Australian Football

Match Report

At the three-minute mark of the third quarter of this match, Richmond led Carlton by 32 points and the fairytale season for Tiger fans, who had endured 12 consecutive years without seeing their team in a final, looked set to continue for at least one more week.

But a cruel reality unfolded over the next hour, as a Carlton team that had scraped into the top eight by the barest of margins and in the most unusual of circumstances, somehow lifted itself off the canvas, whittled the margin down to four points at the final change, then ran all over a shell-shocked Richmond in the last quarter to record a remarkable 20-point win.

The match started well for the Tigers, as they responded to an early Carlton goal by kicking three of the next four and taking am eight-point lead into the first break. From there, things only got better for Richmond for the remainder of the first half. After Carlton kicked the first goal of the second quarter through Eddie Betts, the Tigers began to dominate. They kicked the next four goals through Tyrone Vickery, Chris Newman, Aaron Edwards and Shane Tuck to take a 25-point lead. The remainder of the term was more or less halved, each team kicking three goals, and the lead remained at a healthy 26 points at the long break.

Aaron Edwards kicked the first goal of the third quarter to take Richmond’s lead out to a game-high 32 points, but it was from that moment that things began to turn sour for the Tigers. Jarrad Waite converted a free from 20 metres out to cut the lead to 25, and then Jeff Garlett followed up `with another goal a minute later to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of Richmond players and fans alike.

Doubt turned to panic over the next eight minutes as Nick Duigan, Heath Scotland and Betts all kicked goals to cut the deficit to a single point as the quarter entered time on. Brandon Ellis gave the Tigers some breathing space with a goal soon after time-on began, but Duigan chipped in with another just before three-quarter time and at the final change the difference was just three points.

A blunder by Blue Mitch Robinson saw Richmond get the first goal of the last quarter via free kick to Ivan Maric but Eddie Betts answered quickly with a goal at the five-minute mark to once more reduce to margin to under a goal. Soon after, Robinson atoned for his error with a mark and goal that saw the Blues regain the lead for the first time since the first quarter.

The scene appeared set for a grandstand finish but the stuffing had been knocked out of the Tigers and Carlton kicked four of the last five goals of the game to record a remarkable 20-point win.

Architects of the win for the Blues included Chris Judd who returning from injury had 25 touches, kicked a goal and came to the fore at crucial stages of the match, Nick Duigan, a very late inclusion who kicked four goals and skipper Marc Murphy who collected 26 possessions.

For the Tigers, Trent Cotchin (26 touches and two goals), Brett Deledio (24 possessions) and Daniel Jackson (21 disposals) all did their best to keep the yellow and black in the match. The Tigers had suffered an early blow when Reece Conca injured a hamstring and had to be replaced in the first term.

As heartbreaking as the loss will be for the club, Richmond cam look back on 2013 as a season in which it made great strides. But the club simply must build on that progress in 2014 and win at least one final.

On the other side of the ledger, the Blues can probably still not believe their luck. They fell into the eight by virtue of a last-gasp, one-point win over Port Adelaide and the relegation of Essendon to ninth, and will now face Sydney at Stadium Australia this Friday night for a chance to play in a Preliminary Final. The Swans will start favourite in that match but with the Blues on a roll and Mick Malthouse at the helm, there may still be another twist in the tale of Carlton's season.

GOALS
Richmond: Vickery, Cotchin, Edwards, Maric 2; Riewoldt, Grimes, Newman, Martin, Tuck, Ellis
Carlton: Waite, Duigan 4; Betts 3; Garlett, Robinson 2; Warnock, Scotland, Judd

BEST - THE AGE
Richmond: Cotchin, Jackson, Deledio, Maric, Vlastuin, Houli
Carlton: Judd, Duigan, Gibbs, Waite, Betts, Robinson, Murphy, Bell

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Richmond: Deledio, Cotchin, Martin, Rance, Newman
Carlton: Judd, Murphy, Curnow, Duigan, Betts, Waite, Gibbs

INJURIES
Richmond: Conca (hamstring)
Carlton: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Shane Tuck replaced Reece Conca (hamstring) in the first quarter
Carlton: Troy Menzel replaced Andrew McInnes in the final quarter

UMPIRES: Farmer, Nicholls, Meredit

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Dennis Cometti, Tim Watson, Cameron Ling, Nick Riewoldt