By Greg Baum
May 18 2003
"Richo" was back at the MCG last night, and with him a revisitation of all of Richmond's Richo riddle.
Matthew Richardson was brilliant early and late, with four marks in the first five minutes of the match, and seven in the last quarter. Exponentially, so were the Tigers ascendant. It was these bursts that represented all the difference between them and a gallant Melbourne on the night.
Last night, Richardson's and Richmond's form were a function of each other. It has not always been so, of course. The Tigers beat Essendon by a wide margin the previous week without Richardson, but in the long-running debate about whether Richardson ultimately is good or bad for the club, mark this down to the affirmative.
This night, no one could argue with the bottom line. Victory is its own explanation and justification. Richardson appeared with his thighs trussed up like an old racehorse. He began at a gallop, with four early marks. Two were in one passage of play, the first nearly on the wing, the next tumbling sideways in the forward pocket, whereupon he eased around onto his left foot and kicked his first goal. The Tigers chanted his name.
Soon, Brad Miller was replaced by Ryan Ferguson. Miller was playing just his fifth game, Ferguson his eighth, an indication of the scarcity of Melbourne's key-position resources that ultimately would prove so costly again
Richardson continued to have a hand in every forward foray. After 20 minutes, he had 2.2, Greg Stafford also had two goals, and the Tigers led by 20 points, whereupon Richo withdrew to the bench for a drink and a stretch. Plainly, the Tigers will have to nursemaid him through the rest of his career. But if this was a premeditated tactic to preserve his always twangy hamstrings, it was abandoned in the other three quarters.
Immediately, the game changed. Melbourne kicked four goals in the five minutes after Richardson's exit, one created by Ferguson, boldly stealing away from his new opponent. The Tigers suddenly were slow and hesitant going forward. The Demons made up in imagination what they lacked in presence, and just before quarter-time, they improbably took the lead.
For the next two-and-a-half quarters, the shape and style of the game changed. The initial flood of goals receded. There was still plenty of hard midfield running in the modern style, but both defences reigned. The tightness became the spectacle.
Richardson appeared to run out of running, as might have been expected after three weeks off. Necessarily, he stayed nearer to goal. But his endeavour did not slacken. Held by the guernsey while running at the ball on the half-forward flank, he appealed like no one has on this ground since Shane Warne. As the Tigers searched for inspiration late in the third quarter, Richardson politely waved David Rodan out of his space.
The Demons' corporate ethic made up for what they lacked in size and marking power. David Neitz, playing conventional full-forward, kicked four goals from limited opportunities. Darren Gaspar retrieved one with a hit-and-run raid at the other end.
Stafford was best-on-ground in the first half, but his influence waned in the second. Midway through the last quarter, after goals to Russell Robertson and Brad Green had stretched Melbourne's lead to 12 points, the Demons looked worthy winners.
But Richardson was not done. Hard leading to the flanks won him three more marks, and although none led to goals, all took their toll on Melbourne, moreover conveying to the Demons' backmen the idea that this game was not finished. It was, in its own way, leadership.
After 15 minutes, Richardson imposed himself for a three-part mark at centre half-forward and kicked his fourth goal. Another mark, his 15th, gave him another kick, his 17th, this finding Stafford for the game-breaking goal.
In time-on, Richardson gave away a free kick on one wing and won one on the other. As the siren sounded, he was still in the outfield, directing a stalling operation. Here was the cool head that Richardson so often is accused of lacking. Here, also, was leadership.
The stats were damning in one detail: Richmond's 98 marks to Melbourne's 62. It was inescapable that the player the Demons most needed, and did not have, was Matthew Richardson.
May 18 2003
"Richo" was back at the MCG last night, and with him a revisitation of all of Richmond's Richo riddle.
Matthew Richardson was brilliant early and late, with four marks in the first five minutes of the match, and seven in the last quarter. Exponentially, so were the Tigers ascendant. It was these bursts that represented all the difference between them and a gallant Melbourne on the night.
Last night, Richardson's and Richmond's form were a function of each other. It has not always been so, of course. The Tigers beat Essendon by a wide margin the previous week without Richardson, but in the long-running debate about whether Richardson ultimately is good or bad for the club, mark this down to the affirmative.
This night, no one could argue with the bottom line. Victory is its own explanation and justification. Richardson appeared with his thighs trussed up like an old racehorse. He began at a gallop, with four early marks. Two were in one passage of play, the first nearly on the wing, the next tumbling sideways in the forward pocket, whereupon he eased around onto his left foot and kicked his first goal. The Tigers chanted his name.
Soon, Brad Miller was replaced by Ryan Ferguson. Miller was playing just his fifth game, Ferguson his eighth, an indication of the scarcity of Melbourne's key-position resources that ultimately would prove so costly again
Richardson continued to have a hand in every forward foray. After 20 minutes, he had 2.2, Greg Stafford also had two goals, and the Tigers led by 20 points, whereupon Richo withdrew to the bench for a drink and a stretch. Plainly, the Tigers will have to nursemaid him through the rest of his career. But if this was a premeditated tactic to preserve his always twangy hamstrings, it was abandoned in the other three quarters.
Immediately, the game changed. Melbourne kicked four goals in the five minutes after Richardson's exit, one created by Ferguson, boldly stealing away from his new opponent. The Tigers suddenly were slow and hesitant going forward. The Demons made up in imagination what they lacked in presence, and just before quarter-time, they improbably took the lead.
For the next two-and-a-half quarters, the shape and style of the game changed. The initial flood of goals receded. There was still plenty of hard midfield running in the modern style, but both defences reigned. The tightness became the spectacle.
Richardson appeared to run out of running, as might have been expected after three weeks off. Necessarily, he stayed nearer to goal. But his endeavour did not slacken. Held by the guernsey while running at the ball on the half-forward flank, he appealed like no one has on this ground since Shane Warne. As the Tigers searched for inspiration late in the third quarter, Richardson politely waved David Rodan out of his space.
The Demons' corporate ethic made up for what they lacked in size and marking power. David Neitz, playing conventional full-forward, kicked four goals from limited opportunities. Darren Gaspar retrieved one with a hit-and-run raid at the other end.
Stafford was best-on-ground in the first half, but his influence waned in the second. Midway through the last quarter, after goals to Russell Robertson and Brad Green had stretched Melbourne's lead to 12 points, the Demons looked worthy winners.
But Richardson was not done. Hard leading to the flanks won him three more marks, and although none led to goals, all took their toll on Melbourne, moreover conveying to the Demons' backmen the idea that this game was not finished. It was, in its own way, leadership.
After 15 minutes, Richardson imposed himself for a three-part mark at centre half-forward and kicked his fourth goal. Another mark, his 15th, gave him another kick, his 17th, this finding Stafford for the game-breaking goal.
In time-on, Richardson gave away a free kick on one wing and won one on the other. As the siren sounded, he was still in the outfield, directing a stalling operation. Here was the cool head that Richardson so often is accused of lacking. Here, also, was leadership.
The stats were damning in one detail: Richmond's 98 marks to Melbourne's 62. It was inescapable that the player the Demons most needed, and did not have, was Matthew Richardson.
