Match

Melbourne vs Richmond

Commentary / 24 Apr 2025

Pre Game

00:00

Richmond has lost the inside 50s by 25 and 20 in its last two wins - just the fifth time a team has won multiple games in a season where they had 20 fewer forward 50 entries than their opposition.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

01:55

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Trent Rivers)

04:01

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Harvey Langford)

05:10

Melbourne have dominated the game to date without putting much on the scoreboard. They lead disposals by 22 and have six of the first seven inside 50s of the match.

08:04

Unfortunately for the Tigers, Steely Green has given away two 50-metre penalties in the first eight minutes of the game, both resulting in shots on goal for Melbourne. Ed Langdon finally makes Richmond pay with the first goal of the night..

10:42

SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Tom Lynch)

15:32

Both teams are looking to find uncontested marks rather than play in a contest. Melbourne lead uncontested marks 22 to 16, while the contested possession count is 20 to 15 in the Demons favour.

17:09

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

20:26

Richmond needs to lift their pressure rating in order to get themselves into this contest. The Tigers pressure rating is currently 143, well below Melbourne's 189.

22:28

SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)

23:37

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kade Chandler)

24:12

Max Gawn is posing a massive problem for the Tigers. The Melbourne skipper has been imposing to start the match with seven disposals at 100 per cent efficiency and three contested marks.

25:30

SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jacob Hopper)

27:11

SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Sam Lalor)

30:47

SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Tim Taranto)

30:52

Richmond got themselves back into the contest late in the quarter off the back of their stoppage work. The Tigers lead clearances by seven and have scored their entire total of 2.3.15 from this score source, while holding Melbourne scoreless.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

01:16

SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Tom Lynch)

03:23

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Harrison Petty)

03:57

Melbourne leads uncontested possession 13 to one for the second quarter and by 25 for the match. The Demons wingmen and half back flankers Rivers, Bowey, Windsor, Lindsay and Langdon all have seven or more uncontested possessions already.

05:12

Demons Interchange - Tom Fullarton off due to an injury.

07:03

SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Steely Green)

11:35

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)

12:02

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harrison Petty)

16:19

Nick Vlastuin and Tom McDonald lead their respective sides with five intercept possessions apiece. Both defenders lead their respective sides for intercept possessions this season and are well on track to hitting their identical averages of 7.5 intercepts per game.

17:05

SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Kamdyn McIntosh)

18:40

SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Seth Campbell)

21:37

SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Rhyan Mansell)

23:48

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harrison Petty)

23:57

After four goals last week, Harrison Petty has followed up with two first half goals for the Demons tonight. It is just the seventh time in Petty's 89 game career that he has kicked multiple goals in a game.

29:44

Tigers Interchange - Kamdyn McIntosh off due to an injury.

29:58

Melbourne have looked to play on from a mark whenever possible, playing on from 36 per cent of all marks. Conversely, Richmond have played on from just 10 per cent of its marks.

30:16

Melbourne have outscored Richmond by 18 points from intercepts, but the Tigers have outscored the Demons by 20 points from stoppage.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

00:59

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)

01:51

After registering career-highs for both disposals (24) and goals (6) last week, Kosi Pickett was quiet in the first half tonight with just five disposals. But, maybe the dynamic Demon is set for a big second half - kicking the opening goal of the third term.

07:05

After trailing the clearances by eight in the first half, Melbourne have rectified some of their stoppage issues, registering five of the first six clearances of the third quarter.

07:55

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)

09:27

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

09:38

The Demons have dialled up the pressure to start the third quarter, recording a pressure rating of 263 to Richmond's 187 over the first 10 minutes. Melbourne has seven tackles inside forward 50 for the quarter and, after scoring just one behind from stoppage in the first half, have kicked 3.0.18 from this source already.

12:42

Demons Interchange - Steven May off due to an injury.

13:19

SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Tom Lynch)

17:47

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom Sparrow)

19:06

Melbourne have 12 forward 50 tackles in the third term alone, the latest resulting in a goal to Tom Sparrow. Since 2021, Melbourne has only recorded more than 12 forward 50 tackles in a quarter on one occasion - the first quarter of Opening Round against Sydney in 2024, when they had 13.

20:20

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)

22:48

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Koltyn Tholstrup)

26:20

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)

26:33

Melbourne have been prepared to use handball more effectively this term, recording 58 kicks and 58 handballs. In the first half, they used the ball far more by foot, recording 126 kicks and 76 handballs.

27:21

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)

29:03

SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Tom Lynch)

31:02

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)

31:16

Melbourne has destroyed Richmond at the contest this quarter, leading the contested possession count by 16 this term. They also lead the tackle count by 20 this quarter and clearances by seven.

32:53

SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jonty Faull)

33:01

Melbourne's leaders stood up in the midfield in the third quarter. Christian Petracca had 11 disposals, five score involvements and two goals, Max Gawn had 11 disposals and six score involvements and Clayton Oliver had 13 disposals and nine contested possessions.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

02:23

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kade Chandler)

05:22

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)

07:34

Melbourne has won the territory battle tonight, outscoring Richmond 7.3.45 to 1.5.11 from forward half chains.

09:59

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

14:30

Max Gawn has put in a colossal display for Melbourne tonight with 24 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 12 score involvements, six clearances and five contested marks - a clear best-on-ground display.

19:32

After recording a season-best 110 marks last week, Melbourne have taken 124 marks tonight to eclipse this mark.

20:13

SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Tom Lynch)

24:03

SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)

25:05

SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Tom Lynch)

25:19

Tom Lynch has been a bright spot for the Tigers tonight with 13 disposals, seven marks, nine shots on goal and 3.3.21. The only blight on his game has been his conversion

26:58

SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Tim Taranto)

29:50

SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Toby Nankervis)

30:09

The Tigers have finished with a late flurry with the last four goals of the match. Three of these goals have come via intercepts.

31:58

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

32:57

In the end it was a comfortable victory for the Demons, built on the back of a dominant third quarter, where they outscored Richmond 6.3.39 to 1.2.8. Melbourne's 423 disposals was its highest tally since Round 16, 2023.