VFL Tigers eye a spot in the Grand Final
From the Richmond FC website - Brenton Mann, richmondfc.com.au
Richmond VFL will fight for a spot in the Grand Final on Saturday, when they square off against Port Melbourne in a preliminary final at Adcon Stadium.
The Tigers, fresh from a week off, have the task of knocking off a rampaging Port Melbourne at the Borough's home fortress.
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It’s been a long time between drinks for the two sides that met all the way back in Round 2, with the Tigers prevailing by 43 points.
Given it will be over five months between outings, not much can be taken out of their most recent encounter. But the Borough have some shining traits that Richmond will have to curtail to secure the win.
Richmond VFL coach and recently awarded VFL Coach of the Year, Craig McRae, is aware the result will hinge on who handles the heat at the coalface.
“We haven’t played them for a while…Round 2, so it’s hard to get a read on how they play. We’ll sit down and have a look at that on the tape and see what we’ll see but their contest and pressure has been something that’s been a real feature”, McRae said.
“You look at the last two or three weeks stats-wise and those things stood out."
McRae was quick to acknowledge the honour he recieved at the VFL Best and Fairest night, alongside Hugh Beasley and defensive partner-in-crime Dan Coffield, who were granted back-half posts in the VFL Team of the Year.
“It’s great reward for those guys and I mentioned at training that individual awards are only achieved through great team success”, McRae said.
“The team performs well and the individuals get better and this case ‘Beaser’, myself and ‘Coff’ are the ones recognised. But we’re not naïve to think that we’re not in those positions without the contributions that have taken place throughout the year.
“While we’re grateful, we appreciate all of the other stuff that goes with it."
The potential for a one-on-one duel between 2019 ‘Frosty’ Miller medallist for the VFL's leading goalkicker, Port Melbourne's Jordan Lisle, and VFL Team of the Year full-back, Hugh Beasley, adds a vail of intrigue to this cut-throat final.
Richmond’s mantra, however, is not centred around individual matchups, rather, a collective pursuit to curtail the opposition’s strengths and be hard to play against.
However, McRae will no doubt have a contingency plan for if the Port Melbourne spearhead catches fire.
“We’ll have some options but he’s certainly a player that we’ll have to watch—he’s a quality player at this level”, McRae said.
On the road to the preliminary final, Richmond pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in VFL history, clawing their way back from a 40-point deficit at three-quarter time to defeat the Bombers by two points in the qualifying final.
“Upon reflection, our balance around the contest was reasonably poor, so we’re looking at that and ways we can improve. But ultimately, the greatest lesson we took out of the game was the belief we have in this group”, McRae said.
“It’s been a special group all year and we’ve found ways to win in all different circumstances and all different venues and different conditions.
"So, we go into (Saturday's) game and our opposition can’t take our belief away from us...we’ve built that over a number of weeks."
Toby Nankervis was the hero in Richmond’s come-from-behind win. However, with Nankervis returning to AFL duties, the rucking responsibility will likely be passed to able lieutenants, Callum Coleman-Jones, Mabior Chol and possibly Noah Balta.
This will not be uncharted waters for the Tigers, with all three having handled the workload during the season.
“We’ve juggled that ruck position all year with (Ivan) Soldo, 'CJ' (who has) had to carry the load for a major part of the year and then ‘Marbs’ did it for little stints as well,” McRae said.
“We’ve got good flexibility in our team and ‘Nank’ goes out but he only played 60 per cent of the (qualifying final) game. It was a pretty special 60 per cent, particularly in the last quarter. Even ‘Garthy’ (Ryan Garthwaite) played some minutes in the ruck...so I think we’ve got good scope in that part of the game."
Chol, Balta and Coleman-Jones have all had stints at AFL level this season and have a shown growth in their development.
Twenty-year-old Coleman-Jones, 200cm, has averaged 15.4 disposals, five marks, four tackles and 17 hit-outs across 17 games this year, as well as kicking 10 goals.
McRae is bullish about what his young ruckman is shaping into.
“He’s been a real standout in terms of development,” McRae said.
“The two-year growth for him has been profound. We had a really targeted program for him last year that he grew within, and this year he looks like he’s gone to a whole new level.
“I think he’s a really exciting prospect. His ground level stuff and his contest-to-contest stuff is as good as any I’ve seen at this level for a young, developing ruckman and we’ve got high hopes for him."
Saturday’s preliminary final will be the Tigers second in three years. Richmond fell agonisingly short of premiership glory against the Borough in 2017.
McRae points to the differences he’s felt between the two finals series.
“It’s all a new experience for us and every campaign’s different, the build-up’s different…but I think this group right from the start of the year looked hungry”, McRae said.
“In 2017 we got a bit of a run-on late and had a lot of experience that drove that and we had the whole footy club that was abuzz amongst that.
“This group, right from the practice games, have this hunger and want to win and an ability to connect really well, so those things in particular are a main reason why we’re in the position we are at the moment."
On Saturday, as its been all year, this group will be hungry, connected and will look ‘Richmond’.
Tickets to the game are available here. Those unable to make it to the clash can watch it live on Channel 7 from 2.00pm.
Tiger fans can also follow live updates from Adcon Stadium via the Richmond VFL Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Richmond's preliminary final team will be announced at 7pm tonight, updated in this article.
Richmond VFL Preliminary Final
1st Preliminary Final
Richmond vs Port Melbourne
Saturday, September 14
2.10pm
Adcon Stadium
Agree that it should be Ayres' call when he leaves. He's 58, and been there 12 years still getting results, so unless they have someone they are sure will be better, then it should be left to him.
Pinwill is interesting- no one has more respect at Port than him - is he coaching anywhere this year? Im sure he played somewhere for free in 2018, but it would be too much to expect someone with no experience to coach at this level first up.
Done and dusted according to Paul Amy
Paul Amy
@PaulAmy375
Gary Ayres will be back at Port Melbourne for a 13th season, club football director Adrian Bonaddio confirming it last night. He said the Borough were ‘looking to lock it away as soon as possible’. Seven prelims, four grand finals and two flags for Port under Ayres.
Great News ! Their is a God and according to most Port Supporterts his initials are G.A. !!!!
In reply to Great News ! Their is a God by MegaA
Didn't realise Garrry Ablett was involved at Port Mega !!
I'll pay that one Digs - When you are in Carlton this weekend don;t forget who your VFA team was and is !
Come along on Sunday digs. Catch up for an ale or two. Will email you details of which pub pre game.
From the Port Phillip Leader / localfooty.com.au
Reported by Paul Amy
VFL REPORT (Leader Local Footy) – VFL 2019: Richmond defeats Plucky Port Melbourne in Preliminary Final
The Richmond theme song started in the Norm Goss grandstand at the 27-minute mark of the last quarter.
True to the lyrics, the Tigers supporters weren’t waiting until the final siren had gone.
But their team did have to wait until the final term to get the better of a plucky Port Melbourne in the VFL preliminary final at North Port Oval on Saturday.
The Borough led by three points at three-quarter time and they could sense another victory to extend their rousing run to the last match of the season.
But it turned out that Port, gallant Port, had no more to give against an outstanding team.
Stronger in the air at both ends of the ground, the Tigers ran away with six goals to one in the final quarter to take a 26-point victory.
The minor premiers with a dazzling 16-2 record, they became the first team into the grand final.
Dan Butler, Mabior Chol, Jacob Townsend and Callum Moore sing the song.
“This group of players is a special group,’’ Richmond coach and former Brisbane premiership star Craig McRae said after the game.
“They’ve found a way all year. They just want to win, and they trust each other. We’ve seen it from rounds one, two and three, winning close games. We won all our close games and the belief is really strong, and I just said to the players, you don’t get many chances to be in this position. Grand finals don’t come along every week. Really exciting.’’
The Tigers had kicked four consecutive goals in the first quarter to earn a handy lead, Connor Menadue prominent with two goals and 10 touches.
Port answered in the second term with its own run of four goals and at half time the scores were level.
Before the players left the ground they came together on the wing for a push-and-shove and shouting match.
Perhaps it came back to an earlier incident in which Port’s Tom “Junior’’ O’Sullivan took a late hit from Jake Aarts as he marked. He had to leave the ground with what was thought to be a fractured eye socket and at half time was taken to hospital “a pretty sick boy’’, Port coach Gary Ayres said after the game.
Jake Gasper took O’Sullivan’s kick and launched it through the goals, a lifter for the Borough. Aarts was reported by the emergency umpire; if he’s suspended at the tribunal, he won’t play in the grand final at Carlton next Sunday.
The third quarter produced only three goals, two for Port and one for the Tigers, who also registered six points, Mabior Chol and Menadue missing and Aarts being run down in a desperate tackle from Campbell Walker as he was about to kick the ball inside 50.
Port had Jarryd Blair, co-captain Tom O’Sullivan, Shannen Lange, Matt Arnot and Eli Templeton driving it forward, and its defence was up to the task of quelling Richmond’s tall targets.
The Borough got the first goal of the final quarter to boot nine points clear, Jordan Lisle slipping it through on his left foot from the square.
Richmond’s response was as brilliant as it was emphatic.
It kicked the next six, two from Patrick Naish and two from Oleg Markov, and one from Callum Moore and Chol, Moore making a set-shot after a high mark. He burst into the game after a quiet first half.
McRae said the final quarter was about “playing the minutes’’.
“We’ve got 20 AFL players, professionals. Just play the minutes and see if they can go with us. Again, it’s based a lot on our belief,’’ he said.
Ayres said he couldn’t question his players’ endeavour.
“I couldn’t be prouder of their capacity to fight,’’ he said.
“The only thing I can say is that maybe we played too conservatively in the third quarter, didn’t use the ball with the intent we could have, even though we had the ascendancy and were playing some reasonable footy.
“But that last quarter, they were all over us. We weren’t good enough for long enough. Richmond didn’t finish No 1 by accident. They are a very good side. I reckon they’ll take a power of beating in the grand final with their size, their skill level, the way their game plan holds up.’’
Ayres said the club could be satisfied with its season. Forty-six players appeared at senior level, the average age of the team was 22 and two finals were won against opponents that finished higher on the ladder, Geelong and Footscray.
“There’s a little bit to like,’’ he said.
As for his future, Ayres is out of contract but the club will announce soon that he will go on for a 13th season.
“We’re having meaningful discussions with Gary at the moment about 2020,’’ Port Melbourne football director Adrian Bonaddio said.
“Now that the season is finished we’re looking to lock it away as soon as possible.’’
Richmond 5.3-33 7.6-48 8.12-60 14.15-99 defeated
Port Melbourne 3.2-20 7.6-48 9.9-63 10.13-73
Goal Kickers: J. Lisle 2, E. Templeton 2, J. Gasper 2, E. Phillips, I. Conway, M. Signorello, K. Haretuku.
Best Players: J. Blair, M. Wenn, M. Arnot, H. Hooper, E. Templeton, D. Johnstone.