MAGPIES MAKE MOST OF CHANCES
By IAN McDONALD
THE MAGPIES staged a tremendous fight-back in the second half to hold off a desperate finish by the Tigers to win by seven points.
In the first half, the Tigers played brilliantly and should have gone to a commanding lead but they didn’t make the most of their chances.
They made the mistake of letting the Magpies off the hook and in the second half Collingwood dominated in the air and played with more confidence to dictate the game.
FIRST QUARTER:— Tuddenham won the toss and Collingwood kicked to the Punt Road end in perfect conditions. It was a hard, even start and neither side was able to take any advantage.
Richmond, starting confidently, had the Collingwood defence under a lot of pressure. They broke through for the first score of the match when Swift kicked a behind and then Clay, in a patch of brilliant play, goaled.
Collingwood defence tightened their game as another hot Tiger attack was stopped by a magnificent mark of Boyne. The Magpies steadied through good ruck work by Thompson and they sped forward for Price to mark and goal. The ball see-sawed up and down the ground, but Richmond appeared to be on top at this stage.
Barrot blazed away with a hurried shot and then the elusive Northey broke away from a pack to snap a great goal from an angle.
Collingwood fought back when Richardson kicked high to Whelan, who marked strongly. He steered through a long goal, and the difference was only one point.
The huge crowd roared as both sides tore in at break neck speed. The Tigers raced forward for Hart to take a pass from Northey and snap their third goal. The Richmond attack was a king-size problem for the Magpies.
The Tigers swarmed forward for Hart to kick his second goal within a minute.
Collingwood were winning in the air and the ruck, but they were being outclassed around the packs. The Tigers increased their lead to 14 points when Barrot blazed away for a behind.
Collingwood were struggling as they battled forward for McKenna to give them a chance, but the ball was forced out of bounds and Richmond cleared. Tully sent the Magpies back, and McKenna was freed in the forward pocket, but his kick went across goals and out of bounds.
Adamson, backing his judgement, followed the ball down the members’ flank with a tremendous clearing dash to give Price a chance to scoop the ball up and goal for the Magpies.
Bartlett twice sent the Tigers forward and the second time Hart was paid a free, and he made no mistake about kicking his third goal. Richmond were playing the more confident football and generally had the Magpies struggling.
Thompson got the ball to Rose, then Tuddenham had a hurried kick which bounced in front of goal, but there was nobody home and the ball was forced out of bounds. Richmond were winning in the race for the ball and were tackling harder than Collingwood.
[pictured: Mike Green spoils McKenna’s effort to mark]
Collingwood were battling desperately to bridge the gap. Tully, who was earning a lot of kicks in the centre, shot the ball to McKenna, and he put it in front of goal, where there was a scrimmage. Umpire Perkins balled up and a Collingwood player had a hurried kick out of a pack but Green marked safely and turned them back.
Collingwood were playing much better now and attacked almost constantly. They finally broke through when Whelan was paid a free and goaled to make the difference seven points.
For the quarter — RICHMOND 9 marks, 8 frees.
COLLINGWOOD 12 marks, 10 frees. Out of bounds18.
At quarter time — RICHMOND 5. 2-32 led COLLINGWOOD 4. 1-25.
Scorers for the quarter — RICHMOND: Swift 0 goals, 1 behind, 0 misses; Clay 1, 0, 0; Barrot 0, 1, 1; Northey 1, 0, 0; Hart 3, 0, 0.
COLLINGWOOD Price 2, 0, 0; Whelan 2, 0, 0; McKenna 0, 0, 1; Waters 0, 1, 0.
SECOND QUARTER:— Richmond tore into attack where Northey was mauled and goaled from a free. Collingwood went forward briefly but Green stopped them with a good mark. Richmond were dictating the game and went in after the ball with fierce determination.
They kept attacking and Crowe had a shot but missed. The Tigers were doing everything right as they streaked forward for A. Richardson to kick their seventh goal on the run. Richmond now led by 3.1 and were playing with tremendous confidence.
Collingwood were falling down in attack and relying too much on individual effort, and Green and Swift were untroubled to sweep aside attacks. Perry, playing strongly at centre half-back, got the ball to B. Richardson who passed to Hart and from a free, he scored a behind.
Collingwood had trouble with their defence as Potter at full-back and Boyne at centre half-back were too loose. The Magpies were also struggling in attack where they had Waters at centre half-forward.
McKenna went to a forward pocket. It was individual effort rather than team work that kept the Magpies in the game. They battled forward for Price to snap their fifth goal. In a good flash of play Rose and P. Patterson got the ball to McKenna who marked in the pocket and played on, but he kicked poorly for a behind.
The Magpies were fighting with everything they had to lift their game. They had a chance when Tuddenham was freed but he kicked poorly and Crowe marked safely. Richmond flashed down the wing for Clay to mark and snap the ball across to A. Richardson.
Tuddenham, who was being used as a ruck rover, cleared. Richmond had a chance with a hurried shot by Bartlett but it went out of bounds. The Tigers weren’t making enough of their chances although they were winning well around the ground. Patterson kicked a behind from a free and A. Richardson snapped up a hand pass from Bourke and goaled.
Collingwood kept in the game when Whelan kicked their sixth goal to make the difference 14 points. Richmond squandered chances when Hart had a shot that went out of bounds. Collingwood fought back for P. Patterson to goal and make the difference seven points. It was a typical Collingwood fight-back after being in a lot of trouble.
McKenna tore in to mark and goal and the difference was only one point and the Magpies were right back in the game in a tremendous fighting effort.
For the quarter — RICHMOND 11 marks, 9 frees.
COLLINGWOOD 14 marks, 12 frees. Out of bounds14.
At half-time — RICHMOND 8. 4-52 led COLLINGWOOD 8. 3-51.
Scorers for the quarter — RICHMOND: Northey 1, 0, 0; Crowe 0, 0, 1; A. Richardson 2, 0, 0; Hart 0, 1, 1; Patterson 0, 1, 0; Bartlett 0, 0, 1.
COLLINGWOOD Price 1, 0, 0; McKenna 1, 1, 0; Whelan 1, 1, 0; Patterson 1, 1, 0.
THIRD QUARTER:— It was an even start with neither side able to break through. Collingwood were right back in the game and playing much better than they did earlier. Richmond’s earlier confidence appeared to be dimmed but they broke through after three minutes for Crowe to snap a goal.
Thompson, playing a great game in the ruck, knocked the ball to Tully who tore in to kick a behind. Barrot stopped another attack but the Magpies came back and Price scored a behind.
There was a lot of confusion when McKenna took a spectacular mark and drove the ball into the goal square but a free was paid to Erwin. It could easily have been a goal for the Magpies but the Tigers got out of trouble. The Magpies came again for McKenna to make no mistake with their ninth goal and when Price scored a behind they hit the front.
Tigers were now the rattled side as they fell to pieces under pressure. Collingwood increased their lead when Price marked in the forward pocket and goaled. The game had now taken a new turn as the Magpies were dictating the play. They had been let off the hook and were making the most of it.
History has proved in the past that Collingwood are not a side to take cheaply. Britt shot a pass to Richardson, who marked over the boundary line and was then flattened. From the free he scored a behind. Collingwood with seven scoring shots to Richmond’s one for the quarter had taken control of the game.
Bartlett, a good battler around the packs, kicked high to Hart who led out on the outer flank. He grabbed the ball as it came over the pack and played on for a hurried shot that went through for a much needed goal to the Tigers.
Collingwood were winning well in the air and their team work backing up was far better than in the first half. In a brilliant flash of play Thompson tapped the ball down for Richardson, McKenna and Britt to combine to get the ball to Whelan, who goaled.
It was Collingwood’s quarter and in direct contrast to the first half. They were on top and increased their lead to 16 points with a free to Waters who goaled.
For the quarter — RICHMOND 10 marks, 7 frees.
COLLINGWOOD 22 marks, 8 frees. Out of bounds 8.
At three-quarter time —COLLINGWOOD 12. 8-80 led RICHMOND 10. 4-64.
Scorers for the quarter — RICHMOND: Crowe 1, 0, 0; Hart 1, 0, 0.
COLLINGWOOD Price 2,0,0; Whelan 2,0,0; McKenna 0,0,1; Waters 0,1,0.
FINAL QUARTER:— McKenna, enjoying his move to a forward pocket, goaled and then kicked a behind. The Magpies were carrying on where they left off in the third quarter. They had Richmond under constant pressure and were playing with a ton of confidence.
Sheedy went off for Richmond and Dimattina replaced him. Barrot was in the centre and Dimattina roving. Thompson marked in the centre and drove Collingwood forward, where Richardson grabbed the ball and had a hurried snapshot but it went out of bounds.
Richmond were battling desperately as Barrot sent a long drop down the ground. It appeared as if Northey should have been paid a free but Umpire Perkins balled it up and Hart tore in and grabbed the ball and goaled. The difference was 17 points as Collingwood attacked from the bounce for Richardson to have a shot and miss.
Swift put a long drop straight down the ground where Hug pushed Hart in the back but Umpire Perkins apparently didn’t see it and Hug cleared.
Clay, a good player all day on the wing, marked and sent a tremendous kick right down the ground where Northey had a snapshot that bounced through the goals. The goal umpire and Umpire Perkins conferred and then awarded Richmond a goal. The difference was 11 points. It was becoming a hectic finish as Richmond lifted their game in a fighting bid to bridge the gap.
Britt tore down the outer wing and sent a long drop kick to McKenna, who marked but Umpire Perkins brought the ball back because Britt had run too far. Boyne hurled himself in the air to take a great mark in defence. Collingwood made their lead eight points when Tully scored a behind. The Magpies had a golden chance when Waters hand-balled out of a pack to Tully but he kicked poorly for a behind.
With time on approaching Richmond needed two straight kicks and the way Collingwood were playing the odds were against them. Richardson shot the ball to McKenna who marked but his kick didn’t make the distance.
Richmond raced down the outer wing for Barrot and Northey to combine to get the ball to Bartlett who had a long punt kick for a behind. Tully was off for Collingwood and Urquhart replaced him.
Richmond had Hart at centre half-forward and B. Richardson at full-forward. Patterson marked and goaled to make the difference 6 points. With time on being played, Swift scooped the ball up on the half-back line and raced down the members’ wing, but Potter hurled himself across to take a great mark in defence.
Tuddenham was flattened after he kicked and a free was paid down the ground to Price but it went out of bounds in the forward pocket. From the throw-in, Britt tore in to snap a behind and the Magpies led by seven points.
Hart sent the Tigers forward but Thompson marked safely. Hart marked his kick and sent the Tigers back but this time Boyne marked in defence.
Richmond had run out of time and they weren’t able to withstand the Magpies’ tremendous fight back in the second half. In the first half Richmond looked the better side but they let Collingwood get back into the game and from then on Collingwood always held the upper hand.
For the quarter — RICHMOND 17 marks, 9 frees.
COLLINGWOOD 19 marks, 5 frees. Out of bounds 15.
The game ended with COLLINGWOOD 13. 12-90 beating RICHMOND 13. 5-83.
Scorers for the quarter — RICHMOND: Hart 1, 0, 0; Northey 1, 0, 0; Bartlett 0, 1, 0: Patterson 1, 0, 0.
COLLINGWOOD McKenna 1, 1, 0; Richardson 0, 0, 1; Tully 0, 2, 0; Britt 0, 1, 0.
GOAL SCORERS FOR THE GAME: Richmond:— Hart 5, Northey 3, A. Richardson 2, Clay, Crowe, Patterson.
Collingwood:— Whelan 4, Price 4, McKenna 3, Waters, Patterson.
