1. The invisible umpire
Did a misplaced goal umpire cost Richmond four points? Late in the final term, and trailing by under a goal, Matt White’s shot appeared goal-bound. Tyrone Vickery took a swing at the ball and missed, but the ball then cannoned into the goal umpire and rebounded into play. Stephen Hill picked up the ball and rushed it through for a behind. It might have been a goal, or it might have been hit the post. We’ll never know, but Tigers coach Damien Hardwick expressed his own thoughts on the controversy soon after the final siren.
2. Don’t mention the close ones
Last year, Richmond lost six games by two goals or less. They also drew with Port Adelaide. But, after losing to Fremantle by a point, Hardwick didn’t want to talk about the Tigers’ failure to win the close ones. “At the end of the day, it’s got nothing to do with it. It’s a tough battle,” the Richmond coach said. “They are a potential top-four side. We’re battling to get back. We come over here. It’s a close game. One of those games you look at and it’s an arm-wrestle the whole game. So, you’ve just got to make the most of your opportunity.”
3. The big question
With Kepler Bradley suffering a serious right knee injury during the second quarter, Fremantle’s key position stocks are set to be tested over the coming weeks. For Bradley personally, it comes as a cruel blow. He had started 2013 in promising form and had already managed to notch up seven goals in the club’s first four games. He suffered a serious leg injury at a similar stage last year and had to wait until the round 15 match against the Western Bulldogs to regain his place in the team. He’ll be hoping for a quicker return to action this time around.
4. Choco’s call
Three years ago, West Coast was fined $5000 when Nic Naitanui and Dean Cox spoke to Simon Eastaugh on a mobile phone during a three-quarter time break at Etihad Stadium. At quarter-time on Friday night, Tigers’ development coach Mark Williams appeared to be pressing buttons on his mobile phone as he left the ground. He can probably expect to be asked to explain himself.
5. Stepping out with class
He was Richmond’s first choice in the 2012 draft, and Nick Vlastuin wasted little time in showing why. While many first-gamers take a bit of time to pick up the speed of AFL football, Vlastuin hit the ground running and looked at home on the big stage. By half time, he had picked up 10 disposals and, perhaps more importantly, had laid four bone-crunching tackles. Vlastuin might have been happy to have been substituted out of the game, however, because last year’s Vic Metro U18s captain faded in the second half and finished with 11 touches.
