Gold Coast: A stray left knee from Richmond’s Tom Lynch left the all-star forward vulnerable to the whim of the AFL game review officer after the Tigers won their fourth back-to-back preliminary final with a 31-point victory over an under-equipped St Kilda at Metricon Stadium
The Tigers were too good from start to finish with Lynch kicking off their victory with a goal in the first minute of his opener after the hamstring injury he suffered in the 17th round
However, the incident, which occurred in the third quarter when Lynch lowered his left knee into the collarbone of Saints defenseman Dougal Howard and conceded a 50-yard penalty, will give the Tigers a sleepless night as they envision a tough trip to Adelaide will face Port Adelaide for a place in the grand final
While the contact was not violent and was more than likely to result in a fine, it was pointless and out of the ball of a player who has already earned the review officer’s wrath match this season
It was a critical moment in a game that was otherwise predictable with the Tigers winning too many clearances down the center for Saints defenders to cope, with small Richmond forwards feasting on stray balls inside from their 50 before
Shai Bolton was the most dynamic with three goals in the first half, his second a brilliant and courageous goal when he didn’t break his stride as four Saints approached him
When he threw the ball out of his boot and cleared the goals it was clear that the night belonged to Richmond
Shane Edwards was also on hand at ground level with the Tiger talisman scoring a goal after Jayden Short took his team’s first interception mark for the final series, initiating a rebound as clinically effective as it was. a setback from Roger Federer
It was a clear sign that the Tigers were going to be too good for the young Saints who came into the game without ruckman Paddy Ryder, father-to-be Jake Carlisle and suspended defender Ben Long
They then lost Josh Battle – who entered the game under a cloud with a foot injury – for a quarter as he needed foot treatment while Ben Paton received a blow to the head that left him stained with blood Tim Membery also injured his leg in the last minutes
Ryder’s absence was felt in center rebounds where Richmond dominated with nine to two center clearances late in the second quarter as they scored 91 on three Saints goals
While most of Richmond couldn’t miss (with the exception of Lynch who threw 25 and one on full) the Saints blew every chance they had with a bad set piece
Battle, Rowan Marshall and Max King missed unforgettable chances in the third quarter as St Kilda tried to get back into the game and left the 23-point margin in the final change
While it looked like Richmond was in control of the speed as they headed for their first semi-final win since 2001, St Kilda didn’t stay in the game long enough. to keep it interesting
It wasn’t until Jason Castagna benefited from Edwards’ poise by scoring directly in front of goal and kicking with precision that the result was certain, especially with their center dominance, this which means the ball lived in its front half for most of the match
St Kilda however has much to be encouraged after having climbed the ranks on the backs of five recruits, only Brad Hill of this quintet being disappointing overall They won a hard-fought final and stood together under duress against Richmond as they looked set to blow them up
They were a class below the experienced Tigers who found room both on the pitch and on the scoreboard early on and then controlled the tempo
Richmond will be a game for Port Adelaide after losing a classic round 11 encounter with both teams four wins each since meeting in the 2014 playoff final
Peter Ryan is a sports reporter for The Age who covers AFL, horse racing and other sports
Richmond Football Club, St Kilda Football Club, Australian Football League, Tom Lynch
World News – UA – Questions to Lynch as Tigers enter fourth consecutive prelims final
