Notes from the game: 2016 Round 2 Richmond

In a low-scoring, mistake-riddled game, Richmond contrives to lose.

Team            Q1      Q2      Q3      Q4      Final
Collingwood     2.1     3.3     7.7     13.9    87
Richmond        2.2     3.8     7.12    12.14   86 

Disclosure

Irritated and disappointed by all the Collingwood clangers, The Footy Bogan left about 5 minutes before the end.

Some would say that he missed all the excitement. Here's another view.

The ball is bounced to start the final quarter. Collingwood sends the ball forward and within 20 seconds Fasolo handpasses to Cloke who goals on his right foot, putting Collingwood 1 point up. One could have left right then. This was the final result: for the rest of the quarter, the two teams played a draw.

The game

Watching from the stands, it was a really appalling game to watch. Unlike the previous week, Collingwood was never out of this game - at least in part because Richmond's kicking was so wobbly (mainly for goal, but also around the ground). The Pies even managed to gain the lead; but then they'd give it back with really stupid play.

What was missing, at least from the Pies, was intensity.

The Pies were lucky that Richmond missed so many gettable shots.

Positives

Fasolo - 6 goals, the assist for Cloke's goal, plus a whole
        lot more.

        Reid - great comeback.

        Cloke's right-foot goal.

        Moore - big mark (and another which should have been awarded),
        accurate kick.

        Treloar, Sinclair, Ramsay.

Negatives

Cloke - the rest of the time.

        Tackling - so often tackles didn't stick (eg Gault, Ramsay).

        Adams was fumbly early.

        Langdon - uninterested; handpass to opponent.

        Collingwood - no intensity.

        Collingwood's defence - despite playing Pendlebury loose, the
        Pies conceded many marks inside D50.

        Grundy gave away a stupid unnecessary free.

        Gault was clumsy in F50, then again at 50m.

        Handpassing - many Collingwood short handpasses hit the
        ground.

        Pendlebury - kicked to a Pie outnumbered 3 to 1; late in the
        game, he kicked straight to an opponent; reponsible for one of
        two blunders of the night: overran the ball in defence
        allowing Richmond an easy goal.

        Uncharacteristically, Williams seemed uncertain all night when
        kicking in. He had one kick after he was legged which was
        marked by an opponent: behind to Richmond. The subsequent
        kick-in produced the other blunder of the night: straight to
        an opponent for mark and goal.

        For much of the night, there was no movement of Pies upfield.

        Frost lowered his colours in the last quarter.

Highlight

Riewoldt's mark over Langdon in the last quarter.

Quotes

These were from the Channel 7 commentary team.

8 minutes into the game: "Richmond have taken 5 marks from Collingwood kicks." "...[Collingwood] can't hit a target ... decision making ... panicky"

"Neither coach would be happy." "Untidy game."

The wrap

It all comes down to why one goes to the footy. I guess most people just want a result that goes their way. The Footy Bogan hopes to see his team play good footy. By that measure, this game was terrible. Sure the Pies did some good things, but they don't mean a lot if they do even more bad things. The win was the result of a combination of factors, but had little to do with good footy on the part of Collingwood.

Sources, Notes, Footnotes, References

Foxtel

Channel 7

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=6181