1. At this level the game is unforgiving and if you consistently hand the ball back to the opposition they will make you pay. Richmond inflicted maximum pain. The Eagles tried to channel the ball through the corridor early, but poor execution gave the Tigers the opportunity to counter-attack from the most dangerous position on the ground. Once they had the game under control you could see Richmond’s confidence elevate to their premiership levels.
2. There was a degree of resistance in the first half of the third quarter as the Eagles competed to the expected levels, but when Maurice Rioli Jr kicked two goals in a minute, the energy was sucked out of the contest. A tough watch to that stage of the game became even tougher.
3. Positives were few, but there was one clear highlight – Josh Kennedy’s 700th career goal. The dual Coleman medallist has been a champion since joining the club in 2007 and when he kicked his fourth 20 minutes into the last quarter he reached a rare milestone. Kennedy now sits 24th on the all-time goal-kicking list, level with Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich.
4. Greg Clark had waited a long time for his opportunity to play at the elite level. And he made the most of his chance. Clark had been over-looked in five drafts before getting a place on the Eagles list with their last selection in the 2021 ballot. He had 24 disposals, seven marks and six tackles in a strong start.
5. The switch of Sam Petrevski-Seton to defence after half-time was also encouraging. He is an elite ball user and hit targets where others failed. He played most of his games in a similar role with Carlton and returned to half-back where he looked at home and had 13 of his 17 touches.
