From the Archives 2009 Rich dampens Dockers spirits

By Tim Clark August 8, 2021 â€" 12.01pm

First published in The Age on July 19, 2009

Rich dampens Docker spirits

IF AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has got time this week, he should ring his regular engravers in Melbourne and spell out this name for the Rising Star trophy: D-A-N-I-E-L R-I-C-H.

Because after returning to the place where he was brought up to show Fremantle, and West Coast, and all those in the tiny crowd at Subiaco how far he has come since leaving Western Australia, there can be no doubt that award will be his, possibly the first of many.

In atrocious weather conditions, which no doubt contributed to the Dockers’ lowest home attendance in more than seven years, the footballing fare rarely rose above average â€" apart from Rich’s left foot, which for the duration of the game, was the difference in the 15-point margin.

The Age’s match report.Credit:The Age

While the win, which swung on a third quarter in which Brisbane eventually battered the Fremantle back line into submission, was valuable for the Lions to retain touch with the top four, it also had negative implications with nasty looking injuries to Daniel Bradshaw’s knee and Jared Brennan’s ankle.

And in keeping with Fremantle’s season of long-term positives sprinkled with horrible short-term negatives, Chris Tarrant wrenched a knee attempting to soccer a clearance, having almost blanketed Jonathan Brown for much of the night.

Tarrant’s departure in the third term allowed Brown to take two quick marks, one of which resulted in his third goal and a decisive gap with the weather continuing to torment.

And while the Dockers persevered, the absence of Aaron Sandilands and Matthew Pavlich was again a bridge too far â€" although football being the strange mistress it is, their seven-goal performance will be hailed as brave, seven days after being pilloried across the nation for kicking one goal against the Crows.

Predictably, much of the build-up to the game â€" apart from postulating whether Fremantle could kick more than one goal â€" concentrated on the first homecoming of the Lion from Subiaco.

Brown said Rich was the best left footer he had seen at the club, and assistant Adrian Fletcher even compared the 19-year-old to Michael Voss â€" while the young man himself said little and carried his own boots to training.

During the game, Rich appeared to bring his own football as well.

Finishing with 31 possessions â€" 15 of them contested â€" 12 clearances and eight inside-50s, Rich led all players in all areas, and his ability to propel the ball huge distances at speed was in stark contrast to a game on go-slow following the periodic torrential downpours.

Brisbane could not blame its early ineffectual ball use and lack of penetration totally on the weather, however. Clancee Pearce, Paul Duffield, Greg Broughton and Garrick Ibbotson all played their part in helping the Dockers to a seven-point half-time lead that felt greater the more rain pelted down.

After Bradshaw limped off in the dying seconds of the first quarter, and then Brennan turned his ankle twice attempting a mark in the third term, the difference on the scoreboard was a single point.

But the Dockers simply could not sustain the effort for the duration and faded in the third quarter, After a long bomb from Rich opened up a slight gap, Tarrant’s misfortune gave Brown space he had not enjoyed earlier in the night, and he goalled to give the Lions their biggest lead of the night.

Although Tarrant tried to resume his battle with Brown in the final term, he lasted a mere three minutes more â€" roughly a minute less than it took Brown to kick his fourth and extend the Dockers’ losing streak to nine.

That may well end next week, when they take on the equally lowly West Coast. But they probably will never get the chance to get Rich back, unless the young man gets homesick or sick of finding copious amounts of football in a Brisbane jumper â€" something the Dockers may live to regret, regardless of how well their other youngsters continue to progress.

BRISBANE LIONS 1.1 3.3 7.7 9.8 (62)

FREMANTLE 2.3 4.4 6.5 7.5 (47)

GOALS

Brisbane Lions: Brown 4, Bradshaw, Clark, Sherman, Rich, Dalziell.

Fremantle: Bradley 2, Thornton, Campbell, Suban, Mundy, Grover.

BEST

Lions: Rich, Clark, Power, Dalziell, Black.

Fremantle: Duffield, Ibbotson, Tarrant, Broughton, Suban.

INJURIES

Lions: Bradshaw (hamstring), Brennan (ankle).

Fremantle: Foster (ankle), Tarrant (knee).

UMPIRES Donlon, Dalgleish, Wenn

CROWD 22,595 at Subiaco Oval, Perth

MAIN MEN: Daniel Rich returned to WA to add another page to the growing scrapbook of one of the great debut seasons of the modern AFL era. Penetrative kicking and eager distribution saw him dominate in a midfield featuring Simon Black and Luke Power, as well as overshadow Stephen Hill, the young man who the Dockers preferred in last year’s draft. That decision may prove a wise one long term, but that meant nothing last night.

TURNING POINT: As the Perth heavens continued to empty on Subiaco in the third term, Chris Tarrant kicked in an attempt to clear, caught the turf instead and wrenched a knee. Moments after the Dockers’ regenerated defender hobbled off, Jonathan Brown took two marks, one of which led to the goal that gave the Lions a decisive 14-point lead.

THE UPSHOT: Michael Voss and the Lions return to Brisbane with more belief, but some significant bruises, with Daniel Bradshaw’s hamstring the biggest concern going into the clash with North Melbourne. The Dockers may welcome back Aaron Sandilands and Matthew Pavlich for the derby clash with the Eagles, but even a win over the local rivals cannot mask their limp towards the line in 2009.

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