Tigers win in the wet
4:48:06 PM Sun 13 April, 2003
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
Sometimes you just have to feel sorry for the Fremantle Dockers.
With just one win in Victoria in the past two years – the notoriously travel-shy Western Australians finally get a winnable game in Melbourne and then the weather gods conspire against them in the worst possible way.
The Dockers were given a great chance of upsetting Richmond in their round three clash at the MCG on Sunday considering the Tigers were without both of their champion tall forwards Matthew Richardson and Brad Ottens.
And then what happens?
Well after eight years of below-average rain – Melbourne’s long-running drought broke in such spectacular fashion that the MCG soon resembled a lake as the Tigers ran out easy winners 14.10 (94) to 6.10 (46).
The atrocious conditions were not only completely foreign to nearly all of the Dockers’ players – who play over half their games each season in the usually rock-hard conditions in Perth – but meant the Tigers scarcely missed Richardson and Ottens.
In fact the Tigers’ small forward line – which was not by choice but only forced upon them due to injury – proved a huge advantage in the near-flooded conditions.
The Tigers were also helped by the fact they were four goals up when the torrential rain hit the MCG at the 18 minute mark of the second quarter and when David Rodan – who revelled in the conditions – kicked another one before half-time, the Tigers’ five-goal lead was already insurmountable.
But as soon as the third quarter started it was obvious the home side were far more at home in the conditions than the Western Australians and this was soon evident when the Tigers kept soccering the ball forward at all costs which eventually resulted in a goal to first gamer Tim Fleming.
From that point the Tigers were able to cruise to their second successive victory of the season and give courageous captain Wayne Campbell a day to remember for his 250th game.
Campbell was an inspiration to his team in the way he threw himself into packs all day and without both Richardson and Ottens was often used as a target in attack as well as playing in midfield.
He was ably assisted by the talented youngster who will surely one day rise to the position Campbell now holds and may even succeed him – Mark Coughlan.
In fact Coughlan – who also hails from Western Australia – gave many of his fellow Western Australians an example of how to play wet-weather football as he continually forced the ball forward at all costs.
The Tigers also had other profilic possession winners in Joel Bowden and Mark Chaffey, who both used the ball far better than anyone in the Dockers’ line-up.
And while the Dockers’ forwards totally floundered – with Darren Gaspar thrashing Trent Croad even before the rain hit – the Tigers had a match-winner in attack in the exciting Rodan.
Rodan not only kicked three goals but enlivened a dour game every time he went near the ball as the Tigers’ fans roared as one anticipating a moment of magic from the tiny Fijian-born goalsneak, who has fast become a cult figure.
In contrast the Dockers, whose dreadful record at the MCG now stands at one win and 15 losses since joining the competition in 1995 – were left to contemplate the cruelty of Melbourne’s weather and another long and empty flight home.
The Dockers’ overall record in Victoria now stands at just nine wins from 59 games and their overall travel record is 12 wins from 79 matches but at least they would have left this defeat buoyed by the displays of young defenders Roger Hayden and Dion Woods.
RICHMOND: 4.0 9.5 11.7 14.10 (94)
FREMANTLE: 2.4 4.6 5.6 6.10 (46)
GOALS: Richmond: Rodan 3, Bowden, Coughlan 2, Hilton, Campbell, Stafford, Fiora, Cameron, Fleming, Houlihan
Fremantle: McManus, Carr, Headland, T Longmuir, Pavlich, Farmer
BEST: Richmond: Coughlan, Rodan, Bowden, Campbell, Hilton, Gaspar, Chaffey
Fremantle: Woods, Hayden, Carr, Grover, McManus
INJURIES: Nil
CHANGES: Richmond: Matthew Richardson replaced in the selected side by Tim Fleming
Fremantle: Graham Polak replaced in the selected side by Andrew Siegert
REPORTS: Nil
UMPIRES: James, Rowe, Woodcock
CROWD: 19,677 at the MCG
4:48:06 PM Sun 13 April, 2003
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
Sometimes you just have to feel sorry for the Fremantle Dockers.
With just one win in Victoria in the past two years – the notoriously travel-shy Western Australians finally get a winnable game in Melbourne and then the weather gods conspire against them in the worst possible way.
The Dockers were given a great chance of upsetting Richmond in their round three clash at the MCG on Sunday considering the Tigers were without both of their champion tall forwards Matthew Richardson and Brad Ottens.
And then what happens?
Well after eight years of below-average rain – Melbourne’s long-running drought broke in such spectacular fashion that the MCG soon resembled a lake as the Tigers ran out easy winners 14.10 (94) to 6.10 (46).
The atrocious conditions were not only completely foreign to nearly all of the Dockers’ players – who play over half their games each season in the usually rock-hard conditions in Perth – but meant the Tigers scarcely missed Richardson and Ottens.
In fact the Tigers’ small forward line – which was not by choice but only forced upon them due to injury – proved a huge advantage in the near-flooded conditions.
The Tigers were also helped by the fact they were four goals up when the torrential rain hit the MCG at the 18 minute mark of the second quarter and when David Rodan – who revelled in the conditions – kicked another one before half-time, the Tigers’ five-goal lead was already insurmountable.
But as soon as the third quarter started it was obvious the home side were far more at home in the conditions than the Western Australians and this was soon evident when the Tigers kept soccering the ball forward at all costs which eventually resulted in a goal to first gamer Tim Fleming.
From that point the Tigers were able to cruise to their second successive victory of the season and give courageous captain Wayne Campbell a day to remember for his 250th game.
Campbell was an inspiration to his team in the way he threw himself into packs all day and without both Richardson and Ottens was often used as a target in attack as well as playing in midfield.
He was ably assisted by the talented youngster who will surely one day rise to the position Campbell now holds and may even succeed him – Mark Coughlan.
In fact Coughlan – who also hails from Western Australia – gave many of his fellow Western Australians an example of how to play wet-weather football as he continually forced the ball forward at all costs.
The Tigers also had other profilic possession winners in Joel Bowden and Mark Chaffey, who both used the ball far better than anyone in the Dockers’ line-up.
And while the Dockers’ forwards totally floundered – with Darren Gaspar thrashing Trent Croad even before the rain hit – the Tigers had a match-winner in attack in the exciting Rodan.
Rodan not only kicked three goals but enlivened a dour game every time he went near the ball as the Tigers’ fans roared as one anticipating a moment of magic from the tiny Fijian-born goalsneak, who has fast become a cult figure.
In contrast the Dockers, whose dreadful record at the MCG now stands at one win and 15 losses since joining the competition in 1995 – were left to contemplate the cruelty of Melbourne’s weather and another long and empty flight home.
The Dockers’ overall record in Victoria now stands at just nine wins from 59 games and their overall travel record is 12 wins from 79 matches but at least they would have left this defeat buoyed by the displays of young defenders Roger Hayden and Dion Woods.
RICHMOND: 4.0 9.5 11.7 14.10 (94)
FREMANTLE: 2.4 4.6 5.6 6.10 (46)
GOALS: Richmond: Rodan 3, Bowden, Coughlan 2, Hilton, Campbell, Stafford, Fiora, Cameron, Fleming, Houlihan
Fremantle: McManus, Carr, Headland, T Longmuir, Pavlich, Farmer
BEST: Richmond: Coughlan, Rodan, Bowden, Campbell, Hilton, Gaspar, Chaffey
Fremantle: Woods, Hayden, Carr, Grover, McManus
INJURIES: Nil
CHANGES: Richmond: Matthew Richardson replaced in the selected side by Tim Fleming
Fremantle: Graham Polak replaced in the selected side by Andrew Siegert
REPORTS: Nil
UMPIRES: James, Rowe, Woodcock
CROWD: 19,677 at the MCG
