Pre Game
00:00
Geelong has won all five games it has played at the Gabba this season by an average of 53 points. Prior to losing the Qualifying Final against Brisbane, the Tigers had won their previous 11 games at this venue.
Quarter 1
00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:17
The opening centre bounce clearance has gone the way of the Cats. Geelong has lost four out of the five games this season when they have lost the clearance count.
03:05
A number of early around the ground stoppages to start the game. Geelong games this season have averaged the second-most such stoppages (55), while Richmond games have averaged the second-fewest around the ground stoppages (46).
04:26
Richmond rank in the top-3 for both ground kicks and knock-ons this season which may be a common method of ball movement tonight in slippery conditions. The Tigers currently lead 4-1 in ground kicks.
05:28
Cats Interchange - Gary Ablett off due to an injury.
06:05
Unfortunately, a pair of early injuries to start the game to Nick Vlastuin and Gary Ablett. Vlastuin has recorded more intercepts than any other player in the AFL this season.
07:56
Tigers Interchange - Nick Vlastuin and is possibly out for the game.
09:46
The Cats have an early 11-6 lead in contested possessions. Geelong is the No.1 ranked team for contested possession differential both post and pre-clearance this season.
13:34
The Tigers currently lead the tackle count 11-4. Richmond has not lost a game this season when it has applied more pressure than the opposition.
16:03
Mitch Duncan has recorded more kicks, disposals, and score assists in the finals this year than any other player. Duncan provided the assist on the opening score of the game tonight.
16:25
Cats Interchange - Brandan Parfitt off due to an injury.
17:41
Tom Hawkins has won more clearances in the forward 50 than any other player in the AFL this season, and it was one of these clearances that set up the second score of the game to the Cats.
18:01
SCORE
BEHIND - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
19:43
The first goal of the game to Dion Prestia was sourced from a forward half intercept. Richmond averages 23 points per game from this source.
21:38
SCORE
GOAL - Tigers (Kamdyn McIntosh)
21:46
The second goal to the Tigers was also sourced from a forward half intercept. Richmond has a 5-1 lead in these intercepts, and a 7-4 edge in forward half tackles.
23:30
SCORE
BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
23:48
Dion Prestia has made a prominent start to the game. Prestia recorded a career-high 164 ranking points against Geelong in the Preliminary Final last year, finishing with 28 disposals, two goals, and four score assists.
24:36
Tigers Interchange - Nathan Broad off due to an injury.
24:47
SCORE
GOAL - Cats (Cameron Guthrie)
25:01
The first goal to the Cats and Cam Guthrie was launched from a kick-in chain. Geelong has averaged 13 points per game from chains starting in its defensive 50 this season (ranked No.1).
26:35
Cam Guthrie is currently leading all players for disposals (7). Guthrie had polled ten Brownlow medal votes in nine seasons prior to 2020, but polled 14 votes this season and gained his first All-Australian selection.
27:58
Richmond is the No.1 ranked team from the 20-minute mark of quarters this season, with the Tigers often wearing their opposition down as a quarter progresses.
28:43
Cats Interchange - Brandan Parfitt off due to an injury.
32:27
While Richmond has a narrow lead for inside 50 entries (11-8), the Cats have a 3-0 edge in forward 50 marks.
32:48
SCORE
GOAL - Cats (Mitch Duncan)
33:12
An excellent set shot at goal from Mitch Duncan gives the Cats a crucial late goal. Both of the goals to Geelong have come from defensive half chains, and both of the goals to the Tigers have come from forward half chains.
34:16
A dramatic first quarter ends with Geelong holding a one-point lead. The Tigers have won only one of six games this season when they were trailing at quarter-time, and that was last week against the Power.
Quarter 2
00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:04
Richmond is ranked No.1 for time in forward half differential this season, but in the opening quarter, Geelong was able to shade the Tigers in this measure.
02:36
No team has had more ground kicks in any quarter this season than the ten recorded by Richmond in the opening quarter.
03:12
SCORE
GOAL - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
03:44
The three set shot goals for Geelong tonight have all been taken more than 40 meters from goal. The Cats scored 2.5 from such shots last week.
06:56
Geelong generated only one forward half intercept in the opening quarter, but has already generated five such intercepts in the second quarter, with the goal to Patrick Dangerfield coming from this source.
09:00
Geelong has an early 5-1 lead in intercept marks. This has been an area of strength for Richmond this season who is ranked second in this measure.
10:37
SCORE
BEHIND - Cats (Gryan Miers)
10:55
The forward half intercepts this quarter are now 9-0 in favour of Geelong with the behind to Miers also coming from this source. Richmond is having great difficulty clearing the ball from its back half.
12:04
SCORE
BEHIND - Cats (Zach Tuohy)
12:57
Richmond has had 16 chains starting in its defensive 50 tonight and has not been able to generate one inside 50 entry from any of these chains. Geelong is the No.1 team this season at preventing teams from scoring with these chains.
13:32
SCORE
BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
15:35
The Cats lead the inside 50 count 13-2 this quarter and have a 6-0 lead in forward 50 marks tonight.
15:50
SCORE
GOAL - Cats (Sam Menegola)
18:25
SCORE
GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
18:45
The goal to Tom Hawkins was the first of the night to either team to come from a stoppage. Geelong now leads 8-1 in points scored from this source.
21:19
The behind to Shai Bolton ends a run of eight scores in a row to the Cats. Bolton polled the three Brownlow votes when these teams met in Round 17 playing as an inside midfielder but has been used exclusively as a forward tonight.
23:54
A badly needed goal for the Tigers is provided by their talisman Dustin Martin who has been involved in three of the five scores by Richmond. 19 of the 20 points scored by Richmond tonight have come from intercepts in the attacking midfield.
26:56
Toby Nankervis has battled hard for the Tigers against a variety of Cat rucks tonight. Nankervis is the No.1 ranked pressure player on the ground and helped Richmond to break even at clearances in the second quarter.
Quarter 3
00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:17
Young Cat Sam Simpson won a game-high seven contested possessions in the first half. Simpson recorded a career-high (and team-high) five clearances last week for the Cats despite not attending one centre bounce.
01:13
Richmond has now generated the last ten inside 50 entries of the game and has a 7-2 lead in centre bounce clearances. While the Tigers are yet to score a goal from these clearances, it does provide Richmond with a territorial advantage.
03:34
Richmond has scored 26 points per game this season from chains started in its defensive half. The Tigers have not scored from any such chains tonight.
04:39
SCORE
GOAL - Tigers (Jason Castagna)
04:54
Richmond has now generated 31 of its 32 points following intercepts in the attacking midfield. The Tigers average 17 points per game from this source.
06:43
Geelong is the No.1 ranked team in both the third and final quarters this season. However, the Cats have lost all five games this season when they have lost the third quarter.
07:49
SCORE
GOAL - Cats (Gryan Miers)
07:55
An important goal for the Cats against the run of play after the Tigers had the previous 13 inside 50 entries. Miers has been involved in five scores tonight, which is more than any other player on the ground.
09:16
SCORE
BEHIND - Tigers (Jason Castagna)
09:27
The Cats are ranked third at winning centre bounce clearances this season, but have conceded 11 points per game from this source (ranked last). Tonight Richmond has a 9-3 lead in centre bounce clearances, but neither team has scored a goal from this source.
10:35
SCORE
BEHIND - Cats (Rhys Stanley)
12:21
SCORE
GOAL - Tigers (Kane Lambert)
12:30
Geelong leads 16-12 in forward half intercepts, but Richmond leads 37-14 in points scored from this source, with the Cats being made to pay the full toll for some errant kicks in their back half.
14:16
Jayden Short has been prominent tonight for the Tigers with a game-high 531 metres gained and a team-high six intercepts. Short is the No.1 ranked player in the AFL for total metres gained this season.
15:37
Richmond now leads 23-6 in ground kicks, with seven of these kicks by Shane Edwards. The Tigers recorded a season-high 30 such kicks last week against Port Adelaide.
16:17
SCORE
GOAL - Tigers (Dustin Martin)
16:45
Dustin Martin is the first player tonight to kick multiple goals and now has a game-high six score involvements. His last goal was the first score of the night to the Tigers to come from a chain started in their defensive half.
19:43
SCORE
BEHIND - Cats (Cameron Guthrie)
20:00
Dylan Grimes and Nick Vlastuin have averaged a combined 12 intercepts per game this season. Tonight Grimes is yet to generate an intercept and Vlastuin was only able to contribute one intercept before the early head knock ruled him out of the game.
22:03
SCORE
BEHIND - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
23:45
Geelong leads 11-6 in forward 50 tackles tonight. Richmond has averaged only 7.3 tackles in the forward 50 this season, which is ranked last.
24:46
Geelong has averaged 11 marks per game in the forward 50 this season (ranked No.1), and has an 8-4 edge tonight in this count, but has only scored one goal that has not come from a mark.
25:49
SCORE
BEHIND - Tigers (Shane Edwards)
27:14
An explosive third quarter from the Tigers who kicked 4.2 from just the ten inside 50 entries. Geelong was undone by forward half kicking efficiency of only 38 percent that quarter (compared to Richmond 54 percent).
Quarter 4
00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:55
SCORE
GOAL - Tigers (Dion Prestia)
01:01
Six of the last seven goals to the Tigers now with Richmond again converting a forward half intercept into a goal. Geelong leads forward half intercepts 24-14, but has been outscored 44-16 from this source.
06:33
Richmond lead contested possession 12-6, tackles 5-2 and inside 50 entries 5-3 in the final quarter, with the game being played on its terms.
07:08
SCORE
BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
08:22
The Tigers lead 9-1 in marks during the final quarter with three of these taken by Tom Lynch who has kicked his first goal. Lynch dominated the Cats in the Preliminary Final last year, finishing with a game-high 12 score involvements, six forward 50 marks and four goals.
08:45
SCORE
GOAL - Tigers (Tom J. Lynch)
10:42
In the final quarter, Geelong has recorded kicking efficiency of only 27 percent and is yet to record an effective kick in the forward half.
10:57
SCORE
BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
11:49
Jayden Short is now up to 692 metres gained which is over 200 metres more than any other player on the ground. Short has also contributed a team-high seven intercepts and six tackles.
13:13
SCORE
GOAL - Tigers (Dustin Martin)
13:27
Five goals in a row to the Tigers with Dustin Martin kicking a brilliant long-range goal. Martin has a game-high eight score involvements and a team-high nine contested possessions in another strong finals performance.
16:27
Toby Nankervis recorded a game-high 152 ranking points last week against Port Adelaide (this was also a career-high in a final for Nankervis). Tonight Nankervis is the No.1 ranked pressure player on the ground, had eight hitouts to advantage and passed 100 ranking points again.
16:47
Cats Interchange - Sam Simpson and is possibly out for the game.
19:32
Sam Simpson has won an equal team-high nine contested possessions and won first possession at four stoppages in a busy performance tonight.
22:58
SCORE
GOAL - Cats (Sam Menegola)
23:07
All seven goals for Geelong tonight have been kicked from 40 metres out from goal or further. Richmond has scored seven goals from within 40 metres indicating its ability to generate deeper forward 50 entries.
25:07
Shane Edwards has recorded eight ground kicks tonight, which is more than any other player in a game this season. Edwards is averaging 13.5 AFL Player rating points in 2020, which is second only to Dustin Martin among Tiger players.
26:07
Only Jason Johannisen in the 2016 Grand Final has recorded more metres gained (865) than Jayden Short has contributed tonight for Richmond.
26:24
SCORE
BEHIND - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
30:05
SCORE
BEHIND - Tigers (Tom J. Lynch)
30:48
Liam Baker is the No.1 ranked Tiger for ground-level intercepts this season, and the Tiger defender has won eight such intercepts tonight that have launched three goals for Richmond.
31:17
SCORE
GOAL - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
32:23
A pair of second-half goals tonight to Jack Riewoldt, who kicked an equal season-high four goals against Geelong in Round 17, and polled two Brownlow votes, which were the first of his career against the Cats.
33:06
SCORE
GOAL - Tigers (Dustin Martin)
33:18
Both teams have now won 26 forward half intercepts, but Richmond leads 64-16 in points scored from these opportunities including the last goal to Dustin Martin.
35:05
SCORE
BEHIND - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
35:23
A great win for the Tigers who kicked 10 of the last 12 goals in the game. Richmond scored a season-high 64 points from forward half intercepts and Dustin Martin was again the star with four goals.