I’m not sure whether you guys felt the shift in this game, but I sure did.
It happened early in the last quarter as Karl Amon darted from defence and kicked long. It was a 70-metre play and saw the Hawks’ sharpshooter, Luke Breust on the end of the chain. His left foot snap went through for what looked like a goal. However, similar to the Trent Cotchin shot that was overturned by the Edge technology, the boys upstairs indicated the shot had brushed the post.
The Tigers were alive.
And they made the most of their second lease on life.
Richmond started to roll, finally playing to win the game with a relentlessness that defined them during their successful run of premierships. In response, the Hawks went into their shell. And whenever that occurs, you know what it spells.
Trouble.
In a flurry to end the game, the Tigers held the Hawks goalless, kicked the last six goals of the game, and overcame a five-goal three-quarter time deficit to win by a solitary point.
It was a famous win for the boys from Punt Road, with a bit of a feeling that they got out of jail mixed in. It is probably fair to say that the Hawks outplayed the Tigers for three quarters, but when the chips were down and Richmond needed to dig deep, they were able to do it. And that was enough to overcome whatever the Hawks had left in the tank.
The win keeps the Tigers in the hunt for finals, actually elevating them to seventh on the ladder immediately after the game. Can this team do what many thought was impossible halfway through the year and bully their way into contention? And what does this fadeout do to the confidence of the emerging Hawks?
Many questions to answer in this one, as The Mongrel tears the Tigers and Hawks apart with The Big Questions.
Oh, what the hell? A Mongrel paywall? Yep, I believe my work is worth twenty cents per day. If you don’t, that’s fine. Don’t complain, though. Sometimes, I open these reviews up after 24 hours or so. Sometimes, I don’t. There is no favouritism… I just don’t. Want to join us and access the members’ game reviews, as well as columns like the Wingman of the Year, Recruit of the Year, and other nonsensical stuff HB comes up with each week?
