Eagles rout Tigers by 68 points
Ty Vickery punched in the face but Richmond coach Damien Hardwick feels the most pain after watching his side slump against West Coast.
PT1M31S 620 349WEST COAST 6.8 10.13 13.16 18.17 (125) RICHMOND 2.0 3.1 6.3 9.3 (57)
Goals: West Coast: J Darling 4, E Yeo 2, J Kennedy 2, L Shuey 2, M Hutchings 2, M LeCras 2, J Hill, J Redden, L Jetta, S Lycett. Richmond: J Riewoldt 4, D Rioli 2, S Lloyd 2, K Lambert.
BEST West Coast: E Yeo, L Shuey, A Gaff, S Lycett, J Darling, B Sheppard. Richmond: J Riewoldt, T Cotchin, A Rance, S Grigg, D Martin, K McIntosh.
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Brendan Hosking, Craig Fleer.
Official Crowd: 38,860 at Domain Stadium.
After watching West Coast beat Richmond by 68 points on Friday night, Eagle fans will again be beginning to believe their side is on the way to another grand final appearance. Tigers fans, however, will be questioning just how far away they really are from tasting glory.
Jack Riewoldt of the Tigers flies early for a mark. Photo: AFL Media/Getty Images
It's going to be a tough week for Damien Hardwick and his club. Hardwick, who said this week the Tigers might need to take a step back before they could take two step forwards, would have struggled to identify any progress. Indeed, the visitors struggled to get into their attacking 50.
After losses to Collingwood and Adelaide in the previous two weeks, Richmond was demolished by last year's runners-up at Domain Stadium.
And injuries to David Astbury (leg) and Shaun Hampson (calf and thigh) provide more headaches for Hardwick going into their round-five clash with Melbourne.
The incident so upset the Perth mum that she took her kids and left before the end of the Eagles' win over Richmond. Photo: Getty Images
The final margin was even flattering for the Tigers.
Richmond had been inside their attacking 50 only eight times in the first half to the Eagles' 36 and the home side was inaccurate in the front of goal, with 10.13 to 3.1 on the board.
Two of those Richmond goals were kicked only because West Coast defenders – Josh Hill and Jackson Nelson – fumbled deep in defence, and Lambert and Daniel Rioli were in the right place at the right time.
David Astbury of the Tigers is assisted from the field after sustaining an ankle injury. Photo: Getty Images
The Eagles were without Brownlow medallist Matthew Priddis, who pulled out before the game because of a thigh injury. Richmond should surely have made the same call on Hampson. The ruckman has carried a calf injury in the early rounds and by early in the second quarter against the Eagles he could barely walk – his thigh also was heavily bandaged. West Coast face a tough task next week, with a trip to the SCG to meet Sydney. But they'll go with confidence.
Elliot Yeo made the most of Priddis being out, with 25 possessions, seven clearances and 2.4, while Luke Shuey (eight clearances) and Andrew Gaff (33 touches) also had plenty of the ball.
The big find for the Eagles though was ruckman Scott Lycett, who finished with one goals and had 14 touches.
He may not be available to play the Swans, though, as he was reported for striking Ty Vickery in the head in the second quarter – and it will be difficult for him to argue a way out of. Vickery had just gone into the ruck to relieve Hampson and got under the skin of the Eagles players. He was already drawing the attention of Eagles fans, who clearly remember his strike on Dean Cox in the same clash two seasons ago.
With the Eagles celebrating their 30th anniversary on Friday night, Cox may have bought Lycett a cheeky beer at the after-match function.
At that celebrations would also have been Murray Rance, the second of the club's captains. His son Alex was pretty good against his old side, playing on the Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy and keeping him to 2.3.
Trent Cotchin was also pretty good for the Tigers, with 29 possessions, while Jack Riewoldt finally got some reward for his effort in the second half, with four goals.
