Great Scott inspires brutal win

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IT was supposed to be the summer of heartache that would be the making of the Richmond Football Club.

But at some point in the six short months since last year's elimination final loss, the wheels have fallen off the Tiger train.

After three unconvincing weeks, the Tigers fell to a 1-3 record after last night's 38-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG.

While finals are not an impossibility, no team has made September from the same low-point in the past four years, save for Carlton's free finals pass at Essendon's expense last year.

Did they believe their own hype, the Tigers? Ease off the accelerator over pre-season? Or simply fail to execute when the expectation, in Damien Hardwick's fifth year as coach, was turned up to top-four levels?

Brent Macaffer wore Trent Cotchin like a glove all night. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia

Hardwick must answer those questions, and look for a way to restore bereft confidence levels, under a kind of heat that he has not yet had to experience in his time as senior coach.

Richmond captain, Trent Cotchin was held to 13 possessions last night, something that has not happened since 2010.

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Collingwood, on the other hand, gathered some much-needed momentum last night, led superbly once again by Scott Pendlebury.

Thriving under the captaincy that seemed bestowed upon him in his second season, Pendlebury brushed off the Matt Thomas tag and then won a one-on-one shootout with Cotchin, running to the end.

Pendlebury started the week in a moon boot and finished it with another three Brownlow votes.

But most importantly for Nathan Buckley's cause is that the unrelenting skipper had mates, this time. Dayne Beams and Dane Swan found the kind of form that together, makes them one of the most potent midfields in the game.

Dayne Beams kicked three goals from the midfield. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia

Forward Jesse White also emerged as a dangerous foil for 200-gamer Travis Cloke, giving the forward line much-needed depth and helping validate the last season's trade.

The win means the Pies this morning wake up back on an even keel at 2-2, breathing a sigh of relief after a win over the Swans and a commendable effort against the Cats in recent weeks.

But this match was never about the winner. A pre-season that almost universally stamped Richmond as a genuine top-four contender may have already gone down the gurgler amid major concerns in each third of the ground. They rallied in the last quarter, but that's the frustrating part with the Tigers, they turn it on and off like no other team.

Most worryingly, though, is the lack of pace, endeavour and accuracy in the back half. They are butchering the ball by foot, Richmond.

Dane Swan played forward most of the night, but was back to his bullocking best. Picture: Michael Klein. Source: News Corp Australia

Nick Vlastuin, Cotchin and Dustin Martin were all operating below 40 per cent kicking efficiency heading into the three-quarter time break. And when they turned the ball over, their defence was exposed without Alex Rance and Brett Deledio to run the other way.

Richmond played pulsating footy last year, but they move the ball at snail's pace this season. The flair is gone, and panic seems to have set in.

There is no respite, either. Next weekend's clash against Brisbane away is a danger game and then the Cats and Hawks follow, leading into the bye.

It was an indictment on the Richmond side that at half time first-gamer Sam Lloyd was the Tigers' most dangerous player.

Dayne Beams and Scott Pendlebury were two of Collingwood's best. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia

Taking the place of out-of-favour hard nut Jake King, the man from Deniliquin in New South Wales showed so much natural goal sense, snapping cleverly across his body then curling home a dribbler in the second.

But he was the only bright note and they were the Tigers' only two goals to half time.

You could hardly believe that the ball had been in Richmond's possession 53 per cent of the game to that point, but they were wasting it at every turn.

The tall forward setup including Jack Riewoldt, Ben Griffiths and Tyrone Vickery was toothless again on a wet night.

As hard as the stagnant play made it for the Tiger forwards, Vickery looked a lonely man on the MCG with only two handballs at the main change.

He looked uninterested at times, unwilling at others. But he was also hurt, and subbed off at half time with ice on his leg. Some in the crowd clapped the crowd announcement that he had put on the red vest, early in the third.

RICHMOND: 10.12 (72)

COLLINGWOOD: 16.14 (110)

JAY CLARK'S BEST

COLLINGWOOD: Pendlebury, Beams, Macaffer, White, Ball, Swan, Witts

RICHMOND: Lloyd, Jackson, Astbury, Conca, Houli

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