Richmond’s mind-blowing streak continues

Different venue, same results.

Richmond continued its recent dominance over Essendon on Saturday night, winning the Dreamtime in Perth game by 39 points.

They blew the Bombers away in the last 13 minutes of the game, kicking seven unanswered goals to produce the 19.9 (123) to 12.12 (84) victory.

It was a devastating reply after the Bombers challenged them midway through the final term hitting the front, by three points, for the first time in the game.

The win stretches Richmond’s streak of wins over Essendon to 11; dating back to Round 11 of 2014.

The rare chance for the WA crowd to see two big Victorian clubs clash in the Sir Doug Nicholls Round wasn’t missed either, with 55,656 fans attending.

It is the biggest footy crowd in Perth this season.

Many West Australians supported VFL clubs before 1987 and not all jumped ship when West Coast joined the competition.

The crowd was very pro-Bombers, hopeful they could stretch their winning streak to four consecutive games and move into the top eight for the first time this season.

Bombers waste their chance

The Bombers had their chances too, kicking the first four goals of the final term.

But a wasteful third term, when they kicked 3.6 to Richmond’s 4.1, is where they failed to take the advantage.

The Tigers keep in touch with the top four, winning consecutive games themselves for the first time since rounds one and two of this season, against Carlton and Hawthorn respectively.

It was an important win to start the second half of the season. They head back to Perth next week to play West Coast on Sunday afternoon, the AFL bringing their game forward by one week.

They will fly back to Sydney for the week though, preferring to enjoy the lesser restrictions imposed on them by the New South Wales government.

Zaharakis sat out the final quarter after picking up a hamstring injury. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source:Getty Images

Tigers jump early

Richmond hit the scoreboard after just 12 seconds of the game starting, a behind from the boot of ruckman Mabior Chol.

Chol was the best player on the ground in the opening term, with eight touches, three of them intercepting Bombers runs forward.

When Dustin Martin kicked the Tigers second goal, nine minutes into the quarter, they led by 14 points and the Bombers hadn’t scored.

The contest nudged even further into the favour of the reigning premier when Essendon’s Andrew McGrath limped from the ground as Martin took his shot.

McGrath donned the tracksuit not long after nursing a knee injury and was replaced by Patrick Ambrose, playing his first AFL game since the 2019 Elimination Final loss to West Coast in 2019.

When Essendon finally got on the board, it was 11 minutes into the opening term. It was just the Bombers second inside 50 entry for the quarter.

Jack Riewoldt kicked his first goal late in the first term to give the Tigers a 19-point lead at the first break.

Parish rare form continues

Darcy Parish is in as good a form as anyone in the competition.

The Bombers midfielder averaged 37 touches in the Bombers three wins leading into Saturday night.

He led the way again for Essendon. He had 25 possessions by halftime, his eight contested also the most of anyone.

His 44 was the most of anyone ever wearing the Bombers black and red jumper, surpassing Barry Davies 43 earned in 1969.

He was right among it in the final term when the Bombers kicked the first four goals of the term to hit the lead.

Earlier, he and Merrett (31 touches) teamed up again to bring Essendon back from the brink.

They had trailed by 28 points during the second term, but as they did a week earlier against West Coast, they scored late be just 21 points down at halftime.

BOMBERS 1.2 5.4 8.10 12.12 84

TIGERS 4.3 8.7 12.8 19.9 123

ELBOROUGH’S BEST Bombers: Parish, Merrett, Langford, Phillips, Cox, Heppell. Tigers: Martin, Prestia, Castagna, Chol, Graham, Bolton.

GOALS Bombers: Ham 3, Hooker 3; Waterman 2; Cox, Langford, Phillips, Stringer. Tigers: Martin 3, Castagna 3, Bolton 3; Graham 2, Coleman-Jones 2, Riewoldt 2; Caddy, Balta, McIntosh, Rioli.

INJURIES Bombers: McGrath (knee) replaced by Ambrose. Tigers: Prestia (hamstring) replaced by Rioli.

UMPIRES Margetts, Dalgleish, Johanson.

VENUE Optus Stadium

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BRAD ELBOROUGH’S VOTES

3 Parish (Bombers)

2 Martin (Tigers)

3 Prestia (Tigers)

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