A flurry late in the third term and early in the fourth was enough for GWS to put away an undermanned Richmond side.
It was a low scoring contest, with four of the Giants’ nine goals coming in that quick 10-minute burst which proved to be enough in the two-goal win.
The Tigers controlled much of the first half but couldn’t put it on the scoreboard and despite the best efforts of Dustin Martin, it was Toby Greene’s bag of five that separated the two teams.
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The Difference: Richmond’s missing pieces
Josh Kelly, Lachie Whitfield, Stephen Coniglio and Jacob Hopper were all among the leading disposal winners on the ground and Richmond’s key absences of Trent Cotchin, Shane Edwards, Josh Caddy and Toby Nankervis in the middle were felt all night.
Dustin Martin was a sole hand in the middle and went up a gear in the second half, finishing with 23 disposals and two goals.
However, it was the Giants who won the clearance battle by eight and controlled the stoppages for most of the night.
Richmond’s makeshift midfield wasn’t necessarily bad either – Shai Bolton stood out in particular, but they are clearly missing their premiership stars.
The Star: Toby Greene
Toby Greene kicked five of GWS’ nine goals. Not much more needs to be said, really.
The forward missed last week’s loss to Brisbane with a shin issue, but his inclusion was the difference between these two teams.
He had moments of brilliance coupled with perfect execution of difficult set shots and on a night where scoring was difficult, he got the job done up one end, while Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch had no impact up the other.
What’s Next:
Richmond will take on the Western Bulldogs next Wednesday night at Metricon Stadium in the first of many short breaks. How they recover from tonight and if any of their star players start to return will be something to watch.
On the GWS side, they have a longer break playing next Sunday against Gold Coast, also at Metricon Stadium. The Giants have dominated the Suns in recent years and will be looking to keep control of the expansion club battle.
FULL SCORE
GWS: 3.4, 5.4, 8.6, 9.8. (62)
Richmond: 2.6, 3.9, 6.10, 6.14. (50)
GOALS
GWS: Greene 5, Finlayson, Himmelberg, Jacobs, Kelly
Richmond: Martin 2, Bolton, Aarts, Castagna, Riewoldt
BEST
GWS: Greene, Whitfield, Haynes, Kelly, Coniglio, Daniels
Richmond: Martin, Bolton, Short, Baker, Vlastuin
Reports: Nil
Injuries
GWS: Nil
Richmond: Nil