Australian Football

Match Report

Richmond is back in the top eight and very much in finals contention after a very impressive win against Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. The Tigers won despite not scoring at all in the third quarter, comfortably outscoring the Power in the other three terms to record a 33-point win. The win was some small retribution for the thrashing Port handed to the Tigers at the same venue in last year's Elimination Final. For Port, the loss was a disappointing finish to Kane Cornes's career, with the veteran signing off after this match, his 300th.

The tone for the day was set in the first term. The quarter was low-scoring, with just three goals kicked, the first of those to Jake Batchelor of Richmond after  both sides had traded a couple of behinds. Angus Monfries added another behind for Port before Brandon Ellis kicked Richmond's second to put the Tigers ahead by 11 points at the 11-minute mark. After a further Power behind, Brett Deledio made it three in a row for the Tigers with his first goal at the 17-minute mark and Richmond took a 19-pont lead into the first break.

While not being a free-flowing affair, the second term produced the most goals of the match - seven. Chad Wingard finally got the Power on the board with a goal inside the first minute, but Tiger spearhead put Richmond four goals clear with goals at the 12 and 14-minute marks. Monfries registered a major for Port but Dustin Martin responded for the Tigers and then the process repeated itself with a goal to Port's Robbie Gray answered by Richmond's Ben Griffiths, giving the Tigers a 23-point half-time lead.

Port Adelaide completely blanketed Richmond's forward line in the third quarter, holding the Tigers scoreless for the entire term. The Power generated only a few scoring opportunities for themselves, though, and did not take full advantage of them, registering 1.4, with their only goal being kicked by Monfries at the 11-minute mark. When the three-quarter time siren sounded, Port was in touch but the Tigers were still 13 points to the good.

Any hope for the Power was extinguished with goals to Tigers Riewoldt and Connor Menadue in the first eight minutes of the final term. Chad Wingard pulled one back for Port in the 14th minute, but the las two majors for the match were kicked by Riewoldt and Shane Edwards, giving Richmond a highly meritorious victory.

Deledio (28 possessions, six marks), Riewoldt (four goals, nine marks) and Ellis (31 disposals, seven marks) all played fine games for the Tigers, while Port's best included Wingard (20 touches and two goals), Travis Boak (32 possessions) and Cornes, who had 28 touches and laid six tackles in his final AFL appearance.

Back in the eight and with two wins in a row under their belt, the Tigers will meet Essendon in the "Dreamtime at the 'G" match next Saturday night. Port, rapidly losing in touch with the top eight, will look too return to the winners list when it meets Melbourne in Alice Springs earlier that day.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Monfries, Wingard 2; R.Gray
Richmond: Riewoldt 4; Batchelor, Ellis, Deledio, Martin, Griffiths, Menadue, Edwards

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Wingard, Cornes, R.Gray, Wines, Boak, Hombsch
Richmond: Deledio, Riewoldt, Ellis, Rance, Martin, Miles

BEST - THE AGE
Port Adelaide: Boak, Cornes, Wines, Ebert, R. Gray, Westhoff
Richmond: Ellis, Deledio, Riewoldt, Miles, Martin, Grigg. 

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Trengove (leg)
Richmond: Vickery (knee)

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Karl Amon replaced Nathan Krakouer at three-quarter time
Richmond: Connor Menadue replaced Ty Vickery (knee) in the second quarter

UMPIRES: Bannister, Hosking, Chamberlain

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Gerard Healy, David King