RICHMOND 3.3 Â 7.3 Â 11.5 Â 16.6 (102)
ESSENDON 3.3 Â 5.7 Â 8.11 Â 11.17 (83)
Goals: Richmond: B Griffiths 3 S Lloyd 3 D Martin 2 S Grigg 2 A Miles C Menadue D Rioli O Markov S Hampson T Hunt. Essendon: O Fantasia 3 J Daniher 2 J Laverde 2 J Kelly S McKernan W Hams Z Merrett
Best: Richmond: Martin, Griffiths, Lloyd, Cotchin, Miles, B Ellis, Short, Castagna, Astbury. Essendon: Z Merrett, Hams, Fantasia, Parish, Bird, Goddard, Gleeson, Ambrose.
Umpires: Brendan Hosking, Nicholas Foot, Leigh Fisher.
Official Crowd: 44,908 at MCG.
This was like two seasons wrapped up emblematically in one frustrating game. Richmond began the year without Brett Deledio and lost games. They finished this game with the talismanic player injured again, his calf now wrapped in ice, but did not lose.
They will be comforted that each time they were really under pressure they lifted sufficiently to take the game away.
Essendon played as they have this year, with pluck but not enough talent … or accuracy at goal. Still they can come from this game feeling arguably more emboldened for next year than their victorious opponents.
Zach Merrett was terrific and improves weekly. Darcy Parish likewise. Orazio Fantasia was their most lively and likely forward. Will Hams was busy and courageous, finding avenues through packs that are not immediately apparent. Brenton Sanderson likened him to Rory Sloane. It was a good likeness.
One of Essendon's most encouraging moments came when Hams won the ball at half-back, delivered to Jayden Laverde, who kicked long to Fantasia, who turned Dylan Grimes around and squeezed a goal.
Essendon got out to an early three goal-lead and, while inevitably Richmond overhauled them, the Bombers wanted to be part of the contest to the end. In the last quarter they closed to within one point.
There is argument about forgetting how to win in long seasons of losses, but with this team that is not a fair criticism because they can only do what they can with players they have. And with the players they have they continued to fight.
Laverde was drafted as a running half-back and, while he is "only"Â 190 centimetres, he plays encouragingly as a powerful third tall forward.
Both teams will have drawn encouragement from the game, even if those watching were frustrated for long periods with the way the ball moved. Richmond's play looks more like Jason Castagna's quasi namesake, George Costanza – short and wide.
Damien Hardwick might consider a ban for the rest of the season on handballing backwards then running further behind to try to accept the ball back again. He might also consider instructing that the first kick go forward, not short and sideways. The Tigers might also consider a plan to out-tackle each opposition for the remaining games (Essendon had 24 more tackles).
For all of that there is encouragement in the look of this Richmond outfit that Hardwick has wanted to scrutinise closely in the dead-rubber stages of the season.
Castagna has a step to his game and excitement. Oleg Markov, the son of Belarus polevaulter Dimitri, showed his pace and athletic daring running out of defence to at one point offer a lead for Griffiths, who obliged him with a pass. Markov took the mark and accelerated through to goal, then accelerated back even harder to enjoy the celebration of his first goal. He drew a jubilant crowd.
Jayden Short did a few clever things in defence. Connor Menadue got little of the ball but he has pace and good vision. Although yet schoolboy-thin, he could be a player. Dean Rioli was drafted as an elite talent and – while he will take time, like Menadue, to grow into an AFL player's body – he is smart and fast.
More persuasively, the long-time-coming forward Ben Griffiths played one of his best games. He took 12 marks and booted three goals, as if to say he wants and deserves to be there.
Richmond won because many of their proven talents performed when it mattered as Essendon pressed at them.
Dustin Martin had a power of the ball but every second kick missed a target or fell short. He had a career-high 43 touches, but 18 of his 35 kicks were ineffective or clangers. Yet he was still probably best on the ground.
Sam Lloyd is a creative talent, not fast or tall but with craft to his game and a knack of finding the goal. He dribbled a smart one from the pocket off half a step as he was being tackled in the first quarter to level the scores after an upset appeared a realistic possibility.
Essendon had three goals before the Tigers kicked one. Had Joe Daniher been able to hold a mark the Bombers might have opened up the sort of margin that would make Richmond panic. As it was, Trent Cotchin around the ball steadied his team.
Votes:
D Martin (Rich)Â 7
Z Merrett (Ess) 7
B Griffiths (Rich) 7
A Hams (Ess)Â 6
S Lloyd (Rich) 6