Richmond v Carlton snippets

TURNING POINT: A horrible umpiring decision early in the final quarter let Kade Simpson off the hook after he was wrapped up inside defensive 50, clearly dropping the ball. The Tigers could've regained the lead with the resulting free kick. Instead, the Blues rebounded straight up the other end of the field for Brendan Fevola to goal and stretch the margin to 11 points. Carlton, with all the momentum, went on to kick the next three goals and it was goodnight Richmond.

CLASSIC GRAB: Fevola used Kelvin Moore as a springboard in the second quarter, leaping high to pluck the ball from the young defender's reach. Fevola's resultant goal kept the Blues in the hunt at that stage, drawing them within five points. An honourable mention goes to Jarrad Waite with his attempted 'specky' over the goal umpire in the third quarter.

STAR MAN: Carlton midfielder Nick Stevens was influential when it mattered most, racking up 12 possessions in the decisive final term. Stevens added that little bit of class needed in the absence of Chris Judd to finish with 26 touches for the game. But it was his pressure around the middle - laying 10 tackles - that stood out most.

ABSOLUTE SHOCKER: The kicking for goal in the first quarter. Both sides kicked a combined 3.12, with Nathan Brown the main perpetrator (four behinds). The Tigers registered seven behinds before Mitch Morton broke the deadlock with five minutes left, wheeling around a statuesque Carlton defence to slot home Richmond's first goal of the game.

WHAT A GOAL! Matthew Richardson gathered a loose Dean Polo handpass in the third quarter, fumbled, steadied and dribbled the ball through from a tight angle with Blues defenders in pursuit. Jarrad Waite could manage only an outstretched hand but it was to no avail, with Richardson sending the Tiger crowd wild.

UNSUNG HERO: Up forward for the Tiges Mitch Morton backed up his five-goal haul against Port Adelaide last week with a solid game against the Blues. Morton finished with three goals and eight marks for the losing side and was the Tigers' only viable avenue to goal. It's nice to see Richmond with another presence up forward besides that of club stalwart Matthew Richardson.