With one round of the AFL season to play, defending premiers Richmond have moved into the top four with a 26-point win over Geelong on Friday.
The Tigers made light of the Cats’ six-match winning run as they brilliantly shut down their opponents for three quarters at Metricon Stadium, claiming a 7.15 (57) to 4.7 (31) victory which will sound a warning to their finals rivals.
It’s Richmond’s fifth win in their past six games against the Cats but came at a cost with Ivan Soldo and Tom Lynch both suffering injuries.
The four points lifts the Tigers above West Coast and the Cats into third place and they’ll seal a top-four spot with a win over bottom-placed Adelaide next weekend in their final home-and-away fixture of 2020.
Geelong will need to beat Sydney or hope the injury-hit Eagles lose to North Melbourne to secure a top-four finish.
In a game light on goals, Tigers’ forward Jack Riewoldt was the standout with four majors while Esava Ratugolea marked his return to the Cats’ team with two fourth-quarter goals.
Dylan Grimes (12 intercepts, six marks) was sensational in his first game back from a hamstring injury, marshalling a defence which gave Cats’ spearhead Tom Hawkins absolutely nothing.
Hawkins was held goalless for three quarters, limited to just three disposals before he finally got in the game with a set shot goal in the final quarter.
The big forward’s major was part of a three-goal spree early in the fourth quarter which gave Geelong hope of an unlikely comeback.
When Hawkins played on after marking minutes later but missed his shot, the Tigers ended the Cats’ faint hopes through goals to Jason Castagna and Riewoldt.
The victory came at a cost for the Tigers with ruckman Soldo limping out of the match just before halftime after injuring a knee in a collision with Noah Balta while key forward Lynch hurt his hamstring early in the third term.
Geelong’s 1.4 (10) at the main break was their lowest halftime score since 1957 and that slow start left them with too much to do in the final term in Irishman Zach Tuohy’s 200th AFL match.
Geelong also had an injury concern with Gary Rohan (quad) replaced before the game by debutant Ben Jarvis.
