Match

Melbourne vs Richmond

Commentary / 24 Apr 2023

Pre Game

00:00
After averaging the second-most points in the league last season (98.7), Richmond ranks 15th for scoring this year with 75.4 points per game.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
03:23
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
04:14
Alex Neal-Bullen has scored the opening goal of the match, following a clearance won by Melbourne in their forward 50. The Demons scored 2.1 (13) from forward 50 stoppages last round against Essendon - the third match in a row with multiple goals from this source and zone.
05:04
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Noah Cumberland)
07:00
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
08:11
Richmond has generated two scores from their first three inside 50s. Richmond has generated a score from 39% of their inside 50s this season – the worst conversion in the AFL.
09:04
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
11:13
Returning to Melbourne's line-up after missing three matches through injury, Max Gawn has taken Melbourne's first contested mark inside 50 for the match. Melbourne averages 1.8 contested marks inside 50 per game – the second-fewest of any side.
14:14
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jack Viney)
15:24
Melbourne's disposals have been more effective in the early stages of the match - particularly their kicking. The Demons have recorded a kicking efficiency of 76% compared to Richmond's 58%. Melbourne has recorded a kick efficiency of 68.6% this season – the second-best efficiency in the AFL.
17:52
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Noah Cumberland)
18:46
Noah Cumberland has scored a goal following a 50-metre penalty paid against Jake Lever. The Tigers have conceded a total of 167 50-metre penalties since 2018 – 55 more than any other side.
20:03
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jacob Hopper)
20:51
The Tigers have scored their third goal of the match from their seventh inside 50. Richmond has been a slow starting side this season, winning just one of their five first quarters. They scored a combined 10.11 (71) in opening terms up to Round 5 – the fewest points scored by any side
22:25
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Noah Cumberland)
24:06
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
24:50
Noah Cumberland has scored three first-quarter goals - the most goals by and Richmond player in a quarter this season. Coming into tonight's match, Cumberland had scored three goals from his first three matches of the season.
26:31
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Dustin Martin)
28:56
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Rhyan Mansell)
30:25
Richmond has scored their highest first-quarter score for the season, with forward 50 efficiency a key difference between the two sides. The Tigers have generated a goal from 42% of their entries in the first quarter, compared to Melbourne’s efficiency of 15%.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:45
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
01:42
Richmond is on top at centre bounces, leading these clearances five to three. The Tigers have only won the centre bounce clearance differential in one match this season, whilst the Demons have only lost this stat once.
04:25
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
05:34
Melbourne's first goal of the second quarter comes following an intercept possession won in their defensive midfield zone - their second goal of the match launched from this zone. Melbourne has launched a score from 22.1% of its defensive midfield 50 chains this season – ranked second.
08:06
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Samson Ryan)
08:35
Samson Ryan has converted his first mark inside 50 for the match into a goal, deep in the forward pocket. Ryan has won Richmond's only two hitouts-to-advantage for the match tonight, following his team-high eight last round against Sydney.
12:38
Richmond is well on top at stoppages, winning seven of the first eight clearances for the quarter. This is an area the Tigers have been poor in the last two rounds, losing clearances by a combined 22 in their two most recent matches.
13:15
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
15:06
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
18:26
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
18:41
Richmond's post-clearance contested possessions have been a feature tonight, leading this count by 13. The Demons were poor in their post-clearance contests last round against Essendon, losing these contested possessions by 16 – their worst result of the season.
20:30
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harrison Petty)
21:23
Harrison Petty, lining up in the forward line tonight, has scored his first goal of the match from Melbourne's second mark inside 50 for the quarter. Petty played in defence last week, finishing with a career-high 12 uncontested possessions and 12 intercept possessions - including five intercept marks in the third quarter.
24:37
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jayden Short)
26:39
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ed Langdon)
26:46
Melbourne now leads the quarter by four points after rectifying their issues with groundballs from the first quarter. The Demons trailed the Tigers in groundballs by 10 in the opening term - their worst differential in any quarter this season. They have matched the Tigers in this stat in the second quarter, winning 17 apiece for the term.
29:30
The efficiency inside 50 flipped in the second quarter. After the Tigers scored a goal from 42% of their entries in the first quarter, this dropped away to 18% in the second quarter. Conversely, the Demons managed to improve their 15% from the first quarter to 44% in the second term.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:53
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
02:48
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
05:35
Melbourne’s pressure factor in the first half was 166 compared to 175 by Richmond. Melbourne's worst pressure factor result this season is 170 (Round 3 v Sydney).
05:40
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kade Chandler)
07:36
Kade Chandler has scored the opening goal of the second half - his third score involvement for the match. Chandler is averaging 12.4 disposals, 1.4 goals, 1.8 score assists, and 6.0 score involvements this season.
09:24
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
11:07
Melbourne’s pressure inside 50 has been immense this season, laying a competition-high 14.4 tackles per game in this zone in 2023. Richmond has comfortably won this battle tonight, leading forward 50 tackles eight to one.
13:07
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Harrison Petty)
14:15
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kade Chandler)
15:24
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Dustin Martin)
17:12
Transitioning the ball out of defensive 50 has been a battle for both sides tonight. The Tigers have generated two inside 50s from 22 possession chains originating in their defensive 50. The Demons have a slightly higher conversion, generating three inside 50s from 29 defensive 50 possession chains.
17:25
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
19:19
Jack Riewoldt has scored a game-high four goals - matching his four-goal effort last round against Sydney. He has been targeted inside 50 on nine occasions and has won one of his three offensive one-on-one contests. Riewoldt has won 35% of his offensive one-on-one contests this season – the second-highest percentage of his career.
21:46
SCORE GOAL - Demons (James Jordon)
24:22
Melbourne has punished the turnovers made by Richmond this quarter. Both teams have won 14 intercept possessions each in the term, however, the Demons have scored six times from these intercepts compared to just one score from this source for the Tigers.
25:35
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Samson Ryan)
27:56
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Maurice Rioli)
30:17
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
30:20
All four third-quarter goals to the Demons were sourced from forward-half turnovers. They outscored the Tigers by 19 points from this source in the term. In the first half, the Demons only managed 1.2 (8) from forward-half turnovers.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:11
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Ben Miller)
02:06
Melbourne is the only team this season that has not lost a final quarter. They have outscored their opposition by 97 points in these terms in 2023.
02:18
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kade Chandler)
04:40
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
06:51
Clayton Oliver averages 17.6 contested possessions per match this season – No. 1 in the AFL. Uncharacteristically, he has only won seven contested possessions so far tonight. In his last 50 career matches, Oliver has only won fewer than 10 contested possessions in one match (Round 4, 2022 v Port Adelaide).
07:20
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
08:37
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
11:01
The Demons have generated seven of the first eight inside 50s to start this final quarter. Jacob van Rooyen has been the main target inside 50, scoring two goals from his three scoring shots for the term.
11:31
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Dustin Martin)
13:15
Dustin Martin has scored a wasteful three behinds tonight and has a poor kicking efficiency of 31%. Martin has recorded a career-low kicking efficiency of 46.7% this season – a drop from a career-high 63.2% last season.
13:50
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Samson Ryan)
16:41
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Liam Baker)
17:34
Max Gawn has provided Melbourne with a strong aerial presence, taking a game-high six contested marks tonight. The Demons have taken a season-high 16 contested marks, doubling Richmond's efforts of eight.
19:37
Tim Taranto’s pressure has been a highlight for the Tigers tonight, laying a game-high 10 tackles whilst also leading the match in pressure acts with 29. Taranto has laid a team-high seven tackles in Richmond’s forward 50 this season.
21:13
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Max Gawn)
23:01
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
23:32
Melbourne has now scored the last seven goals of the match. Since Richmond's last goal in the 18th minute of the third quarter, the Demons have controlled possession, leading uncontested possessions 83 to 49, taking 13 more marks, and generating five more inside 50s.
25:46
Tigers Interchange - Maurice Rioli off due to an injury.
27:15
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Dustin Martin)
27:27
Christian Petracca has generated a game-high 12 inside 50s tonight - his second-most inside 50s ever in a match. He also leads the match in metres gained with 605.
30:33
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
30:59
Melbourne’s strong form in last quarter’s proved the difference in the match, scoring five goals to one tonight in the final term. The Demons have now won all six of their final terms this season (the only team to have achieved this feat) and have outscored their opposition by 117 points after the final break – ranked No. 1 in the AFL.