AFL
Jake Michaels, ESPN Senior Writer 7y

Tigers brush aside critics, progress to grand final

AFL

Damien Hardwick can't coach. The Tigers crack under pressure. Richmond won't play finals in 2017.

There wouldn't be a footy fan, or even a casual observer of the great game, that hasn't heard or muttered these sentiments in recent times. Since the turn of the century, the general consensus of perennial underachievers Richmond has been anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

At times the club has been reduced to the laughing stock of the competition, not so much for subpar results but more for the manner in which their disappointments have come. In the past seven years they've suffered 21 defeats by 10 points or less -- more than any other club -- and up until a fortnight ago hadn't won a final in 16 years.

But in two and a half hours on Saturday, as Melbourne transitioned from day to night, the Tigers dispelled those myths and the stigma around them dissipated. Hardwick became a masterful tactician and his side didn't shirk away from the pressure. Instead they embraced it and won through to a first grand final in 35 years.

It was without question the most anticipated match of the season, and in the build-up the suburb of Richmond could only be likened to grand final day on steroids. The Tiger Army had made a point of lining Punt Road some four hours before the first bounce, and as they marched to the MCG it was clear they were going to play a monumental role in deciding the outcome of the contest.

GWS coach Leon Cameron insisted his side would not be intimidated or overawed by the occasion, but even the most ice-cold Giant couldn't help feeling a tad nervy when the final lyrics of Advance Australia Fair made way for a gargantuan roar which had the stadium rocking. Richmond took full advantage of the early support as Kane Lambert and Josh Caddy both had majors to their name inside the opening 100 seconds, sending the crowd into a frenzy. But to the Giants' credit they dug in to kick the next three and engage the Tigers in an epic first half arm-wrestle.

In the early stages, the Tigers struggled to replicate the high octane, pressure oriented football that saw them blow by Geelong in their qualifying final. There were glimpses but sustained pressure was non-existent, and the longer the Giants hung around on the scoreboard the quieter the crowd became. At halftime it was anyone's game with the Tigers leading by a solitary point.

The second half presented itself as a chance for someone to make a name for themselves, and the contrast between how Daniel Rioli and Steve Johnson approached the situation was stark.

The former-Cat had a minute to forget and one that potentially cost his side a chance of victory. Johnson marked 40m out late in the third term and had the chance to pull it back to a one goal game, but instead of taking the shot he handballed to an under pressure Nathan Wilson who bombed it out on the full. After taking possession from the subsequent kick-in, Johnson attempted a low-percentage bullet inside 50 only for it to be cut off by the resolute Tiger defence.

For Rioli it could not have been sweeter. Like Charlie Cameron in Adelaide 24 hours earlier, Rioli came to the party in arguably his greatest, certainly his most meaningful performance for the club. He booted four goals, including two team-lifters in the third term, and thrived when the heat was on by time and time again making the correct decision on and off the ball. By the final change he had played a pivotal role in helping Richmond open up an insurmountable 31 point lead.

Dustin Martin, who on Monday will have a Brownlow Medal hanging around his neck, also rose to the occasion in the second half with three goals. Two majors either side of three quarter time put the Tigers in full control and the crowd once again found voice.

Criticism and conjecture is a huge part of professional sport, but there wouldn't be a sporting club in the country that's been held under the microscope quite like Richmond. So when the final siren sounded it wasn't joy, happiness or excitement that was spilling out amongst fans, instead it was relief. At long last their grand final drought had been snapped.

It wouldn't have been a Richmond preliminary final without a storyline focussing on much-maligned captain Trent Cotchin. And as likely expected, it was one of a negative nature as the 2012 Brownlow Medallist was cited in the first quarter for a hit on Dylan Shiel which sidelined the Giant for the remainder of the match with concussion.

Cotchin now has one of the most nervy waits of his life to find out if he will be available to face the Crows next Saturday afternoon for a chance to do what nobody expected; win the 2017 premiership. Amazingly, for the first time since 1897, not a single player on the MCG next week will have had previous grand final experience.

Like the Western Bulldogs 12 months earlier, the Tigers have been written off at every hurdle yet continued to defy the odds. The Crows may well have earned the right to be the team to beat, but dismiss Richmond at your own peril. 

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