Footy lovers had to turn away from the ‘horrible’ and unmissable sight on what was meant to be a special night.
Report ! M.Naveed
 |
On Wednesday night, Richmond and Melbourne played in their annual Anzac Day Eve clash. Unfortunately, the game was not the interesting spectacle it was meant to be. Fans were disappointed by the skill errors and lack of composure from both sides during the Demons’ 43-point win over the Tigers. In the first half, the players seemed overwhelmed by the occasion, dropping easy marks and making mistakes with crucial kicks inside 50.
The general AFL public was critical of the game, calling it possibly the worst half of the season so far. Some fans even described it as “pathetic” and suggested that this was the standard expected for games scheduled on a Wednesday night.
During the halftime Auskickers game, Triple M’s Ethan Meldrum commented on a player who missed a shot from only five meters away, saying that it may have been the best play of the night at the MCG. The criticism continued throughout and after the game, with some comments bordering on exaggeration. One person asked if it was the worst AFL game ever played. Another commented on the difficulty of watching the game, especially with the clash of team jerseys. Some viewers turned off the game entirely, with one person even turning off their house’s main circuit breaker. Fans were disappointed with the spectacle and some even claimed it was the worst 43-point win they had ever seen. These were just a few examples of the negative feedback received by fans of the game.
Victorious coach Simon Goodwin acknowledged that the game was full of mistakes, but he was satisfied that his team secured the four points. He described the game as a “pretty scrappy affair” and admitted that the turnovers were extraordinary. Goodwin further added that his team was not executing well with the ball, which was unlike them. However, he was proud of his team for staying optimistic and positive, which helped them to come away with a good win.
Veteran Dees defender Steven May also spoke after the game and felt the need to apologize to the fans for the level of football that was being played. He acknowledged that the first half of the game wasn’t their best and felt sorry for the viewers at home for having to watch it. May was grateful that Richmond didn’t take advantage of their poor turnovers. However, Melbourne was able to regroup and play better in the later part of the game.
Jake Lever and Steven May were responsible for setting up Melbourne’s defence and were typically prolific in the game. Lever made 15 intercepts and had 26 disposals, while May took 12 marks.
Richmond showed a promising performance with Maurice Rioli Jr scoring two goals and Hopper making a considerable contribution before being off the field. Marlion Pickett played a tough game against Christian Petracca, while Toby Nankervis engaged in an exciting ruck battle with Max Gawn, who was named the best player of the game.
However, Pickett might come under scrutiny from the match review officer for hitting Clayton Oliver in the stomach, which forced the Melbourne star to drop to the ground just before quarter-time.
Although Melbourne trailed by one point at halftime, they kicked ten goals in the second half, which helped them move to 5-2 and sneak into the top four ahead of the rest of the round’s games.
Yze praised the effort and intensity of the Melbourne team throughout the game, but acknowledged that their execution was not as good as their opponent’s. He said, “Their polish in front of goal and their skill execution was just better than ours and they got a reward for effort, and we didn’t.”
Melbourne will face Geelong at the MCG next Saturday, while 17th-placed Richmond (1-6) will host Fremantle next Sunday.
