Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt enjoyed the ultimate villain to hero redemption story after he kicked a career-best 11-goal haul in the 113-point AFL flogging of Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.
Riewoldt kicked 11.2 as the Tigers strolled to a 24.10 (154) to 5.11 (41) victory at Spotless Stadium and improved their season record to 3-6.
GWS, who started the round with the same record as Richmond, were on the wrong end of a 100-point plus scoreline for a second straight game, as they crashed to a sixth straight loss.
The Tigers spearhead provided the perfect response after coach Damien Hardwick slammed him earlier in the week for saying Richmond had unsuccessfully tried to copy Hawthorn’s game style.
Riewoldt said it had been an emotional week.
“I was pretty devastated with how it came across, I let the coach down, I let the side down,” Riewoldt said.
“Today I was coming in with the mindset of just trying to pay the faith back in Dimma (Hardwick) and the boys and the footy club.”
Riewoldt, whose previous best haul was 10 against West Coast at the MCG in 2010, kicked four in the first quarter, three in the second, four in the third, before missing his two shots in the last quarter and potentially gave up another goal to skipper Trent Cotchin.
Hardwick was delighted with that unselfish play and Riewoldt’s early defensive work and said the forward had responded the way he wanted him to.
“A kick in the backside last week, but we move on pretty quick and he answered the best way possible.” Hardwick said.
Giants coach Leon Cameron said his team’s performance was unacceptable and even more disappointing than in the last round, when West Coast hammered them by 110 points in Perth.
“The issue is us 22 competing for longer and we served up about 25 minutes and the rest was tripe,” Cameron said after the Giants’ first game at their main home venue in six rounds.
Richmond kicked 13 straight goals after the two teams exchanged the first two majors of the match, with GWS not kicking their second six-pointer until the second minute of the third term.
The Tigers first 12 scoring shots were goals, as they kicked 8.0 to 1.5 in the first quarter, then doubled their 37-point advantage by halftime.
Rhys Palmer and Jeremy Cameron, kicked successive goals to trim the deficit to 62, but it proved a false dawn.
Richmond slammed on the next seven goals to swell their buffer to 103 points at the last change.
With Shaun Hampson competing well against the rusty Shane Mumford in the ruck and their midfield running riot Richmond looked more like the side that charged to the finals last year.
Even the return of several key players and over 450 games of AFL experience couldn’t help GWS.
Richmond dominated despite losing Dan Jackson to an early leg injury.
