RICHMOND has pulled off the win of the season to date, defeating the ladder leading Brisbane Lions by four points in the standalone AFL Women’s match on AFL Grand Final Day.

Richmond’s pressure was intense all day, and they survived a late Brisbane charge to take the win, 2.6 (18) to 1.8 (14) and do what no one else has gotten close to doing all season.

TALKING POINTS

Frenetic pace

For just about the whole match, the pace of the contest was absolutely frenetic and the pressure and intensity was high from both sides. The tackles were consistent and high in volume, so neither side could easily get easy, clean disposals.

Richmond has given the rest of the comp a blueprint

Richmond managed to do what no one else has even got close to doing all year, and that is beating Brisbane. In doing so, the Tigers have given a blueprint to the rest of the competition of how to bring down the ladder leaders, and from the outside it appeared to revolve a lot around the tackling pressure and intensity, and just making sure it was consistent for the full four quarters.

Richmond’s last few minutes

Brisbane really pushed hard late in an attempt to get the win, but thankfully for Richmond, and quite impressively, the Tigers defenders really held up well and with desperation thwarted any Brisbane foray forward. Maddie Shevlin (24 disposals) and Eilish Sheerin (19 disposals lead the way in disposals, showing just how much time the ball spent in the Tigers’ defence.

Dakota’s disastrous decision

As Brisbane were pushing late to try and take the lead in those desperate last few minutes, there was one particular moment that ultimately determined the way the game ended. Dakota Davidson took a mark in the goal square, but instead of going back at taking the shot she panicked and played on, with the subsequent kick smothered by Gabrielle Seymour and any hopes of a Brisbane win went down with that smother. Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich said Davidson was still young and would learn from the situation.

Brisbane was really missing Jesse Wardlaw

Know the old saying “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone”? Ok that may be a song lyric, but the point is that it very much applicable to Brisbane and Jesse Wardlaw. The Lions star was missing against Richmond due to illness, and it was clear how much Brisbane missed her and rely on her to be that tall, marking target up forward.