Round 9 2018

West Coast v Richmond
Round 9, 2018

Lycett in action. Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Date

Sun, 20 May 2018 (2.40pm WST)

Venue

Perth Stadium

Attendance

Result

Won by 47

Score

WCE 20.10.130 - 12.11.82 RIC

Brownlow

3 E.Yeo (WCE)
2 J.Darling (WCE)
1 A.Gaff (WCE)

Ladder

1st

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West Coast stunned the Tigers with a second-half onslaught and leapfrogged the reigning premiers into top spot on the ladder in front of a record crowd at Perth Stadium. Richmond worked their way into the game in the second term and went into halftime level, but were blown away in the third as the Eagles piled on seven goals. Jack Darling continued his great start to the year, pulling in 15 marks and kicking a career-high six goals, and Elliot Yeo tallied 29 possessions and ten clearances, both team highs.

Summary[]

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
West Coast		6.1.37		7.2.44		14.6.90		20.10.130
Richmond		2.3.15		6.8.44		9.8.62		12.11.83

Goals: Darling 6, Kennedy, LeCras 3, Cripps, Redden 2, Gaff, McGovern, Rioli, Yeo

Best: Darling, Yeo, McGovern, Redden, Kennedy, Gaff

Injuries: Yeo (knee)

Named sides[]

	West Coast				Richmond
B:	25.Hurn	37.Barrass	14.Duggan	B:	18.Rance	12.Astbury	2.Grimes
HB:	28.Cole	20.McGovern	5.Sheppard	HB:	14.Houli	35.Broad	1.Vlastuin
C:	34.Hutchings	8.Redden	7.Masten	C:	30.Conca	9.Cotchin	33.McIntosh
HF:	15.Cripps	27.Darling	44.Rioli	HF:	34.Graham	22.Caddy	21.Townsend
F:	29.Lycett	17.Kennedy	2.LeCras	F:	11.Castagna	8.Riewoldt	7.Butler
R:	9.Naitanui	6.Yeo	3.Gaff	R:	25.Nankervis	23.Lambert	4.Martin
I:	4.Sheed	23.Jetta	41.Ah Chee	I:	28.Higgins	27.Lloyd	15.Short
	45.Waterman				10.Edwards
E:	30.Nelson	31.Schofield	33.Ainsworth	E:	5.B.Ellis	44.Stengle	47.Soldo
	38.Mutimer				6.Grigg

In: Naitanui, McGovern, Sheed, Jetta

Out: McInnes, Schofield, Ainsworth, Nelson

Late change: (RIC) Grigg for Higgins

Quarter by quarter[]

Richmond replaced youngster Jack Higgins with veteran Shaun Grigg. The match was played in sunny and warm conditions.

First term[]

Richmond received a free kick at the first bounce and went forward where Josh Caddy goaled from a set shot. Gaff chopped off a Richmond pass and quickly delivered to Darling who passed to Kennedy, who slid his set shot to the right. Cripps marked inside 50 and converted for the Eagles' first goal. Rioli crumbed a marking contest perfectly and goaled off his left. West Coast went forward again where Darling cleverly tapped the ball to Kennedy who kicked his first to give his side a 13 point lead. Gaff had a set shot from 45 metres and failed to make the distance, but shortly afterwards had a shot from an almost identical position after a courageous intercept mark, and this time made no mistake.

Dustin Martin found some space and delivered to Jack Riewoldt, who pulled his set shot to the left. Martin then had a chance after crumbing from a marking contest but his shot was just wide. West Coast crept their way forward and Darling was able to mark and sneak his set shot home. Trent Cotchin marked just inside 50 and handed off to Jayden Short who drilled his shot to cut the margin to 17. Sheed beat two defenders on the wing and delivered beautifully to Darling who kicked his second. McGovern took a superb intercept mark deep in defence as Yeo limped from the field. The Eagles turned the ball over coming out of the backline but Shaun Grigg failed to take full advantage of his set shot. Barrass was penalised for holding the ball late but time expired with Short too far from goal, with West Coast 22 points ahead at the break.

Second term[]

Richmond went forward early and Shane Edwards goaled after a clever gather. They had another chance through Grigg who barely squeezed his set shot through for a behind. Masten received a free kick in front of goal after being held but pulled his shot left, as Yeo returned from the rooms with a strapped right knee. Riewoldt sent a chaos ball to the goalsquare where the Eagles defence was able to rush a behind. The kick-in was turned over and Riewoldt marked on the lead, goaling to slash the lead to single figures. West Coast cribbed their way forward and Darling marked hard on the boundary line. His attempted checkside was a horrible miskick but ended up with Redden, who goaled.

Richmond pressed but the West Coast defence held firm as the ball remained camped in their back half. Yeo was penalised for a deliberate out of bounds after throwing a boot at a rolling ball, but the Eagles were able to rush a behind. Trent Cotchin had a clear shot at goal but sent it across the face for a point. Jason Castagna tried to kick around his body from a set shot but only barely made the distance and the ball was punched through. Richmond continued to dominate territory, and finally goaled when Riewoldt cleverly soccered through a loose ball to cut the margin to one straight kick. The Tigers scrapped the ball forward again and Castagna goaled under pressure to tie the scores. West Coast went forward late but couldn't find an avenue to goal, with scores level at the long break.

Third term[]

Naitanui won his own clearance and a left-foot Yeo kick found Kennedy, but he copied Castagna's round-the-body set shot with an even worse result, failing to score. West Coast went forward again and Darling marked strongly and goaled from a check-side kick. Gaff ran down Castagna on the defensive 50 but came up limping. Yeo brought down Dustin Martin just outside 50 and the ball ended up with Kennedy who snapped a goal, with the TV umpire confirming it crossed the line untouched. Waterman gathered a ball in the pocket and a quick centering kick found Kennedy at the top of the square, with the spearhead kicking his third major. Rioli found Kennedy moments later but his set shot from 50 was narrow. Richmond went quickly forward and Reece Conca marked, sneaking his set shot in to cut the Eagles' lead to 13 points. Yeo had a quick shot on goal but just missed. LeCras won a free kick on 50 after a Short throw, and drilled the goal to push the lead to 20 points.

Darling wrapped up a fumbling David Astbury in the forward line, but missed a relatively simple shot. McGovern took a series of intercept marks, winning a 50-metre penalty after one on a wing and kicking straight to score a rare goal. A Waterman kick over the back found LeCras and Darling in space, with the smaller veteran winning their marking contest and kicking his second for the quarter. Yeo caught Martin holding the ball again, receiving a 50-metre penalty after an off-the-ball scuffle involving Redden and Edwards and putting the home side 39 points up. Richmond got one back after Riewoldt kept his feet in a marking contest against Barrass, gathered and goaled. Rioli gave away a 50 metre penalty to Short, whose helicopter kick went through to reduce the margin to 27. Alex Rance nervously pushed a ball across for a rushed behind as time expired, with the Eagles ahead by 28 points.

Final term[]

Yeo won the first clearance and kicked forward to Darling, who marked and goaled to give his team the perfect start. Rioli found LeCras who found Cripps inside 50, whose shot was dead straight to push the lead to 40. Conca fell into Redden's back and he kicked his second from the resulting free. Jacob Townsend had a chance to pull one back but his rushed shot went left. A squeezed kick by Waterman found Darling's chest, and he kicked his fifth for the day. A kick off the side of Rioli's boot fortuitously landed with Cripps, with his set shot from outside 50 going right to the line before being punched across. Riewoldt marked inside 50 and coolly slotted his fourth goal. From the bounce, Naitanui palmed perfectly down to Hutchings who kicked to the red-hot Darling, who booted his sixth, a career high.

Lycett received the ball inside 50, sold some candy but sent his shot just to the left. Down the other end, Castagna sent a shot to the right. The kick-in was turned over and the ball ended up with Riewoldt who kicked another poor round-the-body set shot. Waterman won a free kick in the pocket from Jack Grimes, but his kick was narrow. Richmond quickly transfered play to the other end and Bachar Houli kicked truly. Riewoldt added another, his fifth, to cut the lead back to 40. LeCras got a goal back after some solid shepherding work on the line by Hutchings. West Coast won a free in the middle and took the advantage, with Darling taking his 15th mark for the day but squandering an easy chance for his seventh goal in a dying moments.

Club Champion votes[]


Darling	15	Cole	9
McGovern	15	Hutchings	8
Naitanui	15	Kennedy	8
Yeo	15	Rioli	8
Duggan	13	Cripps	7
Gaff	12	Masten	7
Redden	11	Jetta	6
Waterman	11	Lycett	5
Hurn	10	Ah Chee	4
LeCras	10	Barrass	2
Sheppard	10	Sheed	0

From the coach[]

"We had a good day. The second quarter was interesting. We started well, had good field position, I thought our forwards were on - and were on all day, really. But a quality side like Richmond came back like they did in that second quarter. They played at a level that we probably hadn't seen before and we were on the back foot. Half time couldn't come quick enough. The third quarter with Nic in the middle and Elliot Yeo coming back after a knock to his knee really set the tone for the second half. I am really proud of the players.

"I think sometimes teams get these run-ons and I thought the Tigers might have spent a fair bit of energy getting back into the game because it was a level that I haven't seen before this season. To sustain that for a whole game (is tough), we had to keep chipping away. I thought we played well and I thought Richmond played well in that second quarter. It was one of those games where it broke open early inthe third and we didn't look back.

"It is great to rise to an occasion, isn't it? We had a big game last week with a squad mentality, and to come up after that and back it up and play our way for most of the day, to hit a bit of adversity - all those things. I know there is going to be a fair bit of stuff going on all this week, but we are still trying to establish our reputation and our brand. I think we took another step forward today."

From the papers[]

The West Australian[]

"A freak soccer goal from Riewoldt late in the quarter and Jason Castagna’s close-range effort ensured Richmond levelled the scores by half-time.

But from there it was all one-way traffic as West Coast flexed their muscle.

With Darling unstoppable up forward and Yeo dominant through the midfield, West Coast surged to a 49-point lead.

West Coast’s tackling pressure was immense, with Richmond unable to handle the heat."

The Age[]

"The Tigers started so well, with a goal to Josh Caddy in less than a minute of the game starting. But by quarter-time the home side led by 22, with their forwards Josh Kennedy, Jamie Cripps, Willie Rioli and Darling (two) all featuring on the scoreboard. It was their best opening term for the season, so far.

Darling continued his outstanding form this season finishing with 15 marks and more than five goals for the first time in 160 games. Kennedy and Mark LeCras also booted three each.

The Eagles looked to have concerns with Elliot Yeo in the opening term, when he left the ground after a Josh Caddy tackle. But he returned with a heavily bandaged knee and with 29 possessions and 10 clearances was instrumental in the result."

Herald-Sun[]

"The Eagles had predictably won the hitout battle as Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett got on top of Toby Nankervis and his band of part-timers. However the Tigers’ ground-level brigade were able to get the ball going their way regardless as Richmond built a 9-5 advantage in centre clearances for the half.

The major break looked to have come at a bad time for the Tigers and it proved to be a new ball game when the teams re-emerged.

The Eagles got three goals in the first eight minutes as Darling and Kennedy imposed themselves, with the revival built on the back of some frenzied pressure and a series of holding the ball decisions.

It set the tone for the second half and there would be no way back for the disappointing Tigers."

East Perth report[]

Round 7 (19 May)

East Perth were blown away by South Fremantle after half-time, managing just one junk-time goal in the second half as the Bulldogs left Leederville with a 68 point win. A week after making his AFL debut, Brayden Ainsworth was his side's best with 27 possessions and two goals, and Matthew Allen had 21 touches and ten marks playing at both ends of the ground.

Appearing for East Perth: Ainsworth, M.Allen, Bayok, Brander, England, McInnes, Nelson, Partington, Rotham, Schofield, Watson. Reserves: Burrows.

Injury list[]

In the leadup to the match the following players were listed as injured:

Player	Injury	Expected return
MacKenzie	Toe	Indefinite
Venables	Ankle	7 weeks	(Placed on LTI list 26/4, replaced by Bayok)
Ryan	Ankle	6 weeks
Brayshaw	Knee	3 weeks
Shuey	Hamstring	2 weeks
Vardy	Adductor	1-2 weeks
Petruccelle	Ankle	1-2 weeks
Sheed	Foot	Test
Jetta	Calf	Test
McGovern	Calf	Test