RICHMOND 2.3 6.10 9.10 11.17 (83)
FREMANTLE 1.1 2.3 5.7 6.9 (45)
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Tigers maul Dockers
Richmond were too good for the winless Fremantle on Saturday night.
Goals - Richmond: A Miles 2 J Riewoldt 2 S Edwards 2 B Griffiths C Menadue S Grigg S Lloyd S Morris. Fremantle: H Ballantyne 3 E Langdon M Taberner M Walters.
Best - Richmond: T Cotchin, S Grigg, D Martin, A Miles, A Rance, N Vlastuin. Fremantle: L Neale, D Pearce, C Blakely, N Suban, D Mundy, H Ballantyne.
Umpires: Chris Donlon, Ray Chamberlain, Leigh Fisher.
Official Crowd: 20,184 at Domain Stadium.
The interpretation of the deliberate out of bounds rule has changed the way football is played in 2016.
But it was a free kick paid for another deliberate action at Domain Stadium, in Richmond's 38-point win over Fremantle, on Saturday night that breathed life into the Perth crowd of just 20,184 - the smallest to watch the Dockers at Domain Stadium since 2001.
Finally, a free kick was paid for a defender deliberately rushing a behind.
The AFL has threatened to crack down on it, but it finally took umpire Ray Chamberlain to remind us that the rule exists. Richmond was the team that benefited from it, early in the second term of their victory over Fremantle.
Dockers defender Lee Spurr kicked the ball from the ground in slippery conditions two minutes into the second term on Saturday night when the Tigers led by eight points. It hit the post and Chamberlain decided that the big man in pursuit, Ben Griffiths, wasn't putting enough pressure on him.
He awarded a free kick from the top of the goal square and the resultant goal didn't make a difference to the result though.
It didn't cost the Dockers their first win of a frustrating season after nine rounds and didn't help the Tigers to consolidate their one-point after-the-siren victory over the Sydney Swans from last week.
It did give Richmond its third win for the season, but still leaves it two victories outside of the top eight.
The Tigers lead of eight points at quarter-time came despite them having kicked into a massive breeze.
Fremantle managed only one goal with it; and at half-time (trailing by 31 points) the Dockers had only one more.
In that second term, Richmond had its chance to blow the Dockers away, with 4.7 from their 14 entries into their forward 50.
Trent Cotchin, returning from a two-game lay-off with a fractured cheekbone and donning a helmet, provided the spark for the Tigers.
Cotchin had a game-high 18 possessions at the main break and with seven of those being contested, certainly wasn't holding out of contests. He didn't slow after the break and finished with a career-high 39.
Through two early goals to Hayden Ballantyne in the third term, the results of hard work in the midfield by Fremantle skipper David Mundy, the Dockers got the margin back from 37 points to 24.
Lachie Neale's solid form also continued in the absence of Nat Fyfe and Stephen Hill, and with Michael Barlow back in the WAFL searching for form. Whether the young South Australian (Neale) signs a contract extension, or looks to head elsewhere, remains one of the few points of interest in the Dockers season – besides when last year's minor premiers might finally win their first game. Essendon, at Domain Stadium in round 11 looks the most likely, although those hopes could be affected by the possible loss of improving young defender Alex Pearce, who was carried off with what appeared an ankle injury late in the final term.
During the third term when the Dockers started to gain some ascendency.
It was Zac Dawson that managed to slow his own side's momentum and arguably allow Richmond to seal the result. The Dockers defender collected Richmond's Steven Morris late and high after he'd taken a mark, allowing the umpire to make the easy decision of moving the shot on goal to 5m out instead of 45m.
The goal took the margin back to 30 points. Dawson will face the Match Review Panel for the incident, as will Ty Vickery who, in the same quarter, gave away a free kick behind the play for high contact with Fremantle's Nick Suban.
Votes
FREMANTLE v RICHMOND
(Brad Elborough)
9 T Cotchin
8 S Grigg
8 D Martin
8 L Neale
7 A Miles