We hope for Jack Riewoldt's sake the Coleman Medal isn't decided by a single goal this year. The star Tiger has been lauded for his unselfish play this season, but he may have taken it a step too far on Saturday. After marking on the edge of the goalsquare in the first quarter, Riewoldt played on under pressure and handballed to teammate Luke McGuane, who streamed into an open goal. With 54 goals for the season, only five behind Eagle Josh Kennedy and Hawthorn's Jarryd Roughead, Riewoldt remains firmly in the mix for his third Coleman Medal. His only goal, a brilliant set shot on the boundary, came deep in the final quarter, but the star Tiger contributed 11 score involvements.    

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After a minor slump mid-season, Trent Cotchin is getting back to his best football. The captain was brilliant in the first quarter on Saturday, winning the hard ball, weaving through traffic and setting up teammates. A move had to be made, and in-form tagger Andrew Raines was moved off Brett Deledio. While the Lions robbed Peter to pay Paul, Deledio celebrated, racking up 11 disposals, including eight handball receives, in the second quarter. He can thank his captain for the rare freedom he enjoyed.   

 

New football manager Dan Richardson has done an outstanding job in securing the Tigers' key players this season, but he has much work left to do ahead of finals. While Dustin Martin is the big name out of contract, Reece Conca highlighted how important he is to the club's future on Saturday. Yet to sign on beyond 2013, the young West Australian has high currency both in WA and Victoria. He kicked three goals in the first half and finished with 21 possessions. Now could be a good time for a deal to be finalised.      

 

The Lions looked completely lost early in the second quarter, winning just seven disposals in the first seven minutes. From that point on, however, they were the better team, kicking 10 goals to six. Michael Voss' men have proved this season they should not be discounted late in matches, and they're ability to hang in the game on Saturday was the silver lining in defeat. They rallied despite losing midfielder Brent Moloney to hamstring tightness at half-time.

5. Look out GWS
Reading between the lines in Michael Voss's post-match press conference, it can be assumed his players will be targeting a fast-start against the Giants next Saturday night at the Gabba. The Lions conceded eight of the first nine goals on Saturday, and Voss couldn't answer why his players were late to the contest. "We've got to look to rectify that and make sure we run harder early so we've got teams off the bit and we can really finish strong," midfielder Tom Rockliff said. "When we start doing that, look out."