After last round's heart-breaking loss to North Melbourne you could understand some of Richmond's supporters staying away, but the Tigers and the AFL would have been extremely disappointed with the paltry 22,074 crowd for the only game in Melbourne on Saturday. It was the lowest crowd between the sides since round 13, 1999. The corresponding fixture last year, played in round 17 as both teams surged towards finals, attracted 40,125 supporters as the Tigers registered a 27-point win.
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2. Miles high on second chance
He was unwanted by GWS after 10 games, but Anthony Miles has burst onto the scene for the Tigers. The midfielder dominated the VFL before being rewarded with first game against North Melbourne and didn't look out of place in the free-flowing affair with 19 touches, four marks and six tackles. The 22-year-old showed even more promise against the Dockers, amassing 12 touches and four clearances in the opening term. He added an important goal in the second term and finished the game with 30 disposals in another performance full of promise.
3. Crowley/Mzungu take Deledio's scalp
Richmond obviously put plenty of thought into what to do when the AFL's No.1 stopper Ryan Crowley locked onto their prime midfield mover. Brett Deledio started mostly across half-forward, mirroring Patrick Dangerfield's effort to take Crowley forward last round, and struck an early blow by slotting the game's opening goal from a tight angle. But Deledio struggled up forward thereafter, only mustering eight touches and 1.1 to half-time. He kept fighting with Tendai Mzungu as a shadow after half-time to finish with 22 touches and 2.1, but his influence was limited.
4. Martin pinged for deliberate behind
He copped the Tiger Army's wrath, but field umpire Chris Kamolins rightly stuck to his guns after paying a free-kick for a deliberate rushed behind against Dustin Martin in the second quarter. Martin roved a pack about 15 metres from goal at the Punt Road end and immediately swept a handball on the full across the goal-line under minimal pressure. Docker Danyle Pearce was the beneficiary and made no mistake from five metres out. Martin and teammate Troy Chaplin argued the point – that it should have been a point - but umpire Kamolins defended his decision by explaining "the bloke was still a couple of metres off you" and it was hard to argue with him.
5. Sylvia reborn as a Docker
Former Melbourne midfielder Colin Sylvia would be well-aware that his career is on the line at Fremantle and Ross Lyon drilled that point in by holding him back until round 13 despite some strong form in the WAFL. Sylvia has been criticised for the shape he arrived in at Fremantle, but looking slimmed-down and fit he was unleashed in the third quarter after starting as the substitute. It didn't take him long to get into the action as he took a mark on the wing, although he finished with only three touches in a quarter-and-a-bit. Sylvia remains a work in progress and would add another dimension for Fremantle if he can reach his undoubted potential.
