Richmond rolled over Fremantle in the west, despite having just two fit men on the bench for most of the game. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images) The first half on Sunday evening was a microcosm of Richmond’s season. The strong start. The stumbles. The injuries. Really, up until halftime, it was a perfect reflection of 2019 so far for Damien Hardwick’s side, as they were just ahead but looking a bit shaky. He’ll be hoping the second half of their 25-point win over Fremantle also reflects the rest of the season, then. Live stream the 2019 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on KAYO SPORTS. Every match of every round. Live & anytime on your TV or favourite device. Get your 14 day free trial > Despite early injuries to Jack Ross and most crucially ruckman Toby Nankervis, which saw Richmond play out the second half with two fit men on the bench, they were able to record an impressive win at Optus Stadium. “It’s a huge win, this. It’s enormous,” Dermott Brereton said on Fox Footy. While some may not believe in the Dockers, the numbers suggest Ross Lyon’s side is well in the mix for the finals in 2019. Plus, the Tigers had won just two of their last seven games outside of Victoria before Sunday, and had never won at Optus Stadium. When Nankervis went down in the first quarter, it seemingly left Richmond with an old problem - a severe lack of talls, as Jack Riewoldt remains on the sidelines due to injury. But we’ve heard that story before. And Shaun Grigg is a premiership ruckman and Riewoldt sung with The Killers for a reason, after all. With Nankervis down, even Nathan Broad rucked at centre bounces, with Noah Balta taking most of the work. Meanwhile up forward it was the Tigers smalls who helped them shoot out to an early four-goal lead, with Shai Bolton kicking two of them. Bolton finished with four majors, as every West Australian Tiger kicked at least one goal on the day - the others being Broad, Sydney Stack, Kamdyn McIntosh and Liam Baker. It was a grand solution to solving the dour Dockers defence, which features one of the top tall options for the All-Australian side in Alex Pearce, and coming into Sunday was allowing goals from an AFL-low 16.8 per cent of opposition inside 50s. The Tigers goaled from four of their first seven entries, and finished kicking 17 from 51 - a powerful rate of 33 per cent. And we know a one-tall Richmond forward line can work. Despite copping a barrage of criticism in recent days, having kicked one goal in three weeks (following 16 in the opening four), Tom Lynch was back and firing against Fremantle. Get the ultimate AFL experience on your phone with the new FOX FOOTY App. Download it NOW for FREE on iOS and Android! He finished with 15 disposals and two goals, as the Tigers kicked 10 of the first 14 goals of the second half to run away with the win. “I was convinced they were going to get run over,” Dermott Brereton said on Fox Footy. “(But) this is an heroic win by the Tigers, and on the road, too.” Fellow commentator Matthew Pavlich joked that it was a classic kids footy “team effort” sort of summary, but it’s true - Bolton’s four goals aside, few Tigers stood out. It was more about how all of them stood up. With an MCG encounter with Hawthorn - who impressively knocked off GWS earlier in the day - to come next week, and then Dreamtime at the ‘G against Essendon after that, the Tigers are going to need to keep overcoming their injuries. On this performance, they can do it.<doc-sep>Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said his team’s poor start and poor conversion in front of goal were the key reasons for the 25-point defeat at the hands of Richmond at Optus Stadium. Playing without star trio Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt and Alex Rance, Richmond kicked six goals to three in the pivotal third term to set up the victory despite being reduced to 20 men by half-time. Fremantle had the second best defensive record entering the round but had conceded their highest score this season before three-quarter time as Richmond prevailed 17.9 (111) to 12.14 (86). The Dockers won the contested possession, clearance and inside 50 counts but were left to rue their wayward return of 3.8 during the third quarter. “The start in AFL footy is always critical. They kicked 4.1 from their first five entries,” Lyon said. “Their pressure from start to end – I thought they out-tackled us, they hunted us really well and that’s their signature. “They handled their adversity really well. Just when we looked like we were coming, they scored and took their opportunities.” Nat Fyfe could become ineligible for the Brownlow Medal for the second straight season after collecting Richmond star Tom Lynch with a forearm to the head. Camera Icon Brandon Ellis squares off with Jesse Hogan. Credit: Getty Images The match review officer will assess Fyfe’s raised arm tomorrow, which came after Lynch had lost possession of the ball. Fyfe may have dodged a significant suspension, with replays indicating the point of his elbow missed Lynch’s head and contact was instead made with his forearm. “I honestly didn’t see it. There was so much going on in the box,” Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said. Fyfe starred with a game-high 33 disposals and three goals in a performance that could have earned him three Brownlow votes. Geelong champion Gary Ablett will also be assessed for his high elbow on a huge day for Michael Christian. Fremantle’s percentage enabled them to cling to eighth spot as one of five teams with a 4-4 record, ahead of a crucial clash with Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night. Connor Blakely was controversially left out of today’s team, with the Dockers going in as selected after they added Blakely to their list of emergencies late on Friday. “We’ll get to Connor and consider it. Connor at his best, and he’s building to his best, is an important part of our 22,” Lyon said. WA product Shai Bolton shone with a career-high four goals in his first AFL appearance in his hometown, while fellow locals Sydney Stack, Liam Baker, Kamdyn McIntosh and Nathan Broad all kicked a goal each. Entering the game with seven premiership players on their injury list, the Tigers were down two men for the second half after ruckman Toby Nankervis (groin) and midfielder Jack Ross (foot) could not continue. An early Richmond onslaught produced the first four goals, before the Dockers steadied with the next four to reel in the 25-point head start.<doc-sep>WHO IMPRESSED.... Shai Bolton Many fans would have come today to watch Michael Walters put on a dynamic performance up forward. Instead it was another West Australian who lit up Optus Stadium – Shai Bolton. The South Fremantle product started the game on fire, kicking two of the first three goals on his way to a career-high four majors. Brandon Ellis It was a fantastic game for the midfielder, who finished with 25 disposals and a fantastic last-quarter goal. Ellis provided a lot of run for the Tigers and helped fill the void of missing captain Trent Cotchin. Alongside Dustin Martin and Dion Prestia, Ellis dominated at the contests, but it was Ellis’s physicality at the contest which was fantastic. He did not let up right until the end. Camera Icon Shai Bolton celebrates one of his four goals. Credit: AAPIMAGE Nat Fyfe It was another incredible performance from the Fremantle skipper, who is really building towards his Brownlow Medal-winning form. Fyfe finished with a game-high 33 possessions, including 10 in the first quarter when the Dockers were shell-shocked by a fast starting Richmond. Had Josh Caddy for company for most of the day, but it didn’t seem to bother him as he dominated at the contest. Was gifted a goal in the first term courtesy of a 100m penalty, but finished with a team-high three goals. Michael Walters The forward turned midfielder provided plenty of run for the Dockers and put on a typical work-man like performance. Walters had a massive second term, collecting 11 disposals on his way to 27, but it was his defensive work which was impressive, laying five tackles. As Richmond got on top in the midfield, Walters lifted his intensity, as he fought against the massive wave of momentum. Dylan Grimes Since Alex Rance went down, Grimes has been a rock down in defence for Richmond and he was at his best today. Matching up on Brennan Cox, Grimes floated in the back half of the ground, picking off any long, high kicks from the Dockers and going up as the third man in a number of contests. The defender was also used as an easy option for his fellow defenders when they were in trouble, finishing with 26 disposals. Rory Lobb If the ruckman had made the most of his opportunities in front of goal he would have been the best player on the ground in the first half. When Nankervis went down with a groin injury, Lobb was able to control the hit-outs against makeshift ruckmen in Noah Balta and Nathan Broad. The only blemish on the big man’s game was his poor kicking in front of goal, which cost his team a lead at half-time. Finished with 45 hit-outs and 18 touches. Play Video Brandon Matera nails a fine snap from the pocket against the Tigers. The West Australian Video Brandon Matera nails a fine snap from the pocket against the Tigers. AND WHO DIDN’T.... Nathan Wilson The defender’s excellent kicking is a major weapon off half back for the Dockers, unfortunately it was not utilised today. Wilson had just two disposals in the first half and never really got into the game, ending the evening with just 10 touches. The former GWS defender was also well beaten by a series of Richmond small forwards, who contributed to nine of the Tigers’ 17 goals. Brad Hill A running machine that normally provides the Dockers with plenty of opportunities to score, but he was barely sighted today. The three-time premiership player had just four disposals in the first half and didn’t dare much better in the second, finishing with 15 touches. Hill’s decision making and disposal was both poor and he simply did not provide that drive the Dockers so desperately needed. Toby Nankervis Not much went right for the premiership ruckman. He lost the ruck battle to Rory Lobb, gave away a 100m penalty which resulted in an easy goal to Nat Fyfe and hurt his groin late in the first term. He came back on in second term but didn’t last much longer, appearing after half-time with the tracksuit on and his groin iced up.<doc-sep>
The first thing that Ross Lyon needs to do in the wake of his team’s 25-point loss to Richmond is get a dictionary out and get his players to look up the meaning of the word “ambush”. Clearly they don’t fully understand it. He had warned about a Tigers ambush all week, yet Richmond jumped them anyway on the way to a 17.9 (111) to 12.14 (86) upset. The margin Richmond held at the end was the same as the 25 points they had jumped the Dockers by at the start. This was the second great Richmond win interstate and undermanned this year. They did the same to Port Adelaide. If anything, this may have been more meritorious — no Jack Riewoldt, no Trent Cotchin, no Alex Rance, no Daniel Rioli and no Nick Vlastuin. They lost ruckman Toby Nankervis and midfielder Jack Ross mid-match. But they beat the Dockers with pace, pressure and method, not manpower. Brandon Ellis was brilliant, ditto Kane Lambert. Shai Bolton lit up Optus Stadium with his speed and goal sense and finished with four goals. Camera Icon Bradley Hill gets tackled by Dustin Martin. Credit: Getty Images Fremantle didn’t handle the heat midfield nor Richmond’s pace on the spread. They coughed the ball up under pressure and then couldn’t get back quickly enough to help their defence. This was Richmond’s surge mentality in all its glory and the Dockers floundered under its heat. Nat Fyfe finished with 33 disposals and three goals, but might also be tribunal bound after a high forearm clipped Tom Lynch during the last term. David Mundy and Michael Walters battled hard, while Brandon Matera created chances but could not take them. Others, it must be said, found their level and it is not a level that is going to take the team far enough up the ladder. Lyon had warned his players about a Richmond attack — clearly they should have given him a good listening to. Within 10 minutes of the first bounce there were four Richmond goals on the board from five forward-50 entries and it should have been five, with Liam Baker taking the advantage after Bolton had pulled up Luke Ryan in a magnificent tackle to earn a free kick. Back in his home city, Bolton ignited his team in the first 15 minutes, kicking two goals to go with others from Lynch and Lambert. Play Video Brandon Matera nails a fine snap from the pocket against the Tigers. The West Australian Video Brandon Matera nails a fine snap from the pocket against the Tigers. Richmond’s surge got the Dockers’ defence on the back foot and turned around. The back men didn’t cope. But they got steadying goals from Rory Lobb and Jesse Hogan and a third to Fyfe after a massive Nankervis brain fade and a 100m penalty when he didn’t give the ball back after a free kick and 50m was paid. The Dockers held sway for parts of the second term, but Richmond still went to half-time with an extended lead because when they went, they went quickly and frequently got out the back of the Dockers zone. They kicked three goals for the term, one from a clumsy hold by Ryan on Josh Caddy in the square. One was from a Noah Balta bomb that carried further than the Fremantle defence thought and into the arms of Lynch and one from a classic Tiger fast break which left Fremantle’s mids outrun and floundering. With Nankervis labouring, the Dockers tried to get Lobb forward more often to stretch the defence. He took a mark but missed the shot. Sam Switkowski nailed a set shot, as did Matt Taberner, but too many of Fremantle’s 29 first-half inside 50s turned into nothing. Some turned into rapid-fire Richmond counterattacks. And then in the third term, the Tigers bolted. Bolton continued to burn off the Dockers defence and kicked his third goal. Jason Castagna circumnavigated Adam Cerra on the boundary line, taking a bounce for dramatic effect and then snapped one of the goals of the year. He added another before the end of the quarter. The Dockers kicked three of their own up the other end with Hogan adding a second and Matera getting dangerous. But the normally deadly Matera’s radar was off and while he nailed one brilliant snap from the pocket, he missed three easier ones that would have dragged his team closer at the final break.