Blog log from R12 of 2023: Western Sydney vs Richmond

Daniels catches Taranto HTB at half forward and goes short to Green 45m out on the flank. Green’s kick is short and rushed by Balta with ease. (Q1 1:04)
Prestia is pinged for falling on a loose ball at a stoppage, Briggs takes the HTB free 40m out on the flank and misses to the left. (Q1 2:42)
Martin rolls his shoulders to break a tackle at a stoppage on the HFF and gives to Bolton who kicks a dirty floater to the top of the square, Riewoldt marks for the first goal. (Q1 6:13)
Ward intercepts at half forward and goes inside to Coniglio, he chooses a short pass to Callaghan 50m out… who goes back to Cogs at true CHF. The belated set shot is wide right. (Q1 9:07)
Taranto gets a rather soft contact free at a ball up 20m out on a slight angle, played for it and got it on Ward. He goals against his old mob. (Q1 11:16)
Coniglio’s handball after the next bounce is into Nankervis and goes to ground, Prestia roves and kicks up the guts for Riewoldt to mark 35m out and boot goal number two. (Q1 12:42)
Ryan kicks from the next bounce, Pickett leaps high in front of Keeffe and shows strong dukes to mark 40m out on the flank, but his kick is short and rebounded. (Q1 14:22)
Another dirty old sack inside 50 for the Tigers but again Riewoldt uses all his experience to read the flight and mark 40m out on the flank. His kick is wide left though. (Q1 17:07)
Ryan roves his own tap at a throw in 30m out on the flank and snaps on the spin off the left but it skews for a point. (Q1 18:10)
Short tumbles another ugly inside 50 kick after a stoppage at half forward, it lands in the arms of Short 20m out in front who converts. (Q1 19:19)
Himmelberg slipped over on that play to allow Short to mark untouched. Tigers are playing perfect winter footy, unfashionable but effective. (Q1 20:23)
Bolton receives from Ralphsmith and turns to run to true CHF for a shot but it flies wide right. (Q1 21:14)
The Giants get a rare deep forward 50 entry, Callaghan runs to the edge of the centre square and goes to the goalsquare for Riccardi to mark and goal. (Q1 22:08)
That goal was started by Ward clearing from a stoppage on the HBF, the Giants attacked the corridor and it paid off in true orange tsunami style. (Q1 22:53)
The Tigers surge forward after the next bounce, Pickett gives inside from the pocket to Mansell whose snap from 20m is off the fingers of Keeffe for a behind, confirmed on review. (Q1 23:58)
Brown marks a Ward pass up the staples on the lead in front of Ralphsmith at true CHF. The set shot is a long, strong diamond from the Irishman! (Q1 25:23)
That kick flew 60m straight over the goal umpire’s peaked cap. (Q1 26:18)
Pickett anticipates the last pumpkin-clad receiver in a handball chain out of defence by GWS and catches Ash HTB 40m out on a slight angle. He kicks truly. (Q1 27:55)
Ross baulks Buckley with a right-foot step and measures a pass from half forward to Bolton zipping towards the flank 30m out. Bolton also kicks straight. (Q1 30:50)
Hogan gives to Bedford for a snap across the body from 35m near the boundary, QT siren sounds with the ball in the air, it bounces in the square into the far left goalpost. (Q1 32:12)
Graham marks over the back to make it a very healthy early lead for the Tigers early in Q2. (Q2 5:43)
Hogan converts a set shot from the pocket 35m out after marking a Whitfield pass to bring the scores back to only a doubling. (Q2 6:33)
Green and Greene team up to set up an O’Halloran snap from 40m on the flank but it drifts into the right goalpost. (Q2 7:50)
Both teams exchange turnovers in midfield, Callaghan does a one-two with Brown on the wing and hoofs an ugly kick off the left towards the hotspot for O’Halloran to mark and goal. (Q2 11:57)
Riccardi gives to Callaghan playing on to advantage after a stoppage at half forward, he baulks Ryan shoots from 50m on a slight angle and shoots off the left for a fine goal! (Q2 15:03)
GWS are starting to play surge footy now, they run downhill through the centre after the next bounce, O’Halloran misses under pressure from 30m. (Q2 16:04)
Taranto pokes a kick to grass in the pocket from a stoppage, Whitfield comes in hot and catches his man Baker high 25m out, Baker kicks into Whitfield for no score. (Q2 17:46)
Bedford catches Ross HTB after a stoppage 35m out near the boundary. His set shot is across the face and rushed by Ryan. (Q2 20:03)
Cadman’s first touch is some link work on outer wing, Green passes to Daniels 40m out on a slight angle, he kicks truly. Giants back within a kick, well-deserved. (Q2 22:33)
Both sides have adjusted to the conditions and it’s GWS who are playing them better now. (Q2 23:18)
McIntosh roves an Ash kick clanger on the HFF and passes short to Clarke 35m out on the boundary, the kid threads the needle drawing the set shot in off the left. (Q2 25:18)
Lloyd smothers Taranto on the HFF, butters up and has a rush of blood with a quick snap from 45m… he’s no Bailey Humphrey, that one flies wide left. (Q2 29:33)
After Richmond rebounds at pace, Bolton centres from the pocket for McIntosh to mark at the hotspot just before the HT siren, he steers through the red time goal. (Q2 30:24)
Nankervis slips over at a throw in to the pocket 25m out for GWS, Briggs gathers himself and rolls through the goal off the right! (Q3 1:10)
Nankervis was literally mudded on that play, sat on his ort on the boggy Showground turf. (Q3 1:45)
Coniglio kicks blindly under great pressure at half back straight to Bolton, who turns and shoots quickly from 45m in front… wide left, disappointingly. (Q3 3:07)
Grimes roves in the back pocket, gets slung around the neck by Cadman, none of the four umps pay high contact, then they ping Grimes for HTB! Bedford shoots from 25m… miss. (Q3 4:30)
The footy gods are generally capricious and inscrutable, but even they are shaking their heads at that sequence. (Q3 5:13)
Ryan marks a long Rioli kick next to the goalsquare with Ash outnumbered, he kicks the goal with no problem. (Q3 6:30)
Ralphsmith kicks OOTF from the back pocket under pressure, Ash takes the free 45m out and tries a set-up kick but Nankervis rushes. (Q3 9:10)
Cotchin sends a long speculator up the guts from the centre to the hotspot, the ball flies over the pack to Riewoldt at the back, he almost buggers it up but mops up for the goal. (Q3 10:57)
Riewoldt marks a Clarke pass on the HFF, has options inside but dithers and has to go back for the kick which he misses. (Q3 14:10)
Rioli runs from a stoppage on members wing to attack the centre where Clarke provides the link mark and passes to Riewoldt 45m out on a slight angle on the fat side. Misses again. (Q3 15:45)
Bedford gives inside to the flank from the boundary for Lloyd, Rioli flashes in and catches him high 35m out. Lloyd hooks left. (Q3 18:50)
Ward scythes through traffic on the wing with a bounce and hoofs long towards Riccardi in the pocket, can’t mark but forces Grimes to cough up the crumb to Greene for a goal. (Q3 22:27)
Baker crumbs a Ryan contest 35m out on the flank but rather shanks the snap. (Q3 26:16)
Prestia catches Whitfield HTB in the centre, Ross passes to Ryan leading to 45m on a slight angle. Red time goals have gone Richmond’s way since HT… this one misses left. (Q3 28:06)
Greene roves a Riccardi contest and screws through a quality snap off the right on the run 40m out on the flank. Can’t keep a good man down. (Q4 0:38)
Repeat inside 50s for GWS, Bedford roves and starts a handball chain looking for someone open, it’s Ward who snaps truly from 40m after a feed by Callaghan. (Q4 2:55)
GWS again within a kick, Tigers have had them at arm’s length most of the game so the Giants need to go on with it from here. (Q4 3:31)
Richmond gets the next centre clearance, Cumberland fights with Keeffe for a ground ball near the behind post, Keeffe is pinged for getting in the back but Cumberland misses. (Q4 4:30)
Buckley drops an intercept mark at half back, Martin roves and tries a grubber from 45m on the flank but it skids across the face. (Q4 7:09)
McIntosh kicks poorly to the pocket to no one but it luckily comes off the boot of Himmelberg OOTF, free by Riewoldt 20m out is screwed through! (Q4 8:30)
Replays show that was a bump ball and shouldn’t have been a free. Footy gods having a laugh with that one, Thor having no luck! (Q4 9:30)
Daniels speeds through the centre on a rebound, does a one-two with Coniglio and kicks to an empty square… Greene slides and pokes it through off his studs for the goal! (Q4 11:11)
Baker passes to Clarke 45m out on a slight angle after a surge from the next bounce started by Nankervis. Clarke hangs it left. (Q4 12:53)
Green starts a slingshot play from a stoppage at CHB, Greene feeds Bedford who kicks the goal on the run from 40m, margin back to a point now! (Q4 15:11)
Hogan drops a mark 40m out in front, Richmond counter up the guts through traffic, Riewoldt is over the back for a long Ralphsmith kick to the square for the 12-point play. (Q4 18:33)
Angwin sends a long speculator from the HFF to the top of the square, big pack forms but it falls to the front where Cadman marks and goals with his second disposal! (Q4 20:28)
8:56 to go and GWS need to take the lead at some point if they want to win this game, haven’t done so despite getting close multiple times. (Q4 21:51)
Keeffe intercepts on members wing and attacks the corridor, Green gives off to Fahey who launches a massive snap from 55m in front for the go-ahead goal! Orange horde goes ape! (Q4 23:31)
Nankervis engineers the next centre clearance, Rioli gives to Clarke who also delivers a lovely long snap from 50m on a slight angle, Richmond back in front! (Q4 24:31)
Like last night’s game in Darwin, this game was a bit of a trudge at times in the first half but it has lit up late. (Q4 24:56)
Sun even shining for the first time on what has been an overcast, muddy day. (Q4 25:21)
O’Halloran catches Ralphsmith HTB 50m out on the flank, his set shot lands in the square for Nankervis to rush. (Q4 25:54)
Lloyd beats Grimes to a ground ball 40m out, Green has the chance off a step but shanks it OOTF. (Q4 28:35)
Ward snaps off a few steps from 45m in front, it drifts right to level the scores with a behind. 4:10 to go and it’s anyone’s. (Q4 30:35)
Briggs spoils the kick in for a repeat inside 50, ball up at the hotspot and it’s Briggs who bounces through the go-ahead goal to break the deadlock! (Q4 32:01)
Pickett passes to Prestia running forward of Ward to 45m on a slight angle after the next bounce. Prestia lines up to level the scores again… and dobs it! (Q4 33:31)
2:40 to go and now it probably comes down to clearance, which GWS has led +5 but has ebbed and flowed over the game. (Q4 33:57)
Prestia strips Ward after the next bounce, Bolton marks on the wing and goes to the flank… ground ball which Whitfield eventually rebounds. (Q4 34:54)
Ryan gets a snap off from a pack 25m out in the pocket but it curls and falls short for Whitfield to mark… but his rebound kick is intercepted by Nankervis, 1:30… (Q4 35:20)
Buckley marks at defensive hotspot, he starts a switch through Idun around outer wing, Lloyd links up… (Q4 36:00)
Baker tumbles a rebound kick to the centre, Riewoldt gives to Taranto for the kick inside 50, Pickett roves and slots the goal off the left from 40m on a slight angle! (Q4 36:36)
24 seconds left and that is most likely the winner. Clutch player, is Marlon. (Q4 37:12)
Repeat stoppage in the centre, 10 seconds left… scrum forms, siren sounds, Tigers escape! (Q4 38:16)