-0 (0) vs Richmond 0-1 (1) And we are away. Straight out of the middle by Richmond and Chol goes long. Could’ve been a goal in about as many seconds but he misses to the right.

TWELVE snags!!!!!!!!!

The Crows have been fined a hefty amount - hefty in the sense that it will come from their football department soft cap - for what can only be described as an act of rank stupidity.

100%

The Dons haven’t beaten Richmond since round 11, 2014. If you don’t think that was a long time ago, take a look at how young some of these gents look.

In a game with fewer players. So an enormous ratio!

It’s a sensational day in Perth. Prime conditions for a long walk and a great game of footy.

The annual Dreamtime fixture really is a beaut. It’s something lovers of this great game should cherish.

No late team changes

Essendon

B: Jayden Laverde, Aaron Francis, Jordan Ridley
HB: Dyson Heppell, James Stewart, Nick Hind
C: Andrew McGrath, Zach Merrett, Nik Cox
HF: Archie Perkins, Jake Stringer, Harrison Jones
F: David Zaharakis, Cale Hooker, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
FOLL: Andrew Phillips, Darcy Parish, Kyle Langford
I/C: Mason Redman, Matt Guelfi, Alec Waterman, Brayden Ham
Sub: Patrick Ambrose

Richmond

B: Nick Vlastuin, Noah Balta, Dylan Grimes
HB: Jayden Short, Nathan Broad, Bachar Houli
C: Kamdyn McIntosh, Trent Cotchin, Josh Caddy
HF: Jake Aarts, Shane Edwards, Jack Graham
F: Callum Coleman-Jones, Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt
FOLL: Mabior Chol, Shai Bolton, Dion Prestia
I/C: Liam Baker, Marlion Pickett, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Jason Castagna
Sub: Daniel Rioli

  1. Welcome back Aaron Francis, Marlion Pickett and Shane Edwards.
  2. Three double-barreled surnames. How refreshing!

Preamble

Good evening and welcome to Dreamtime in the west. It might not have the same ring as “Dreamtime at the ‘G” but given the era of Covid that we live in, we should be grateful it is happening at all. And why not share the love? Optus Stadium will no doubt do the game justice, with ticket sales going gangbusters and the venue record for an AFL game – 59,608, for the 2018 preliminary final between West Coast and Melbourne – under serious threat.

The pin-up match of Sir Doug Nicholls Round should be quite a contest, too, with both Richmond and Essendon in winning form and sniffing around the lower reaches of the top eight. A win for either team tonight will do their finals chances the world of good. For their part, the Bombers will be delighted to return to the stadium where last week they toppled West Coast. They will need to draw on the good vibes generated by that upset victory if they are to avoid an 11th successive defeat at the hands of the Tigers.

Looking forward to this great fixture of the AFL calendar. If you’d like to get involved, you know what to do: leave a comment below or send me an email or a tweet @scott_heinrich.

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