Having lost six out of their last seven matches, things looked fairly grim for the Roos when Matthew Richardson’s major just after half time put Richmond seven points up. But under pressure, the Roos’ senior players responded superbly, wresting control of the match with a six-goal third-quarter burst that broke the Tigers’ resistance. A 10-goal final term then powered them to a percentage-boosting success, 24.10 (154) to 12.8 (90).
Richmond’s star players, Matthew Richardson and Nathan Brown, worked hard all evening with the former kicking five goals and the latter getting plenty of the ball, but they lacked support. Wayne Campbell, reported for a third-quarter confrontation with Harvey, found some touch while Andrew Krakouer, with two goals, proved an occasional headache.
Rocca, however, had a night out, improving on his heartening recent form to kick 8.2 in a vintage performance while Leigh Harding provided a good foil, kicking three majors.
While it was the hard work of Daniel Harris and Troy Makepeace that had kept them competitive in the first half, it was the senior Kangaroo midfielders that coach Dean Laidley had implored to lift in recent weeks that provided the drive in that the ‘premiership’ quarter. Brent Harvey and Anthony Stevens were particularly damaging, while Drew Petrie’s move into defence opened up the forward line for Rocca, who made the most of it.
The Kangaroos made a lightning start with Rocca threading two goals from set shots inside the first four minutes. Harding added another and it wasn’t until halfway through the term that the Tigers got their first through a long left-footer from Joel Bowden. But inspired by a 12-touch quarter from Nathan Brown, the Tigers rallied to kick two of the last three goals of the term through Richardson and Brown himself, and closed the margin to 10 points at the first change.
The second term belonged to the Tigers, as they pegged back their early deficit with two goals in as many minutes from Krakouer and Brent Hartigan. The Roos strung together consecutive majors of their own, but the momentum had swung Richmond’s way and with a Brad Ottens’ six-pointer, another from Krakouer and a behind on the siren from Brown, the Tigers were one point clear at the main break.
Richardson extended that soon after the resumption, but the Tigers wasted their chances and the Kangaroos made them pay. They kicked the next six goals, including an improbable snap from veteran Anthony Stevens from the 35 metres out on the boundary in the left forward pocket.
The Roos were moving the ball much quicker into their forward line and the likes of Rocca and Harding repaid the favour by kicking goals. Michael Stevens, Corey McKernan and Harvey also posted majors and by the final change the margin was 29 points thanks to Rocca’s goal on the buzzer.
Richardson was single-handedly keeping the Tigers in the match and he kicked his and the Tigers’ third for the half early in the final term. But Rocca had an answer to everything Richo could muster, and the veteran kicked four in the final term. That set the scene for a blue-and-white bath late in the game, the Roos adding 10.3 to 3.0 to top of a great performance and move back into the top eight.
Richmond coach Danny Frawley indicated in his post-match media conference that his team played without the tenacity and confidence it so desperately needed in the second half.
"It's disappointing. Probably where we're at as a club, we've got to know that we're going to have to scratch and fight and play and ugly game and we probably didn't take the opportunities at the start of the third quarter," Frawley said.
"But the disappointing part about the whole game is when the opposition kicked a couple of goals from our mistakes in the third quarter we went back into our shells, which has been an issue from day one this year, so it's disappointing."
"We didn't get our hands on it (in the second half) either and I thought our first half we got our hands on it and at least made a competition. Our tackling was good but we just fell away."
Kangaroos: 5.2 7.5 14.7 24.10 (154)
Richmond: 3.4 7.6 9.8 12.8 (80)
Goals: Kangaroos: Rocca 8, Harding 3, King 2, Motlop 2, McKernan 2, Brown, A.Stevens, M.Stevens, Firrito, Watson, Grant, Harvey
Richmond: Richardson 5, Krakouer 2, Brown, Bowden, Ottens, Hyde, Hartigan
Best: Kangaroos: Rocca, Harris, Harvey, Harding, Makepeace, A. Stevens, M Stevens
Richmond: Richardson, Brown, Campbell, Stafford, Krakouer, Newman
Injuries: Richmond: TBC
Kangaroos: TBC
Changes: Kangaroos Hale (finger) replaced in selected side by Watson, Archer (infection) replaced in selected side by M Stevens
Richmond:
Reports: Fleming (Rich) for rough play on Watson (Roos) in the first quarter, Campbell (Rich) for striking Harvey (Roos) in the third quarter.
Umpires: Head, Meredith, Ellis
Crowd: 31,700
