Match

Melbourne vs Richmond

Commentary / 24 Apr 2021

Pre Game

00:00
Expect the winner of the territorial battle to be a key factor in tonight's result. Both Melbourne (plus-13 minutes per game) and Richmond (plus-eight minutes per game) are ranked in the top three teams in the league for differential time in forward half this season.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:38
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Shane Edwards)
05:06
Richmond has enjoyed 74 per cent time in forward half in the first five minutes of play, but is yet to convert this dominance into a major score. The Tigers have won four midfield intercepts to the Demons' one.
05:42
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
06:31
After the last six forward 50 entries of the game, Jack Riewoldt has opened the Tigers' account with a sensational goal kicked off the ground from the pocket. Of his 682 career goals, this is just Riewoldt's 21st major kicked off the ground.
09:39
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Toby Nankervis)
11:07
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
11:13
It has been all Richmond since the first minute of this match. In that time Tigers have averaged 167 metres gained per turnover, far in advance of the Demons' at 35 metres gained per turnover. Richmond has kicked 2.3 (15) from the last 10 forward 50 entries.
19:38
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
20:46
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
22:18
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Salem)
22:34
Melbourne has tried to stem the Richmond onslaught in the early minutes through improved ball control. Since the Tigers' second goal, the Demons have taken 21 marks (to just two by the Tigers), with double the time in possession of their opponents in that time.
26:34
Coming into this match, both teams were ranked in the top three in average number of forward half intercepts per game. The Tigers have already won 10 intercepts for the match, five more than the Demons.
28:27
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
28:54
Kysaiah Pickett's clever kick to find Bailey Fristch has resulted in the Demons' second goal. This season Pickett has recorded a total of 94 scoreboard impact points (including direct and assisted scores), ranked first at Melbourne.
30:37
Richmond threatened to blow the game open with ten of the first 11 forward 50 entries of the game, but solid defence from Melbourne limited the Tigers to just 15 points in that period. After that point the Demons steadied, with 20 additional marks and 19 per cent additional time in possession.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:39
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
03:39
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
05:29
Tigers Interchange - Rhyan Mansell off due to an injury.
07:30
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Marlion Pickett)
08:56
Christian Salem has been a prolific ball winner and user to date in this match. The Melbourne defender has already disposed of the ball on nine occasions for this quarter, and 18 times for the game. He has recorded a team-high 328 metres gained.
11:54
Demons Interchange - Clayton Oliver off due to an injury.
12:19
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
12:32
Alex Neal-Bullen has made the most of a tough opportunity in the wet conditions with a terrific long-range snap shot. He has a game-high two score assists to go with his first goal of the match.
13:32
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (James Jordon)
14:52
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jake Melksham)
17:03
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
18:46
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
20:35
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
20:47
Melbourne has adjusted better to the slippery conditions this quarter and is opting to use the ball by hand, with 40 additional handballs than Richmond for the term. The Demons are averaging an additional 44 metres gained per turnover this quarter than the Tigers.
22:53
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Luke Jackson)
23:32
Melbourne is surging this quarter, scoring 4.2 (26) from eight forward 50 entries in the past ten minutes. In that time the Demons have turned the ball over only twice from 41 disposals, while the Tigers have recorded six turnovers from just 17 disposals.
25:42
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
26:44
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
30:36
Melbourne dominated in the wet conditions particularly by hand, with 72 handballs for the quarter (the second highest tally in a quarter by any team this year). The Demons also made the most of their opportunities, kicking three of their four goals from outside 40 metres.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:06
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Luke Jackson)
01:34
After Clayton Oliver won the intercept inside defensive 50, Melbourne has managed to transition possession from that zone to goal for the first time in by either side in the match (a total of 51 attempts across both sides).
03:29
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Ed Langdon)
06:47
Michael Hibberd has done a solid job on Dustin Martin, restricting the Brownlow Medallist to just six disposals to half time. Prior to this match, Martin averaged a club-high 14.4 disposals per game in the first half of matches.
08:32
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
08:38
Melbourne is pulling away from Richmond, kicking the last seven goals unanswered. In that time Christian Petracca has been immense, recording game-highs in clearances (four) and metres gained (428), while being involved in nine of the Demons' 12 scores.
09:03
Tigers Interchange - Dustin Martin off due to an injury.
12:19
Tigers Interchange - Kane Lambert and is possibly out for the game.
14:05
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Shane Edwards)
14:50
Richmond has kicked its first goal since the 27th minute of the first quarter, via a forward 50 intercept Kamdyn McIntosh. Three of the Tigers' four goals of the match have been launched from forward half intercepts.
16:17
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
16:57
Tigers Interchange - Dustin Martin and is possibly out for the game.
17:14
Melbourne is finding run and carry out of defensive 50 this quarter, on three occasions transitioning to forward 50 from six attempts, and finding the goal twice (33 per cent). This season the Demons average a score from 12.4 per cent of defensive 50 possession chains (ranked first in the league).
17:29
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jake Aarts)
19:21
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)
19:55
Both teams have traded goals directly won from centre clearances. Melbourne averages an additional 5.8 points per game than its opposition launched from centre clearances this season, ranked third in the league.
23:05
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
26:29
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Shai Bolton)
29:57
Melbourne pulled further away from Richmond in that quarter, average 64 metres gained per turnover in comparison to the Tigers' 48 metres gained per turnover. The Demons have recorded 188 handballs to three-quarter time, 24 more than any other team to that point in a match this season.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:37
Christian Petracca has continued his run of recent form tonight. The Melbourne midfielder has won a game-high eight clearances, generated 608 metres gained, delivered inside 50 on seven occasions, and now has kicked a major marking his game-high 11th score involvement.
03:17
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jake Aarts)
09:43
Tigers Interchange - Dylan Grimes and is possibly out for the game.
09:49
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
11:12
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
11:48
Coming into this match, Christian Salem was one of only two defenders to average at least 25 disposals, 450 metres gained and seven intercept possessions. He has surpassed all of those measure tonight, to date with a career-high 35 disposals and game-high 690 metres gained.
13:17
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Shai Bolton)
17:20
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Liam Baker)
18:38
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Shai Bolton)
20:07
Shai Bolton has been one of Richmond's shining lights on a tough night. Coming off an equal career-high 29 disposals last week, the Tiger has recorded 27 disposals, team-highs in metres gained (520) and marks (eight), and five score involvements.
23:01
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
23:44
Melbourne has been far superior from set shots, kicking 8.2 (50) compared to Richmond's 1.6 (12) from the same shot type. The Demons' have kicked 4.1 (25) from free kicks, compared to the Tigers' 0.1 (1).
24:34
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
28:40
The Demons were too strong for the Tigers with a 41-point turnaround after quarter time. Melbourne's run and carry and ball use by hand was a highlight, creating five goals launched from defensive half intercepts, while Richmond generated zero.