It was a typical Grimes game. His stats were not big but his opponent,Port star Robbie Gray,had little impact with just six disposals and was held scoreless.
“He was terrific. His stats won’t reflect it but important contests where he won or halved - that’s the value of Dylan,” Hardwick said.
“Even as a coach,I underrate his performance. What I do know is if there’s a Robbie Gray,I put Dylan on him and he gets the job done 80 per cent of the time.”
Port blew their chance to reach parity and,at 5-7,face an uphill task to book another finals campaign.
Their key moment came when they lost two men and gave up a goal in the last term to Martin. Tom Jonas and Zak Butters clashed heads trying to tackle Liam Baker,spending important minutes off the field while the game was on the line.
There will likely be scrutiny from the AFL given the pair returned to the field and concussion protocols were not enacted.
Richmond’s early dominance was built on their trademark pressure around the ball. It did not matter that they were being beaten for clearances and contested ball. All five of their goals in the first quarter came from turnovers.
Such was the heat put on Port,panicked Power players regularly dumped long kicks inside 50,playing into the hands of the Tigers’ numbers behind the ball.
“The turnovers killed us in the first quarter,and that probably won them the game,” Port coach Ken Hinkley said. “Probably by the end of the game,we worked so hard to get back,but we gave up five goals from turnover in the first quarter and goals through the corridor,which is not like us.
“If you look at the rest of the game,we defended really strongly,but for the patch in the first quarter when they were able to put us to the sword on the scoreboard,that is what happened – turnover. That is as much our doing as anything that Richmond done. We gave the ball back in bad spots.”
It was not until red time in the second quarter when Hinkley’s men belatedly cracked the Tigers’ code,deploying a more thoughtful and patient approach to goal. They had the smarts by switching play to widen the Tigers’ zone and the skill to find players leading into the pockets of space created.
Richmond’s era was not built on stoppage work but Port’s contested numbers,of plus-17,and plus-70 possession count painted a worrying picture. In Marshall,who kicked three goals in the first half,Port had a forward capable of taking the game from them if they did not lift around the ball.
RUCK VALUE?
How important is a ruckman? If this game is a guide,perhaps not very. Port went into the game without a specialist ruckman,content for forwards Jeremy Finlayson and Charlie Dixon to shape up against Toby Nankervis and Ivan Soldo. As expected,the Tigers dominated the hitouts,but this did not translate to the clearances,which Port won 39-30. Finlayson and Dixon kicked two goals between them but Nankervis and Soldo took key marks behind the play,so arguably honours were even.
CLARKE’S DREAM START
Whatever Judson Clarke does in his career,he’s got something over Lance Franklin,Tony Lockett and Gary Ablett. Actually,make that all six members of the game’s 1000-goal club. The Tiger teen had a dream start to his debut,booting goals with his first two kicks. Only 31 players have achieved this rare feat – a list that does not include some of the game’s greatest goalkickers. Lockett,Doug Wade,Jason Dunstall and Gordon Coventry are among the 302 documented players (before this season) to have scored a goal with their first kick at senior level. Such was Clarke’s confidence,he even had the audacity to ignore Martin flying by for a handball.
RICHMOND 5.2 6.4 8.5 11.11 (77)
PORT ADELAIDE 2.1 5.2 8.4 10.5 (65)
GOALS
Richmond: Clarke 2,Martin 2,Gibcus,Rioli,Baker,McIntosh,Balta,Riewoldt,Graham
Port Adelaide: Marshall 3,Powell-Pepper,Dixon,Rozee,Amon,Finlayson,Wines,Farrell
BEST
Richmond: Baker,Prestia,Vlastuin,Short,Grimes,Broad,Rioli.
Port Adelaide: Marshall,Boak,Amon,Burton,Houston,Byrne-Jones.
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